Programme N0312A200033: International Relations - master, full-time

Academic year 2024/2025

Academic Supervisor of the programme: doc. PhDr. Jan Karlas, Ph.D., M.A.

International Relations (IR) is a two-year English-language Master's degree programme, which provides students with the knowledge and analytical skills to understand and explain the international context of politics, economy, and security. The world is growing ever more interdependent and major political decisions, influencing our everyday lives, are made not only by individual nation states but increasingly also by regional as well as global institutions. Our programme helps students understand how international and European politics work, and what are the challenges faced by states as well as business and societal actors in the globalized world. Students learn in depth about the functioning of the European Union and of the key global institutions which states have developed to address these challenges. They study how, if at all, international conflicts can be productively transformed into cooperation.

In addition to providing students with a robust background in international and European politics, the programme puts an emphasis on the development of students’ analytical capabilities, abstract and critical thinking, and communication as well as language skills. The study curriculum of the programme International Relations is centred on the first year’s set of common compulsory modules and the second year’s individual specialization, stay abroad, and master’s thesis research. In the first semester students focus on the theories and methods for the study of international politics, and on the introduction to international security and international economic relations. In the second semester they acquire deeper understanding of the problems of global institutions, international law, and European studies.

Career prospects of our graduates reflect the prestige of the programme they have studied and the high demands the programme puts on their abilities and on their academic, professional and personal development. Our graduates are individuals who have been trained in critical thinking as well as in concrete analytical techniques and qualitative as well as quantitative data analysis. They have robust background knowledge relevant to current international and European politics. They are able to work in teams and in an international environment. They effectively know foreign languages, they are able to put into use their advanced writing, presentation, and communication skills. They are able to use computers effectively, not only on their CV. They have the abilities – analytical as well as managerial – to take part in demanding and complex projects, and subsequently to reach mid-level or high-level positions early on in their careers. They are people who have demonstrated personal integrity, the ability to work hard, and the capability to think deep.

Our graduates work in diverse fields:

• national administrations,

• diplomacy,

• international and European institutions,

• transnational corporations or NGOs,

• media or think-tanks,

• political parties,

• academia.

Programme structure

The final state examination consists of the following parts:

1. (JDIP01) Master’s thesis defence

2. Oral examination

   1. (JSZ604) International relations (1 question)

   2. (JSZ656) European Union, (JSZ657) International institutions, (JSZ607) International law, or (JSZ608) International Economic Relations (student chooses one of these areas and answers 1 question)

Compulsory courses J#0890

Total number of credits: 66

Note:

• JPM945 requires parallel enrolment (is co-requisite with) in one course from group #089124

• JPM946 requires parallel enrolment (is co-requisite with) in one course from group #0892

• JPM947 requires parallel enrolment (is co-requisite with) in one course from group #0893

• JPM948 requires parallel enrolment (is co-requisite with) in one course from group #089424

Elective courses J#089124 (Theories of International Relations)

Minimum credits: 4

Note: the guarantor of course JPM945 will require a parallel enrolment in one of the courses from group J#089124

Elective courses J#0892 (International Institutions)

Minimum credits: 4

Note: the guarantor of course JPM946 will require a parallel enrolment in one of the courses from group J#0892

Elective courses J#0893 (European Union)

Minimum credits: 4

Note: the guarantor of course JPM947 will require a parallel enrolment in one of the courses from group J#0893

Elective courses J#089424 (Approaches to Conflicts and Violence)

Minimum credits: 4

Note: the guarantor of course JPM948 will require a parallel enrolment in one of the courses from group J#089424

Elective courses J#089524 (Further elective courses)

Minimum credits: 26

Note: To obtain credits for elective courses, a student may in addition to the above listed courses also choose courses up to 18 credits from the programme Security Studies. Students should attend these courses in the summer semester.

Note: The offer of elective courses may be updated during the academic year.

Prerequisites, co-requisites, alternative and incompatible courses