International Political Economy

Does the growing influence of Brazil, Russia, India and China (BRICs) change the way the global political economy is governed? What are the political roots of global trade and finance? What is the impact of the international economy on inequality and development? Answering these questions requires you to combine economics and political science. In our Master’s specialisation in International Political Economy (IPE) you will uncover the economic and political dimensions of global issues and power struggles behind policy choices.

Understanding the world

International Political Economy at Radboud University teaches you to go beyond the surface of daily news and to disentangle deeper global structures of economic growth and the distribution of wealth and power that underlie today’s problems of global economic governance. We challenge you to not only understand and explain ‘the world’, but to view and assess it from the perspectives of different stakeholders, while understanding the social and economic structures and institutions enabling or hindering them in pursuing their objectives.

Semester 1

• Current Debates in International Political Economy (6 EC)
• Global Political Economy (6 EC)
• Methods of Empirical Analysis (6 EC)
• Choice between: Culture and Institutions; Inequality and Development (6 EC) or Macroeconomics & Policy (6 EC)
• Pluralisms in Economics (6 EC)

​Semester 2

• Choice between: The Rise of the BRICs (6 EC) or The Politcs of Reform (6 EC)
• Choice between: Current Issues in International Economics & Development (6 EC) or Current Issues in Economics & Policy (6 EC)
• Master's thesis (18 EC)

A completed Bachelor's degree in:

• IPE/Political Science: In order to be admitted to the IPE/Political Sciences Master’s programme, you will need a Bachelor’s degree in Political Sciences or a related discipline. In addition, you are required to have at least 18 EC of completed course work in Economics, 6 of which in International Economics (2nd year or higher).
• IPE/Economics: In order to be admitted to the IPE/Economics Master’s programme, you will need a Bachelor’s degree in Economics or a related discipline from a research university, with sufficient background in research methods and mathematics. In addition, you are required to have at least 18 EC of completed course work in Political Science, 6 of which in International Relations (2nd year or higher).

A proficiency in English

In order to take part in this programme, you need to have fluency in both written and spoken English.This requirement has been satisfied when the student meets one of the following conditions:

• Has successfully completed a three-year Bachelor's programme at a Dutch university
• Is a citizen of Australia, Canada (with exception of Quebec), Ireland, New Zealand, United Kingdom, or the United States of America..
• Has successfully completed a Bachelor's programme that was taught completely in the English language in one of the following countries: EU/EEA-countries, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, United States of America.
• Has successfully completed a Master's programme from a Dutch university of applied sciences (HBO).

All other students need one of the following certificates (TOEFL and IELTS certificates may not be older than two years):

• A TOEFL score of ≥90, with subscores not lower than 18
• A IELTS score of ≥6.5, with subscores not lower than 6.0
• Cambridge Certificate of Advanced English (CAE) or Certificate of Proficiency in English (CPE) with a mark of C or higher

A letter of motivation

In this letter of motivation (max 2 pages) you should explain why you want to attend this programme and why you think you are suited for this programme. 

There are various scholarships available for studying at Radboud University. Some of the opportunities are described below. A full list, including detailed information, can be found on our scholarships and grants page at our website. 

Radboud Scholarship Programme

Open to a select number of excellent international students. Instead of the institutional tuition fees, non-EEA students pay the legal tuition fees (€2,006 in 2017/2018). Visa and residence permit costs, liability insurance and health insurance are also covered.

Orange Tulip Scholarship

Open to students from Brazil, Mexico, Russia, Indonesia, South-Korea, Vietnam, Thailand, and China. Instead of the institutional tuition fees, non-EEA students pay the legal tuition fees (€2,006 in 2017/2018). Visa and residence permit costs, liability insurance and health insurance are also covered.

Fulbright-Radboud Scholarships

Open to excellent American students. The grant will be paid in 12 monthly instalments of 1,050 euros. International travel and the cost of the residence permit will be covered, and an extra allowance of €1150 will be paid on arrival.

Sino-Dutch Bilateral Exchange Scholarship

Open to excellent students from China. Consists of a contribution of € 16,113 towards the total costs of one year of study or research in the Netherlands.

DIKTI-Neso Scholarships

Aimed at lecturers at higher education institutions in Indonesia who wish to pursue a PhD or Master's at a university in the Netherlands. A DIKTI scholarship includes allowances for living expenses, insurance, travel costs, tuition fees and more.

Indonesian Education Scholarship (LPDP)

Open to excellent Indonesian students under the age of 35. Involves a full scholarship.

Holland Scholarship Programme

Open to excellent students from Canada, America, India and Turkey. Scholarship consists of 5,000 euros payed at the start of study.

Dutch Student Finance

EU/EEA students and Swiss students under 30 years of age are eligible if they are working at least 56 hours per month in the Netherlands, or have been living in the Netherlands for five years or more. Dutch student finance consists of four components: a basic grant, a supplementary grant (depending on the parental income), a student travel product, and a loan.