International Studies

The MA in International Studies provides students with the background necessary to understand and assess world current events and global trends. The programme is truly interdisciplinary, drawing on political science, law, anthropology, sociology and history, while providing students with skills in international project management. Students can build their own personal profile by doing an internship or choosing specific coursework to be done either at AU or abroad. The final thesis is often inspired by the internship experience and may be written in collaboration with the host institution. Our experience tells us that this internship–thesis link leads to swift employment for our graduates.

Our graduates are equipped to deal with the complexity and challenges of a world in constant change.

MULTICULTURAL, INTERDISCIPLINARY ENVIRONMENT

Students of international studies work with international affairs and on global issues in many different ways. Teaching takes place in the form of presentations and discussions which are demanding and for which students have to be well prepared. Weekly papers and oral presentations or debates require good time management and prepare students for a professional working environment where deadlines are met by all. Assignments and end-of-term exams ensure training in a variety of written and oral exam situations.

The International Studies programme is fully international, meaning that fellow students come from all over the world. Although Romanians speak Romanian with fellow Romanians and Chinese speak Chinese with fellow Chinese, the language of teaching is English and the student culture at International Studies is a sphere of global English. Graduates acquire a high degree of cultural sensitivity as an inextricable part of their studies, a vital aspect of any international career.

CAREER PROFILE

The programme prepares students for careers across private and public sectors as well as in continuing research. Graduates have found work in international teams in the strategic or cultural departments of both international and Danish companies. Another popular destination is to work in international organisations, in government or in the diplomatic service. Graduates who wish to pursue further education in the form of a PhD can apply both to the Graduate School of Arts and to the Graduate School of social sciences. The interdisciplinary competencies and experience gained by working in cross-cultural teams are a major advantage in many fields of employment.

The core courses are Modern global history, International political economy, Global society, Project management, International relations and organizations, and Global justice.

The students can choose electives among the full array of University courses offered in Aarhus, and students are encouraged to apply for internships throughout the world as part of the programme.

The programme recruits excellent students from all over the world to provide a vibrant learning environment drawing on concrete skills, insights, and experiences of the diverse student body.

The team of professors teaching the required core courses are all experienced and published in their academic fields and have international work experience.

Guest lecturers and prospective employers from businesses, institutions, and organizations with an international scope are part of the course and project design.

The programme is the outcome of a team effort carried out by professors from the departments of History, Asian and European Studies, Law, Political Science and Anthropology.

The programme consists of the following courses:

First semester:

• Modern Global History
• International political economy
• Global Society

Second semester:

• Project Management
• International Relations and Organisations
• Global Justice

Third semester:

• Internship/project plus 0-2 elective subjects

Fourth semester:

• Thesis

In general, admission to a Masters degree programme taught in English requires successful completion of a relevant and recognised university degree equivalent to a Danish Bachelors degree in level and contents.Thus, to facilitate our assessment of your qualifications, you must submit documents describing the general and specific contents of your Bachelor's programme - preferably including descriptions of courses taken for credit - although some programmes do not require this. Please check the specific application page for information about documentation requirements.For specific programmes, application procedures and application form, please see the list of English-taught programmes available.A pre-assessment of your foreign Bachelor's degreeThe Danish Agency for International Education provides assessments of non-Danish degrees, diplomas and certificates and information about international recognition of qualifications.The assessment offered by the Danish Agency for International Education is a brief statement saying what your foreign qualification corresponds to in Denmark: Which educational level and, if possible, which field of education.A pre-assessment of your foreign Bachelor's degree made by the Danish Agency for International Education will improve your application. However, the decision regarding admission to specific Master's programmes is made by Aarhus University in accordance with the academic regulations.Restricted admissionSome Masters degree programmes have restricted admission, which means only a limited number of slots are available. Thus, only the most highly qualified applicants will be selected for admission according to the selection criteria announced. The number of available slots and the selection criteria used will appear from the specific admission pages of the Study GuideStudents already holding a Master's degreeStudents who have already obtained a Masters degree (according to Danish standards) can apply for admission to Masters degree programmes with restricted admission, but if the number of applicants exceeds the number of available slots, these applicants will always be given lowest priority for selection among all the other applicants, even those less academically qualified for admission.General English language requirements ('English B level')According to the Danish Ministry of Science's Order no 181 of 23 February 2010 on Admission to Danish Universities, all applicants with non-Danish examinations to Master's programmes taught in English must document English language qualifications comparable to an 'English B level' in the Danish upper secondary school ('gymnasium') .English language qualifications comparable to an 'English B level' in Denmark can be documented as follows:TOEFL test results of at least 560 (paper-based test) or 83 (internet-based test)The Aarhus University TOEFL code is 8935The Aarhus School of Business TOEFL code is 7993The AU-IBT (Institute of Business and Technology in Herning) TOEFL code is 8607The test result must not be more than two years oldIELTS test with a minimum score of 6.5 pointsThe test result must not be more than two years oldCambridge Certificate in Advanced English (CEA)"C1 level" obtained by examination from a CEFR-validated English language course.English-taught entrance examination (upper secondary school/high school) or Bachelors degreeEnglish language qualifications obtained through at least 210 hours of English lessons (1 hour = 60 minutes) in a non-Danish entrance examination. You must ask your upper secondary school/high school to provide documentation for the total number of English lessons/hours you have received during your final three upper secondary/high school years. You are required to enclose a copy of your upper secondary/high school certificate, including course and examination descriptions of your English language course. English Language Requirements IELTS band: 6.5 TOEFL paper-based test score : 560 TOEFL iBT® test: 83