This Masters in European Politics & Law provides you with a unique perspective on politics and law in Europe, focusing on the domestic political system of individual states in Eastern and Western Europe, institutions and policy-making process in the different areas of European Union law, and the reform of the European Union’s constitutional and regulatory architecture.

Programme overview

• MSc: 12 months full-time; 24 months part-time
• PgDip 9 months full-time; 18 months part-time

You will study three core courses and three optional courses. You will also write a dissertation on a topic of your choice in European politics and law, which will be supervised by a specialist member of staff.

Core courses

• Comparative European politics
• Institutions and policies of the European Union
• Qualitative research methods or Social science statistics 1.

Optional courses in politics

• Challenges in international politics
• China's international politics
• Chinese politics and society
• Critical perspectives on human rights
• Ethics in global politics
• EU in international politics and development
• Foreign policy of the United States
• Freedom of expression
• Globalisation and European integration
• Human rights and global politics
• International relations theory
• International security and global politics
• Internet and civil society
• Media and democracy
• Political institutions, crisis and communication
• Political legitimacy: contemporary perspectives
• Politics of gender in development.

Optional courses in law

• British constitutionalism c1600-1800
• Freedom, security and justice in the European Union
• Fundamentals of international law 
• Globalisation, constitutionalism and human rights
• Law and democracy
• United Nations law.

Note: Some courses might not be available every year. You may also be able to choose from courses in the other subjects in the School of Social & Political Sciences and the School of Law.

Career prospects

Career opportunities include the civil service, European institutions or non-state actors, journalism, lobbying, higher education, trade and foreign aid, European Parliament offices in Scotland and Copenhagen, European Commission in Brussels, Scottish Executive and Scottish Enterprise, diplomatic services in Europe.

Academic entry requirements

Entry requirements for postgraduate taught programmes are a 2.1 Honours degree or equivalent qualification (for example, GPA 3.0 or above) in a relevant subject.

International students with academic qualifications below those required should contact our partner institution, Glasgow International College, who offer a range of foundation courses.

English language requirements

For applicants whose first language is not English, the University sets a minimum English Language proficiency level.

International English Language Testing System (IELTS) Academic module (not General Training):

• overall score 6.5
• no sub-test less than 6.0
• or equivalent scores in another recognised qualification (see below)
   

Common equivalent English language qualifications:

• ibTOEFL: 92; no sub-test less than 20
• CAE (Cambridge Certificate of Advanced English): B minimum
• CPE (Cambridge Certificate of Proficiency in English): C minimum
• PTE Academic (Person Test of English, Academic test): 60; no sub-test less than 59

Pre-sessional courses
The University of Glasgow accepts evidence of the required language level from the Language Centre Pre-sessional courses. We also consider other BALEAP accredited pre-sessional courses:

• Language Centre, University of Glasgow
• BALEAP guide to accredited courses 

FAQs

Visa requirements and proof of English language level

It is a visa requirement to provide information on your level of English based on an internationally recognised and secure English language test. All test reports must be no more than 2 years old. A list of these can be found on the UK Border Agency website. If you have never taken one of these tests before, you can get an initial idea of your level by using the Common European Framework self-assessment grid which gives you a level for each skill (e.g. listening B1/writing B2 etc.) However, please note that this is not a secure English language test and it is not sufficient evidence of your level of English for visa requirements.

If you require a Tier 4 student visa, your qualification must be one of the secure English language tests accepted by UK Border Agency:

• UK Border Agency Tier 4 English Language requirements
• UKBA list of approved English language tests [pdf]

For further information about English language requirements, please contact the Recruitment and International Office: pgadmissions@glasgow.ac.uk

Apply now

For 2013-14

MSc