First semester

Preparatory courses

As the backgrounds and profiles of students at the Natolin campus are very diverse, prior to following compulsory core courses, students with improvable backgrounds in political science, international relations, economics and law, follow a set of preparatory courses.

• BOBROWICZ, B. – Introduction to Economics (10h, 0 ECTS)
• SCHIRMANN, S. – L'Histoire de la construction européenne (10h, 0 ECTS)
• SCHUMACHER, T. – Introduction to Political Science and International Relations (10h, 0 ECTS)
• VAN ELSUWEGE, P. – Introduction to Law (10h, 0 ECTS)

Compulsory core courses

All students follow compulsory core courses, which provide them with a common base of knowledge on the system of EU governance, the EU legal order, European economic integration, and European history. They also study EU external relations as well as the specificities of Central and Eastern Europe.

Out of the five compulsory core courses, students can swap up to three courses of the pluridisciplinary track with courses of the interdisciplinary track, under the condition that they pass the entry tests of the swapped courses of the pluridisciplinary track.

Obligatory courses for all:

• BUTTERWICK-PAWLIKOWSKI, R. – History of European Civilization (20h, 4 ECTS)
• MINK, G. – L’Europe centrale aux XXe et XXIe siècles: histoire, politique, sociétés (10h, 2 ECTS)

Optional contextual courses

The EIS programme is also animated by the idea that the EU cannot be understood or properly studied in abstraction from the context – historical, geographical, conceptual, and cultural – in which it has been developing. The core courses are therefore complemented by contextual courses, which allow the students to situate the issues addressed within the broader context of relations between the state and the economy, respective political systems, national identities in Europe and history of (geo-)political thought.

Students must select two optional contextual courses.

• ANDERSON, J. – Religion and Politics (10h, 0 ECTS)
• BIALASIEWICZ, L. – Geopolitics (10h, 0 ECTS)
• BONZANNI, A. – Introduction to International Energy Studies (10h, 0 ECTS)
• CASSARINO, J.-P. – Approches de la gouvernance migratoire (10h, 0 ECTS)
• THIESSE, A.-M. – La construction d’identités nationales en Europe, XIXe-XXe siècle (10h, 0 ECTS)

Workshops

• KALFADELLIS, P. – Communicating Cross Culturally (8h, 0 ECTS)
• MINK, G. & BUTTERWICK-PAWLIKOWSKI, R. (in cooperation with Warsaw Museums) – Les politiques historiques et mémorielles (8h, 0 ECTS)
• RADAELLI, P. – Policy Analysis: Concepts and Techniques (8h, 0 ECTS)
• TRIEBERT, C. – Following the Digital Breadcrumbs: Open Sources and Online Investigation (8h, 0 ECTS)

Participation in workshops is optional.

Simulation game

• BUTTERWICK-PAWLIKOWSKI, R. – The Paris Peace Conference of 1919-20 (4h, 0 ECTS)

Participation in the simulation game is optional.

Master’s thesis and Research methodology

In addition to the courses they take during the first and second semesters, students must write a Master’s thesis in English or French, counting for 16 ECTS. The research methodology seminar (4 ECTS) is an integral part of the preparation of the Master’s thesis and is compulsory for all students.

• LEWIS, O. (coord.); BOBROWICZ, B.; EXADAKTYLOS, T.; LONGHURST, K.; WINAND, P. – Research Methods / Méthodes de recherche (20h, 4 ECTS)

Career development

Besides the academic courses, the Natolin Careers and Professional Development Office offers to the students a series of career development activities during the first and second semester.

• One-to-one career tutorials
• Professional skills workshops in areas such as: 
  • Project management
  • Emotional intelligence
  • Teamwork and leadership
  • Debating and argumentation skills
  • EPSO competition training
• "Meet the Professionals" series of events
• Alumni reunions