Academic programme

Students in the MATA programme will be able to spend one year on each side of the Atlantic. The first year will be dedicated to coursework. The second year comprises a high-level internship in an international or national institution, or within the corporate or civil society sector, and one semester of coursework at the partner institution. For students starting at the College of Europe, the internship can be done in semester 3 or 4, and is expected to be completed in the United States; for those who spent their first year at The Fletcher School, the internship has to be done in semester 3, and will be completed in Europe prior to a final semester of coursework at the College of Europe.

Past internship placements included: the European Parliament, the European Parliament Liaison Office in Washington, DC, the European Union Delegation to the United Nations in New York City, the US Mission to the EU (Commercial Service) in Brussels, and major think tanks in Washington, DC. Several of these internship placements were paid positions. The programme will culminate in the completion of a  Master's thesis on transatlantic affairs drawing upon the insights and support obtained at both institutions.

Within this overarching framework common to all MATA students, the precise study programme varies in line with the study track chosen. All students will follow the year-long joint course on US-EU Relations in the 21st Century : Multidisciplinary Analysis of Transatlantic Affairs (first semester) and US-EU Relations in the 21st Century : Transatlantic Project (second semester). The following five study tracks are offered within the MATA programme:

• Economic Studies (Bruges);
• International Relations and Diplomacy (Bruges);
• Interdisciplinary studies (Natolin);
• Legal Studies (Bruges);
• Political and Governance Studies (Bruges)

Each study track leads to a Master of Arts in Transatlantic Affairs (120 ECTS).

During their time at the College, and in line with their chosen study track, students will integrate one of the five departments:

• European Economic Studies (Bruges);
• EU International Relations and Diplomacy (Bruges);
• European Interdisciplinary Studies (Natolin);
• European Legal Studies (Bruges); or
• Political and Governance Studies (Bruges)

At The Fletcher School, students will gain breadth of knowledge through coursework across the School’s three divisions:

• International Law and Organizations;
• Diplomacy, History and Politics; and
• Economics and International Business.

Both institutions create a community setting for the students, integrating them into a close-knit, multinational and intercultural learning environment.

The programme has been accredited in the US and by the Accreditation Organisation of the Netherlands and Flanders (NVAO).