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 commences with a high-level internship in an international or national institution, or within the corporate or civil society sector. For students starting at the College of Europe, this internship is expected to be conducted in the United States; for those who spent their first year at The Fletcher School, the internship will be completed in Europe. The fourth and final semester will consist of coursework, but this time at the partner institution. 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: A 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
• European 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).