Brochure


1. Introduction
To study the European Union in the Netherlands is to study it in one of the six founding member states. Leiden University is the oldest university in the Netherlands with a large and modern library. Over the years it has built up strong centres of academic expertise in European law, politics, history and governance. Most of the university staff and students are fluent in English. In addition to the university library and European Documentatiuon Centre in Leiden, students have only a fifteen minute train ride to The Hague, where they can use the Royal Library (copyright library), the libraries of ministries and various advisory bodies and thinktanks, and the national archives. Proximity to The Hague also allows easy access to politicians and officials actively involved in the day-to-day affairs of the Union, many of whom will also contribute to the masters program.

The European Union is perhaps best characterized as an evolving project encompassing several interrelated issue areas. Parallel processes of domestic transformation and preparation for membership culminated in May 2004 in the most ambitious ever enlargement of the Union. Two more candidates, Bulgaria and Romania, joined in January 2007. Turkish membership still remains on the cards. All of these countries are less prosperous and more rural than the existing member states and this, together with their less developed bureaucratic and legal traditions will present new challenges to the existing structures. Already, to accommodate these changes, and to enhance the efficiency and transparency of its decision-making structures, the EU had initiated what is proving to be a long and difficult process of constitutional reform. This process was suddenly derailed by the negative outcomes of the the Dutch and French referenda and it is difficult to predict what will now become of these efforts. Although the EU has resolved its difficulties on its future financial perspectives of the Union and the interlocking debate on the direction of reform of the Common Agricultural Policy, the latter issue is still contributing to the paralysis of the current negotiations in the WTO designed to further enhance trade liberalisation. Globally, vast circulating flows of international liquidity are creating new economic relationships that constitute threats for current forms of governance, which became all too visible in the banking crisis and foreign exchange turmoil of Autumn 2008. Moreover, policy-makers are increasingly concerned that Europe is failing to meet the challenge of technological transformation required to keep pace with Asia and North America. In addition, to take its proper place in international decision-making, the EU is expanding its remit to embrace foreign and security policy and defence policy. One of its first objectives has to be to facilitate political, economic and social change in both the Balkans, in the former Republics of the USSR and in North Africa - no easy task of a Union of 27 states, each with its own neighbours and its own priorities.

A solid grounding in the issue areas of the European Union, and the conceptual traditions employed in analysing them, are assets in increasingly short supply in the Netherlands and elsewhere in Europe. Joint research programmes and an increasing body of regulations administered at an EU level makes such expertise necessary for an ever wider range of employers, singly and collectively, as well as employers’ and employees’ organisations. The intrusion of the EU into ever more areas of society means that more and more organizations in both the public and private domain are coming into contact with ‘Brussels’, often with a staff that either has no knowledge at all or a knowledge rapidly rendered out-of-date. And the network of organisations around ‘Brussels’ itself (Commission, Parliament, thinktanks and pan-European interest groups) is continuously expanding. There is no shortage of job-opportunities for potential graduates.

The Faculty of Humanities of Leiden University offers a MA European Union Studies (EUS). This programme offers a broad and general introduction into recent developments of post-war Europe. This degree belongs to the genre of area studies, which developed in the 1960s in response to the realisation that the issues of confronting a geographical region could not be approached or resolved from the perspective of a single discipline. This led to the growth of multidiscipliniary (and, tighter, interdiscipliniary) programs in American, Asian, Middle-Eastern, Russian and European studies. The Leiden program is interdiscipliniary in that it focusses (parts of) a related set of disciplines on the problems of a single region. The Programme is open to graduate students from any discipline and it is designed to provide a firm interdisciplinary framework for academic analysis, as well as more specialised courses, which will permit the scientific investigation of current developments at a deeper level. Finally, by writing a thesis, the students will explore a topic of their own choice in depth.

One unique feature of the master’s degree is that every part of the course is supported by its own on-line resource environment. Another is that the more specialised courses in the second semester will be taught by high profile staff with hands-on experience in the area covered. Both of these elements we have introduced into our undergraduate EU studies program within the Faculty of Humanities and it will be developed further in a more advanced academic setting. The Programme as a whole is accompanied by regular guest and research seminars given by leading national and international practitioners and academics in the field.

The degree is based on a problem-oriented approach constructed around an interdisciplinary core, which draws on knowledge and insights from economics, history, law and political science (including international political economy). The main geographical focus is Europe in its own institutional setting and in its relationship to the rest of the World.
2. Objectives
The degree programme prepares students for advanced academic study, either in individual disciplines or in interdisciplinary research degrees. Successful completion of this masters program can also lead to more advanced masters, PhD research and eventually to an academic career. Examples of advanced programs in Leiden are those in Law (European and International Law), Political Science (International Relations and Diplomacy) and Public Administration (European Governance)It also prepares graduates for a professional career in which broad knowledge on the EU is required, including history, economics, law and politics of the European Union. Graduates from this programme will acquire expertise and skills appropriate for employment with a European dimension to the work.
3. Structure of the programme
The course will take one year, divided in two semesters. During the students will follow four compulsory basic courses each designed to explore the state-of-the-art developments in its own field. Whilst each course maintains its own unique identity, their content has been designed to produce an integrated interdisciplinary core of overlapping and mutually reinforcing conceptual tools of analysis. Students will also follow a research seminar that covers the first and second semesters.

  • Institutions of the EU
    Professor dr. B. Steunenberg

    The focus of this course is on the European Union and its ever increasing importance as a multi level decision and policy making system. The aim of the course is to provide students with an understanding of the structure and functioning of the European Union by studying the most important theories with regard to European integration, the EU institutions and decision-making procedures and, the involvement of national governments in the EU’s policy process. 

  • The History of European Integration
    Professor dr. R.T. Griffiths

    This course will examine the creation of Europe’s post-war international institutional architecture. It will assess the contemporary interpretation of the problems they were supposed to address, the problems with which they were actually confronted and their degree of success in meeting them.

  • European Law
    Professor dr. R.A. Lawson and Professor L.J. Brinkhorst

    This course will examine the constitutional and administrative law of the EU in relation to national judicial structures and procedures. It will focus on a deeper level on the nature of the administrative, legislative and judicial decisions in selected EU-issue areas and anticipate the nature and direction of future developments.

  • Economics of the EU
    Professor dr. J. van Sinderen and Drs. F.J.L. Somers

    This course will examine new developments in the theory of international economics, finance and trade. It will concentrate on subjects as the common market, agricultural regimes and optimal currency areas which are particularly relevant for EU’s recent development.

  • Research Seminar
    Professor dr. R.T. Griffiths and Drs. E. van Rooyen

    This course comprises two components: a methods course and a formal research seminar. In the first students will be guided through all the skills required in surveying a research field, gathering and analysing the materials, structuring a research plan and operationalising it in practice. All of this will take placve in an interdisciplinary setting. In the research seminar leading academic researchers will discuss their current projects and findings and, in a series of guest lectures, leading practitioners will discuss their work and reflect on EU current issues.

During the students will choose three intensive seminar courses from a range of at least eight and possibly more choices. The exact range of courses offered will depend on the student numbers and the choice will be made on the basis of consultation with students and on the availability/commitments of the staff. These courses will all be problem-oriented and interdisciplinary in nature, although each student may choose his or her own disciplinary accent within the written papers. Many courses are practitioners, though several also have academic affiliations. They include former ministers, members of parliament, ex-MEPs, present or former high ministerial functionaries, members of government advisory bureaus and a member of the supreme court. Their practical expertise offers a valuable added dimesion in policy formulationa nd implementation to the more academic expertise aquired throughout the course. 

The courses will focus on the following issue areas (Note, in cases of lack of demand, some courses may not be offered each year):
  • Agricultural and rural development
  • Economic and Monetary Union
  • Economic and Social Policy
  • External Economic Relations
  • EU enlargement
  • European Cultural Policy (from 2009-10)
  • European Public Opinion (being negotiated, from 2009-10)
  • European Neighbourhood Policy (being negotiated, from 2009-10) 
  • Foreign and security policy
  • National Parliaments and the EU (from 2009-10) 
  • Refugees, migration and justice
  • Russia and the EU
  • Turkey and the EU (2008-9 only)
  • Small States and European integration

Each course will be built around student essays in which the students will survey various disciplinary approaches to the topic of their choice and will deal in more depth with one or more aspects of it, integrating recent literature and appropriate primary materials. These papers will be discussed in presentations either during the second half of each course or at a colloquium at the end.

The students will also be required to write a major research paper (Maximum 20.000 words) on a topic of their choice. The exact topic will be selected in consultation with the course director, during the first semester. Students will be allocated two supervisors, representing different disciplinary perspectives who will provide detailed guidance on methodologies and research strategies.
4. Assessment

Semester I (30 ECTS)

Four courses: 20 ECTS
Research Seminar: 5 ECTS
Thesis work: 5 ECTS

Course start: September
Examinations: December/January


Semester II (30 ECTS)

Three courses: 15 ECTS
Thesis: 15 ECTS (20 ECTS including first semester work)

Course start: February
Intensive courses six weeks each: February-Mid March and April-Mid May
Examinations (paper, presentation): Mid-March and Mid-May
5. Registration and application

Qualifications for admission

  • a good BA degree (or equivalent)
  • a thorough proficiency in written and spoken English


Applications should include:

  • a completed application form
  • certified copies of university certificates
  • proof of the specific requirements specified by
  • each programme
  • two letters of recommendation from academic staff members
  • a personal statement of motivation to participate in the Master’s course
  • an indication of the topics wishing to investigate for the Master thesis (if known)
  • a curriculum vitae
  • proof of thorough proficiency in written and spoken English by means of an IELTS score of 6.0 or TOEFL of 570 / 230 (for non-native speakers of English)
  • proof of payment of the non-refundable application fee.


Application

Application forms and more information concerning application are available on-line. The deadline for returning the application form and the required documentation is April 1st. Registration after this date may lead to a delay in the processing of the application.


Financing

Prospective students must be able to finance their study and living expenses. This is one of the requirements for being granted a permit to reside in the Netherlands. A single student needs a minimum of € 9,500-10,000 per year, in addition to the tuition fee, to cover living and other expenses.


Scholarships

Partial tuition fee waivers are available on a merit and financial need basis.


Orientation Programme

At the beginning of the academic year, an orientation programme will be offered to newcomers. This two-day programme consists of a general introduction to the university, the city of Leiden and the various student organisations. Leiden University students will act as guides and introduce their international peers to the academic, social and sports facilities of Leiden.


Website

For further information and updates visit our website.
6. General information
Degree MA European Union Studies
Programme duration 1 year
Start and end date September - August
Type of programme Full-time programme (parttime two-year possible)
Fees [link invoegen] Fees are subject to annual change (click on link)
Language of instruction English
Application deadline April 1st
Information and application Click here