Concept of the Master's Programme

Aim of the programme

The necessity to train masters in international relations is due to the snowballing growth of the problems and challenges faced by Russian international relations, whose range has considerably expanded and changed over the last decades thanks to non-governmental organizations including business companies, humanitarian and cross-cultural exchanges, network communications etc.

Graduates from this course – masters in international relations, will be in demand by Russian and foreign governmental bodies, international organizations, research and consulting organizations, private companies and NGOs as well as the media. Since special attention in the programme is paid to the economic perspective of international relations, its graduates can work as experts in the relationship between Russian and international business and Governmental bodies, experts on the foreign policy support of entrepreneurship who have deep knowledge in international relations, world economy and world politics and Russian relations with European and Asian countries.

Requirements to the master’s programme graduates

In accordance with the European Qualifications Framework (EQF), the requirements for the level of master’s education are based on summarizing of the results of education which include knowledge, skills, broad competencies, including personal and professional characteristics of the preparedness to professional work in international relations.

The general competencies of the master’s programme in ‘International Relations: European and Asian Studies’ graduate can be divided into three categories:

- Tool competencies include methodological abilities, time-management skills, the ability to build self-education strategies and research work, technological skills, computer and information management skills, linguistic skills and communicative competencies.

- Interpersonal competencies are individual abilities related to the ability to express one’s feelings and relations, critical comprehension and self-criticism as well as social skills related to the processes of social interaction and collaboration, team work and social and ethical responsibility.

- System competencies are a combination of understanding, relation and knowledge which allows the student to understand how the parts of a whole correlate and to evaluate the role of each of the components in a system; the ability to plan the changes in order to improve the system and to build new systems. Developing this competency is based on a systematic and complex approach to the subject of study with a focus on practical analytical and expert work.

General characteristics of the curriculum

The master’s programme in ‘International Relations: European and Asian Studies’ was developed on the basis of the state educational standard in International Relations as of 2003 and includes special compulsory disciplines, elective courses and research work. Elective courses are a substantial supplement for the compulsory special subjects and allow the students to gain valuable additional specialization in more specific areas.

The programme generally lasts two years. The second semester of the second year is totally dedicated to the students’ practical work which involves the preparation of a master’s thesis.

The education is carried out in accordance with an individual plan. There are compulsory, adaptative, special and elective disciplines.

Career opportunities

We expect successful graduates from this course to go on to employment in the following areas:

• Russian and international companies
• Foreign offices of Russian companies
• Non-commercial organizations (foundations, councils etc.)
• Governmental and local administration bodies
• Analytical and consulting centers
• PR agencies
• Research organizations
• Media
• Educational organizations