Master of Arts Programme in European Studies

Master of Arts Programme in European Studies

European Studies is a growing interdisciplinary field associated with the possibilities and challenges offered by an expanded and expanding European Union. Processes such as international communication, migration, integration, enlargement, democracy or conflict require an understanding of culture, norms and values, history, language, and the complex process of identity formation. The Master of Arts Programme in European Studies (MAPES) is a two-year multidisciplinary program, taught in English, whose major goal is to provide a focus on these humanistic aspects of the field, which is a perspective unique to Lund among other universities in Scandinavia. The program specifically targets those who are interested in understanding Europe from a broader, humanist, point of view and who want to apply this perspective in careers related to European cultural and identity politics and Europe-wide communication. MAPES has a strong scientific/theoretic orientation, providing students with theories, methods, and skills for the conceptualization and analysis of issues of particular interest in the context of contemporary European developments such as the social construction of identities at multiple levels (local, regional, national, European), the growth of a transnational public sphere of communication, the cultural conflicts brought on by growing mobility through migration, travel, and business, or the normative interplay between values such as religious tolerance and freedom of speech. At the same time, MAPES proposes a very practical approach, preparing the students for future employment by introducing the concepts and skills of project management, through a specially designed course targeting the interaction with European institutions. Students will also have the opportunity for internships with potential future employers.

The program begins by presenting Europe in its historical, cultural, and normative aspects, such as the impact of Christianity, the development of the idea of nation-state, the intellectual currents of humanism or enlightenment, the respect of the individual and her/ his civic rights, and values such as freedom of speech, tolerance, or equality in front of the law . Then, in collaboration with the Political Science Department, the students will get a deeper understanding of the political institutions and processes at the foundation of the European project and their current functioning. After a course on the various theories and methods that underpin the humanistic approach to European studies the students focus on practical skills, with a project management course and an internship. The accumulated knowledge and experience of the students will be reflected in the final stage of the program, the writing a Master thesis.

MAPES graduates will be able to work in European institutions (local, regional or supranational) and in private companies. They could be project managers in institutions dealing with European matters, consultants in publishing, translation and media businesses directed to a European audience or dealing with cross-cultural communication.