The politics of violence and uncertainty
The master’s degree in International and Security Politics focuses on key international security issues generated by armed conflict, terrorism, climate change and transnational migration across the world. At the intersection of defense policy, economics, peacekeeping, and international relations, this training program provides a strong understanding of how public and private actors address these issues and try to solve them, as well as expertise for analyzing contemporary forms of conflicts and hostility, locally as well as globally.
In addition to being an absolute priority for governments across the world, security has colonized our language as much as our everyday lives. Not a day goes by without politicians and media outlets mentioning yet another ‘security issue’. The master’s programme in International and Security Politics asks what this tells us about our contemporary world, and whether our world has really become more dangerous and uncertain than before.
At the intersection of international relations studies, security and defence studies, political theory, sociology and history, this programme provides a deep understanding of how security and international security transform both conceptually and practically in an increasingly interconnected and rapidly changing world. It does so by analysing the role of different actors in shaping and addressing security issues which develop beyond the single framework of action of States. The programme seeks to provide students with the necessary critical skills for understanding and addressing the social-political mechanisms driving security related issues (from transnational armed conflicts and violence to environmental and IT security), and the growing uncertainty attached to them.
Global History | 24h | 6 ECTS |
Armed Conflicts and Peacemaking | 24h | 6 ECTS |
History of conceptions of peace | 24h | 6 ECTS |
Workshop: Academic Writing | 12h | 3 ECTS |
Introduction to Political Science* | 18h | 4 ECTS |
Advanced Comparative Politics | 18h | 4 ECTS |
Public Policy Analysis | 18h | 4 ECTS |
Critical Approaches to International Relations | 18h | 4 ECTS |
Diplomacy in practice | 12h | 3 ECTS |
Agriculture in practice | 12h | 3 ECTS |
Digital Politics in practice | 12h | 3 ECTS |
Think tanks in EU Governance | 12h | 3 ECTS |
One-day field trip | 8h | / |
French (FLE) or English ** | 16h | 2 ECTS |
Optional extra language course (non-compulsory) | 16h | / |
Public International Law | 24h | 6 ECTS |
Theories of Security and Contemporary Challenges | 24h | 6 ECTS |
Sovereignty and the State in International Relations | 24h | 6 ECTS |
Introduction to Research & Epistemology | 18h | 4 ECTS |
Global Justice | 18h | 4 ECTS |
Approches socio-économiques de l’agriculture | 18h | 4 ECTS |
Digital Regulation and Platform Governance | 18h | 4 ECTS |
International Migration | 18h | 4 ECTS |
Digital Media and Political Participation | 18h | 4 ECTS |
Studytrip Geneva | 30h | 2 ECTS |
Career talks | 4h | / |
French (FLE) or English ** | 16h | 2 ECTS |
Optional extra language course (non-compulsory) | 16h | / |
International Policy in Practice I (Defense) | 24h | 6 ECTS |
Politics of Global Justice | 24h | 6 ECTS |
Political Science Research Approaches and Methods | 18h | 4 ECTS |
Work-in-progress document | / | 2 ECTS |
Statistics and the Political Sociology of Quantification | 18h | 4 ETCS |
Cybersecurity / Renseignement | 18h | 4 ECTS |
African Politics, Capitalism and Global Commons | 18h | 4 ECTS |
Professionalization workshops | 4h | / |
One-day field trip | 8h | / |
Wikifactory I: Research for society | 10h | 2 ECTS |
French (FLE) or English ** | 16h | 2 ECTS |
Optional extra language course (non-compulsory) | 16h | / |
International Policy in Practice II (humanitarianism, development, human rights & conflict resolution) with IPP | 24h | 6 ECTS |
Master’s dissertation | / | 13 ECTS |
ESPOL-Lab seminar participation + students’ seminar participation | 12h | 1 ECTS |
Internship | / | 6 ECTS |
Wikifactory II: Research for society | 10h | 2 ECTS |
French (FLE) or English ** | 16h | 2 ECTS |
Optional extra language course (non-compulsory) | 16h | / |
* Compulsory option for students without a background in political sciences
** French (FLE) compulsory for non-francophone students. English compulsory for francophone students. In case the student is a native FR/EN (to be checked by Clarife), replace with other language of choice.
The course schedules are not contractual and are subject to change at any time by the teaching staff.