Full Time option suitable for:

Domestic(EEA) applicants: Yes
International (Non EEA) applicants currently residing outside of the EEA Region. Yes

Part Time option suitable for:

Domestic(EEA) applicants: Yes
International (Non EEA) applicants currently residing outside of the EEA Region. No

The applicants should have earned an undergraduate degree in a relevant subject such as political science, international relations, social science, sociology, history, geography, economics, global studies, public policy, development studies, EU studies, law/international law with at least Upper Second Class Honours, or its equivalent (an overall GPA of 3.0 (B) or higher in the American system). Relevant professional experience will also be taken into account. 

This programme aspires to nurture first-rate specialists in European public affairs and law capable of decisively intervening in some of the most urgent and practical areas  of public policy of our day

• To fully appraise students of key issues in European public affairs and law
• develop methodological research expertise
• develop oral presentation skills
• develop students' capacities for critical reflection on European policies and processes
• enhance group work skills
• enhance students' research and writing skills

View All Modules Here

The MEconSc European Public Affairs and Law is a 90-credit programme. Full time students must take three 10-credit modules in the autumn trimester, and three 10-credit modules in the spring trimester. Students must also submit a thesis worth 30-credits or pursue an Internship instead.

Core and Option Modules for MEconSc & Law 

These are the current modules for 2023/24 but are subject to change. Each of the following modules carries 10 credits unless otherwise specified. 

Core Modules

• LAW41040 Law and Governance of the EU  (Autumn)
• POL40970 Politics European Governance  (Spring)
• POL41650 The Global Political Economy of Europe  (Autumn)

Option Modules

Autumn

• LAW40120 Foundations of Environmental Law
• ​LAW40150 International Competition Law
• LAW40780 Law of the ECHR
• POL40050 Theories of International Relations
• POL40140 Theories of Global Justice
• POL40160 Comparative Public Policy
• POL40540 Comparative European Politics
• POL40950 Introduction to Statistics
• POL41020 Politics of Human Rights
• POL41510 Politics and Change in the Middle East and North Africa
• POL41870 Political Economy of Institutions and Comparative Development
• POL41980 Peace & Conflict Studies
• POL42040 Gender & the Political System
• POL42070 Politics of (mis-)information
• POL42330 Research Design
• POL42470 Gender, Identity, & Difference
• POL42490 Politics of Ireland North & South

Spring

• LAW41090 Climate Change Law and Policy
• ​LAW42170 Behavioural Law & Economics
• POL40100 Politics of Development
• POL40370 International Political Economy
• POL40610 EU Foreign, Security, and Defence Policy
• POL41030 Theory of Human Rights
• POL41720 Gender, Peace, and Security
• POL41780 The Politics of Inequality
• POL41860 Governance, Politics and Development
• POL42050 Quantitative Text Analysis
• POL42060 International Security
• POL42090 Engaging Brussels
• POL42340 Programming for Social Scientists
• POL42440 Political Economy of Security
• POL42480 Contemporary Election Campaigns: Democratic Norms and Empirical Research
• POL42500 Politics of Authoritarianism
• POL42510 Party Organisation in the 21st Century

Summer Trimester Core Module

POL42300 SPIRe Internship (30 credits)

or

POL42310 Thesis (30 credits)

MEconSc European Public Affairs & Law (W216) Full Time
EU          fee per year - € 10100
nonEU    fee per year - € 22600

MEconSc European Public Affairs & Law (W264) Part Time
EU          fee per year - € 6420
nonEU    fee per year - € 11300

***Fees are subject to change

Tuition fee information is available on the UCD Fees website. Please note that UCD offers a number of graduate scholarships for full-time, self-funding international students, holding an offer of a place on a UCD graduate degree programme. For further information please see International Scholarships.

SPIRe operates a Graduate Scholarship programme, which opens on May 1st. To access details, see SPIRe Graduate Scholarship Scheme. Please note that not all programmes are eligible for this Scholarship, please check the T&C's carefully when they become available.

SPIRe's MA Internship opportunities 

A primary degree with at least Second Class Honours Grade 1 (2H1) in a relevant subject such as political science, international relations, social science, sociology, history, geography, economics, global studies, public policy, development studies, EU studies, law. 2H1 is equivalent to 60 per cent, B minus or 3.08 GPA - in American system: B or 3.00 GPA.

• Your application will be considered on its individual merits and relevant professional experience will also be taken into account.
• English language requirements: applicants whose first language is not English should have met TOEFL, IELTs, or computer-based TOEFL requirements (600, 6.5, or 250 respectively), or the Cambridge English Test (Certificate in Advanced English at a minimum of Grade B, or Certificate of Proficiency in English at Grade C). Applicants who obtained a previous degree from an English-speaking university may be exempted from this requirement. Click here for further info. 
• Students meeting the programme’s academic entry requirements but not the  English language requirements, may enter the programme upon  successful completion of UCD’s Pre-Sessional or International Pre-Master’s Pathway programmes. Please see the following link for further information http://www.ucd.ie/alc/programmes/pathways/ 

           These are the minimum entry requirements – additional criteria may be requested for some programmes

Ivana Jagar, Croatia, Graduate

"This master’s was a great choice primarily due to its multidisciplinary design of modules, which offered in-depth and integrated understanding of contemporary issues of the EU. The programme provided an overview of the European economic integration on which the analytical approach to the EU politics and policies was further developed while, at the same time, the implications of these processes on EU law were explored. In my experience the underlying value of this course is in the dynamic academic environment that encourages students to use critical thinking - helping them to acquire knowledge and develop skills that can be applied in both a professional career and further academic studies".

• MA Political Theory FT

The following entry routes are available:

* Courses will remain open until such time as all places have been filled, therefore early application is advised

A comphrensive FAQ can be found here