Programme

 

  • Since the winter semester 2003/2004 the University of Kassel has been offering a theory-oriented graduate program in Global Political Economy.
  • The two-year program results in the degree "Master of Arts (M.A.) in Global Political Economy".
  • The GPE program was awarded a prize for "Teaching Excellence" by the federal-state Ministry of Science and Art.
  • Admission is limited to a maximum of 25 students per year.

Objectives

Relevance of "Global Political Economy"

The globalization of economic, cultural, and political activities has been one of the central and controversial "mega" trends in societal development over the last decade. This vanishing of borders, which will likely continue for decades to come, presents a formidable challenge to a traditional thinking attached to the nation state. A critical understanding of the forms, causes, effects, and avenues for governance of globalization is needed. The requisite knowledge of the dynamics of the world economy, international institutions, and transnational actors is offered by the Master's degree program in "Global Political Economy".

General Features of the Master's degree program

Since 2003 the University of Kassel offers a theory-oriented graduate program in Global Political Economy. The two-year program leads to the degree "Master of Arts (M.A.) in Global Political Economy". The curriculum is oriented on the "International/Global Political Economy" program taught at American, British, and a few northern European universities. According to the International Studies Association, this is one of the fastest growing branches of political science. In Germany, Kassel offers the first curriculum to cover this dynamic field.

The Master's program in Global Political Economy aims to help students to develop a critical understanding of the numerous approaches and themes, and the wide spectrum of actors and processes in the Global Political Economy. It should also enable them to apply this knowledge in practice.

Interdisciplinary Design

The Master's degree program is interdisciplinary in design; the faculties of Social Sciences (Politics and Sociology) and Economics play a prominent role.

International Scope

The student body is truly international: up to 70% of the students come from outside of Germany, from Albania to Vietnam. Lecturers from partner universities (Universidade Estadual de Campinas in Brazil, Rutgers University Newark in the USA, Tata Institute of Social Sciences in India and University of the Witwatersrand in South Africa) periodically offer seminars.

The MA GPE provides many exchange possibilities. Erasmus Scholarships are available for all students. Currently the department holds Erasmus contracts with Université Paris Ouest Nanterre La Défense (France), Université de Lausanne (Switzerland), University of Gothenburg (Sweden), University of Umeå (Sweden), University of Surrey (UK), University of Salamanca (Spain), University of Oviedo (Spain), Universidad Complutense de Madrid (Spain), Yildiz Technical University (Turkey), Anadolu University (Turkey), and University of the Aegean (Greece).

DAAD Scholarships are available for German students (Bildungsinländer) for Rutgers University Newark (U.S.) and the Tata Institute of Social Sciences (India).

For international students, the Kassel curriculum may be of special interest as it goes beyond the standard International Political Economy program by elaborating on the EU as an important region in the world economy. International students may also take courses at the Language Center to facilitate their studies. During their stay in Germany, international students can learn German in a four-week intensive course as well as four hours weekly during the semester. Normally, the language courses cost between 20 and 120 €.

Scholarships

A few work-study scholarships are available for students from DAC–recipient countries. Students selected as scholarship holders will have the opportunity to work 40 hours per month in the International Center for Development and Decent Work (ICDD) and receive a grant of 750€ per month for up to twelve months.

International applicants who fulfill the MA GPE admission requirements can ask for a Letter of Preliminary Suitability to apply for a DAAD scholarship before coming to Germany. The DAAD/OSI scholarship is especially popular among GPE students.

Multilingual Curriculum

All core courses and many of the special options courses are taught in English. Course work may be written in either German or English. To improve language competence, students are encouraged to take full advantage of the courses offered by the University of Kassel's Language Center.

Practical Component

Despite its theoretical orientation, MA GPE has important practical components. An internship of at least eight weeks is required for a successful completion of the program. In addition, students have the possibility to join organized field trips taking place within the framework of different classes.

The objective of our special skills courses is to develop key career skills, from language proficiency and presentation techniques to writing research project applications.

Final Course Programme of Summer Term 2016