MA PROGRAM PLAN
1. European macroeconomics (6 cfu)
2. European Union Politics (9 cfu)
3. Environmental Economics (6 cfu)
4. European Human rights protection (6 cfu)
5. EU language (6 cfu)
6. Comparative Politics (9 cfu)
7. Contemporary European History (9 cfu)
8. English proficiency (4 cfu)
9. Informatics (3 cfu)
1. EU Second language (6 cfu)
2. History of International Relations (9 cfu)
3. Monetary Economics (6 cfu)
4. International Economic Law (6 cfu)
5. Subject chosen by student (9 cfu)
6. Stage (4 cfu)
7. Others (4 cfu)
8. Final Thesis (18 cfu)
Attending classes is not compulsory - though it is strongly recommended - and there is not a prescribed order for taking exams. The student is required to develop a thorough knowledge of the subject covered by each course, including both the theoretical background and the practical skills. Preliminary tests and homework might be delivered during the course, but they are usually not compulsory (except if specified by the instructor). The final exam is generally an oral test (but the student could be required to give written presentations as well). The grades of the exams range from 18 to 30. The maximum grade is "30 e lode" (cum laude). If a student fails, he/she must repeat the exam.
There are several sessions of exams, each one with two calls. Two sessions are at the end of the semesters (February-March and June-July). The third session is in September. There are also session at mid semester (November and April).
In order to get the MA degree, the student has to prepare and discuss an original Master Thesis, under the guidance of a supervisor, chosen among the professors of the Master Program. For the Master thesis the student will receive 18 ECTS.
The thesis has to be written in Italian or in English. The thesis can be a literature review or a report containing theoretical-experimental original results. A co-supervisor will also be appointed to evaluate the contribution of the thesis.
The student who wants to take the final exam (i.e. the viva defending their thesis) must apply at the Segreteria Studenti (Students Office) at least 30 days before the date of the final exam. In order to have the actual possibility to access the exam, the student has to obtain all the required ECTS at least 15 days before the date of the exam. The application must include an abstract of the thesis in electronic format. The printed thesis must be presented to the Segreteria Studenti at least one week before the final exam.
The final grade ranges from 66 to 110. The maximum grade is "110 e lode" (cum laude). The final grade is the sum of two terms: an initial grade, based on the student's career, and a thesis grade, decided by the final exam committee. The initial grade is the average of exam grades (weighted by ECTS), expressed on a 110 scale and rounded to the nearest integer. The thesis grade is decided by the final thesis committee, taking into account the opinion of the supervisors. The maximum thesis grade is 8. In order to give the maximum grade (110 e lode) the agreement of all members of the final exam committee is required. There are 5 sessions a year for the final exam.
The course aims at providing the students with the theoretical and empirical background in Environmental Economics that is needed to properly examine and fully understand the existing global environmental problems. For this purpose, particular attention will be devoted to the core concept of sustainable development with special emphasis on the impact that the ongoing globalization process has had on the sustainability of development in the last decades, from the economic, environmental, energy, social and health viewpoint.
The course aims at providing students with advanced knowledge on the functioning of EU political system and the European multilevel governance. Special attention is devoted to the evolution of EU institutions and to the present organization of EU polity as defined by the Lisbon Treaty. This year, obvious attention will be devoted to the election of the new European Commission. Moreover, the course deals with the problem of Europeanization: in particular, the Italian case will be studied in a comparative perspective. Through working groups and guided class discussions students will analyze empirical examples of interaction between national and local political systems, and EU polity. Attendance and active participation are of course highly recommended.
This course, that goes under the title “Europe and the World”, focuses on the attempts by the European Economic Community/European Union to acquire an external dimension, from the creation of the European Political Cooperation in the 1970’s to the Treaty of Lisbon. The following issues will be addressed: how relations between the EC/EU and the rest of the world have developed historically; which tools the EC/EU has set up to deal with different parts of the world; which goals Brussels traditionally pursues in such areas and how they have changed over the years. A substantive part of the course will be devoted to exploring and discussing the EU’s relations with crucial international actors and sensitive geographic regions: the US, China, Russia, the Mediterranean and the Middle East, South Asia and the Far East, Sub-Saharan Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean.
The course will deal with major social, political and economic dynamics of contemporary European history during the 20th century from a global perspective and with a particular attention to the Italian context.
The attending students will study in particular European history after the Second World War, from reconstruction to the so-called affluent society and to the crisis of the 1970s until global and post-industrial society, with particular reference to the issues of collective security and social insecurity and of social mobility, the role of the masses in fordist and post-fordist societies, the emancipation of women and the emergence of young generations, the emergence of the welfare state, social change, modernization dynamics, and the post-modern transition.
The aim of the course is to understand why comparative research stands at the core of political science, and to develop the analytical instruments through which it can be developed. After a short introduction on the comparative method, the course will be devoted to analyzing two fundamental elements which concur in defining the structure and functioning of democratic regimes: the form of government and the party system.
Objective of the course is an analysis of the main issues in the economics of money, banking, and finance, both theoretically and with reference to the European Union (and in particular to the Economic and Monetary Union). After an introduction to the theory of money and finance, and to the process of creation of the euro, a general overview follows of the functions and structures of the financial systems, and a detailed analysis of its components: markets, intermediaries, instruments, regulation. A specific attention is devoted to the theory of monetary policy, and to the strategies, objectives and instruments of the European Central Bank, with special emphasis on its activity during the recent financial crisis.
The course of European macroeconomics focuses on the main economic institutions of the European Union. A particular attention will be devoted to the institutions of the European Monetary Union, that is the ECB and the organization of the public budget of national governments under the sovra-national guidelines and rules. Given the interdisciplinary approach of the curriculum of European studies, the aim of the course is to analyze the macroeconomic performances of the European countries in connection with the political institutions and the overall integration process of the European Union.
The course focuses on the case law of the European Court of Human Rights and is organized with presentations and case discussion by the students. After an Introduction on the history and the structure of the European system for human rights protection, the course will deal first with general aspects such as jurisdiction, derogation, principles of interpretation. The second part of the course is devoted to the analysis of some specific rights provided for by the European Convention, in particular prohibition of torture and slavery and protection of personal identity will be dealt with.
The first part of the course relates to the fundamental questions of international economic law, such as subjects and sources of this branch of law . The following sections will focus on the main international financial institutions both in their structure and in their mechanisms of operation and control . In particular, it will address the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank Group . The third part of the course is devoted to the study of the principles governing the protection of investments and the relations between states and investors. Finally, the fourth part of the course deals with the analysis of the structure and functions of the World Trade Organization . Specific attention during all the course will be devoted to the relationship between the role of international economic institution and major social needs such as those referring to human rights protection, access to medicines, land grabbing and alike.