Master’s Degree Programme in International Relations and Development Cooperation (RICS)

• develop specialised training in contemporary international relations, global governance arenas and actors, the main geopolitical issues, the spread of democratisation processes, the institutions of emerging countries, international institutions' cooperation policies, economic development policies, and the dynamics of international journalism
• possess specific expertise on the functioning of international economic institutions, issues related to debt and sustainable growth, bilateral, multilateral, decentralised and non-governmental cooperation policies, relations between emerging countries, processes of regionalisation and decentralisation, conflict transformation and regulation techniques, political doctrines of global development, and the role of media and international public opinion
• develop interdisciplinary knowledge and acquire methodological tools to design, coordinate, and implement international cooperation activities in the fields of economic development, institutional strengthening, environmental sustainability, and the protection of human rights
• achieve a high level of proficiency in at least two foreign languages

Graduates may find employment in organisations, public and private bodies, both national and international, economic enterprises and non-profit organisations operating in Italy and abroad, all of which engage to varying extents with the international context and with developing countries.

Graduates may also assume positions of responsibility and leadership within organisations representing collective interests (political parties, employers' and workers' trade unions, associations for the protection of the environment and human rights), as well as national or supranational associations dedicated to humanitarian, cultural, or scientific aims.

The Master's Degree Programme provides training suitable for the following roles:

• ambassador, executive and official within the diplomatic service
• project manager, consultant and practitioner in the field of development cooperation
• manager in the “Internationalisation” sector of small and medium-sized enterprises
• specialist in humanitarian emergency programmes
• manager in communication, public relations, or research and development departments
• junior officer in international governmental and non-governmental organisations
• internal and external communications manager in multinational companies and international groups
• public relations specialist
• political science specialist and international analyst
• institutional communications expert
• manager in national and international environmental protection agencies
• expert in cooperation and environmental projects
• disaster manager or risk manager in the environmental sector
• consultant in environmental economics and policy for public and private institutions

*The 9 ECTS allocated to foreign language courses include 3 ECTS delivered by a native speaker lecturer.
** Elective learning activities are chosen independently by the student from degree programmes of the same level.

Students can check in their study plans which courses are compulsory, optional, or elective.

To be admitted to the Master’s Degree Programme in International Relations and Development Cooperation, applicants must hold a first-cycle degree or a university diploma of at least three years' duration, or another qualification obtained abroad and recognised as suitable. In addition, to enrol in the above-mentioned programme, students must:

• meet the required curricular prerequisites
• undergo an entry interview. Candidates may attend the interview provided they possess the required curricular requirements

Curricular requirements

For admission to the programme, students must hold prior curricular knowledge totalling 51 ECTS credits in the following disciplinary fields:

Any surplus credits obtained beyond the 180 ECTS prescribed for the first-cycle degree may be included in the calculation, provided they have been earned in courses relevant to the indicated fields and sectors. Similarly, relevant language certificates and internship experiences not already counted towards the first-cycle degree may also be included.

Any additional ECTS credits required to fulfil the curricular prerequisites must be obtained before enrolling in the Master’s Degree Programme and before the assessment of individual preparation, at any University, as “single course units” within first-cycle degree programmes.

For information on enrolling in “single course units” at this University, please refer to the academic regulations.

The possession of curricular requirements will be verified by the Degree Programmes and Teaching Administration Office, to which students may send their documentation via email to segreteria.laurea@unistrapg.it or submit it directly to the office (Palazzina Orvieto, Viale C. Manuali, 9 - 06123 Perugia).

To verify curricular requirements, students must present:

• a copy of the degree certificate (for graduates) including a full list of examinations with the awarded credits and corresponding scientific-disciplinary sectors
• a copy of the transcript of completed and pending examinations (for graduating students), indicating awarded and pending credits and the corresponding scientific-disciplinary sectors.