This degree program offers students the opportunity to explore, understand, and analyze the challenges related to the broad theme of sustainability and to delve into its environmental, social, economic, and cultural aspects, thanks to an innovative educational model that combines theoretical and experiential learning, research, project work, and internationalization.
The program provides knowledge, skills, and methodologies specific to the field of social sciences and is complemented and enriched by an in-depth study of technical and scientific disciplines, in order to ensure a transdisciplinary approach to sustainability that is effective for understanding and analyzing the complex challenges of the contemporary world at an international, national, and local level.
The educational path aims to consolidate fundamental areas and knowledge (historical, economic, philosophical, legal sciences), then progressively provide more specialized and sector-specific skills through courses and workshops on multiple aspects related to sustainability and international cooperation, also in English.
The international nature of the degree program, supported by an extensive network of well-established collaborations with institutions, public and private organizations, and universities engaged in various aspects of sustainability and international cooperation (including UNESCO, the Community of Sant’Egidio, and the International Committee of the Red Cross), allows students to enrich their educational experience through international mobility paths for study, research, and internships, including opportunities abroad.
Among the topics addressed during the course, particular emphasis is placed on peace, the circular economy, globalization, digital transition, the environment and climate change, and social and intercultural relations.
Course information
- to consolidate and deepen knowledge and skills in anthropological, social, legal, institutional, and technical-scientific disciplines related to sustainability, development, and international cooperation
- to provide appropriate methods for critical analysis of phenomena such as globalization, intercultural and gender dynamics, cooperation, environment and climate change, and social and political change at the local, national, and international levels
- to ensure fluent use, in addition to Italian, of two other foreign languages (English and Spanish), both written and spoken
- to develop soft skills particularly aimed at enhancing abilities in planning and in both micro and macro project design, including in interdisciplinary, cross-sector, and international contexts
The course offers employment opportunities in a wide range of professional fields, from international relations to scientific diplomacy, from human rights protection to environmental safeguarding, from emergency management to peace promotion, through:
- the independent application of the knowledge acquired during the course of study, enabling immediate entry into professional settings, whether institutional, entrepreneurial, or in the non-profit sector, that are involved in sustainability, cooperation, and peace (public administrations, educational institutions, international, institutional, governmental and non-governmental organizations, and NGOs at local, national, and international levels)
- further in-depth study of sustainability and international cooperation within the framework of specialized education, which the University for Foreigners specifically offers in its master's degree course in International Relations and Development Cooperation
| SSD | Courses | ECTS |
|---|---|---|
| First year | ||
| M-STO/04 | Contemporary history | 9 |
| SECS-P/12 | Economic and development history | 9 |
| SPS/06 | Theory and history of global politics | 6 |
| IUS/21 | Institutions of Italian and comparative public law | 9 |
| L-LIN/12 | English language and culture | 9* |
| SPS/04 | Comparative politics | 9 |
| M-FIL/06 | Philosophy of sustainability | 6 |
| Elective course activities | 3 | |
| Total first year | 60 | |
| Second year | ||
| SECS-P/01 | Political economy | 9 |
| SPS/13 | Africa and Globalization | 9 |
| IUS/13 | International law and peace promotion | 9 |
| IUS/01 | Human rights, protection of vulnerable groups (6 ECTS) and Migration law module (3 ECTS) | 9 |
| ING-INF/05 | Cyber security and sustainability (6 ECTS) and IT for sustainability module (3 ECTS) | 9 |
| SPS/04 | International relations | 6 |
| L-LIN/07 | Spanish language and culture | 9* |
| Total second year | 60 | |
| Third year | ||
| SECS-P/01 | Green and circular economy | 9 |
IUS/13 ICAR/02 | Environmental Vulnerability: Science and Law (Integrated course): International law and emergency situations (6 ECTS) | 9 |
| SPS/07 | Sociology of migration processes | 6 |
| SPS/01 | Democracy, social rights and public health | 6 |
M-DEA/01 M-GGR/01 | Geo-global change and human resilience (Integrated course): Change and human resilience (6 ECTS) Geography for sustainability (3 ECTS) | 9 |
| Elective course activities | 9 | |
| Internship | 6 | |
| Final exam | 6 | |
| Total third year | 60 |
* The 9 ECTS credits for foreign language courses include 3 ECTS completed by a native-speaker language tutor.
Students can check in their study plans which courses are mandatory, optional, or elective.
First semester
Philosophy of Sustainability - Prof. Antonio Allegra
Contemporary History - Prof. Valerio De Cesaris
Economic and Development History - Prof. Alessandro Albanese Ginammi
Second semester
Institutions of Italian and Comparative Public Law - Prof. Francesco Duranti
English Language and Culture - Prof. Marco Bagli - Dr. Bridget Clare Collins
Comparative Politics - Prof. Emidio Diodato
Theory and History of Global Politics - Prof. Federico Niglia
First semester
Africa and globalization - Prof. Federica Guazzini
Cyber security and sustainability and Computer science for sustainability module - Prof. Valentino Santucci - Prof. Lucia Ballerini
International law and the promotion of peace - Prof. Maura Marchegiani
Second semester
Human rights, protection of vulnerable subjects and Migration law module - Prof. Paolo Morozzo della Rocca
Political economy - Prof. Filippo Sbrana
Spanish language and culture - Prof. Giovanna Scocozza - Dr. Maria Luisa Sevilla Garcia-Montiel
International relations -Prof. Cecilia Emma Sottilotta
The programs from the previous academic year are available in the archive.
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