Bachelor’s Degree in International Relations and the European Union

The Bachelor’s Degree in International Relations and the European Union provides training on the knowledge, skills and personal aptitudes necessary to have a professional career in European and international matters and profiles such as diplomacy, European institutions and international organizations, international analysis, journalism and international communication, consulting and international trade, international development cooperation, etc., both in the public and private sectors. We seek to provide students with a solid academic foundation from an interdisciplinary perspective that enables them to obtain excellent knowledge and understanding of the European Union and international relations from a political, historical, economic and legal perspective, as well as the skills necessary to operate in an international and multilingual environment.

This degree can be studied entirely in Spanish or English. Students must choose between two languages: English, French or German. They must also complete an international study period of one semester at a foreign university.

It is also possible to study this degree in conjunction with the Bachelor’s Degree in Law in 5 years. Students on the Double Degree in International Relations and the European Union and the Degree in Law can also access the program with Fordham University, New York. This requires taking a module in Madrid taught by professors from Fordham University in each of the three years in the Double Degree, and a six-month study period during fourth year at Fordham Law School in New York.

The globalization of politics and economics, as well as the development of regional integration processes, render the national perspective insufficient to understand the reality of the twenty-first century. It is therefore increasingly necessary to equip the job market with professionals in possession of in-depth knowledge of international issues and the exciting venture of the European Union; an international organization that had never before achieved such a deep degree of integration and such a solid and comprehensive institutional system. Nowadays, the scope of competence of the European Union covers a large number of areas and its actions affect the most diverse range of aspects of our daily and professional life: freedom of movement, energy, monetary policy, environment, trade policy or development aid, among many others. European institutions, bodies and agencies, as well as national, regional and local administrations, and public and private companies need experts in different policies to ensure they are successfully organized and implemented properly.

The Bachelor’s Degree in International Relations and the European Union aims to respond to this need, providing students with specific and in-depth training, a solid academic foundation and clear professional career options in the future. The variety of subjects and content, its interdisciplinary nature, the academic excellence of the professors and the wide range of activities offered place this program high up in the field of international studies.

The academic structure that we offer our future students has been developed through many years of experience of pedagogical innovation and adaptation to the constant demands of society. Therefore, our degrees and qualifications respond to a global world and follow the criteria of the new teaching model of the European Higher Education Area (EHEA).

Nearly thirty years ago, after Spain’s accession to the European Community, the Universidad CEU San Pablo was the first in our country to offer the Law Degree in conjunction with the University’s Own Degree in Community Law, providing thorough insight into the process of European integration. Since then, the Universidad CEU San Pablo has trained hundreds of students, many of whom now work in European institutions and other international bodies.

The Bachelor’s Degree in International Relations and the European Union is based on the long tradition and prestige of the University’s Own Degree in Community Law. At this critical time for European integration, the Universidad CEU San Pablo is once again committed to teaching and research in this field. The new Degree will approach the European Union from a multi-disciplinary perspective and in its international context, including the study of International Relations, an essential factor in understanding the challenges of the European Union of today and the future.

The Universidad CEU San Pablo also combines studies in International Relations and the European Union at postgraduate level through the official programs offered by the University Institute for European Studies, Jean Monnet European Center of Excellence, chaired by Marcelino Oreja Aguirre.

The University Institute for European Studies is a European- and world-renowned research center specializing in the study and analysis of European integration and International Relations. Since it was formed in 1999, the institute has held numerous international seminars, conferences and congresses. It has also published five book collections and four series of working documents. Over the years it has conducted close to 40 research projects with public funding –European Commission, European Parliament, Ministry of Education, Community of Madrid– and private, in collaboration with European and international universities such as the Free University of Berlin, Oxford University, the European University Institute in Florence, Sant’Anna School of Advanced Studies, Free University of Brussels, Harvard Law School, University of Boston, Fudan University, Renmin University, etc.

This research activity earned it the European Excellence Award from the Community of Madrid. It should also be pointed out that one of its latest research projects in collaboration with Harvard University and Boston University received the award for Best Practice from the European Commission.

Since 2003, the University Institute of European Studies has offered a Master’s Degree in International Relations, and one on the European Union since 2010. Both official programs have the best ratings, standing in third and fourth place respectively among the best international programs in Spain in the latest ranking of El Mundo (the Master’s Degree on the European Union is first in Spain among those specializing in European issues). It is worth highlighting the excellent assessments of teaching staff conducted by students and the quality of the faculty, which has been acknowledged in particular by the recent report by the Madri+D Foundation on the renewal of accreditation: “High scientific and teaching quality of faculty staff. Long-established Master’s Degree with excellent external teaching collaborators. Wide range of internships”.

Bearing in mind that a large number of professors who teach on the degree are researchers from the University Institute of European Studies, professors on both postgraduate programs and the University’s Own Degree in Community Law, this comprehensive experience represents an important asset to begin this new project.

To define the ideal profile of new students who wish to be accepted onto this degree, we consider the final educational objectives that we aim to achieve:

1. Motivated, creative and open students. We want out students to be intellectually inquisitive and be willing to work individually and as part of a team. In this regard, in the selection process, we particularly focus on the interaction and communication skills of candidates. Furthermore, it is important that students are able to understand that the subjects are not compartmentalized, but rather form part of an overall plan or system of knowledge. We value a series of basic skills or abilities including: reading comprehension and the ability to interpret texts; writing or oral expression. In addition, emphasis is placed on the service vocation and on the values of democracy, respect for basic rights and social justice.

2. Internationalization: Students on this degree must have a clear vocation towards internationalization. It is not possible to specialize in these European and international fields without a desire to learn about other cultures, countries and their legal and political systems. The ability to adapt to new environments, especially during international study programs, but also when welcoming the many foreign students who year after year choose our courses, is also a prerequisite. Therefore, during the selection process, we value a geographical balance of experiences abroad. We prepare students for professional careers outside Spain, harnessing their studies at CEU as a stepping stone to the international world of work.

3. Multilingualism: In addition to the admission requirements (proficiency in languages other than English is valued positively), there is a need to learn second and third languages (French and/or German), as well as to participate actively in seminars, projects and activities that use foreign languages as a working tool in an environment that replicates the professional situations they will face at the end of their studies.

4. Future professionals. Candidates must have a solid scientific background. At the end of their studies, students are expected to be proficient in the language of social sciences, with a focus on the language of international relations and the European Union. Likewise, they are expected to have a solid grasp of a basic concept map and tools and know how to apply them to solve the practical problems that arise.

5. Comprehensive training. This training is integral, meaning that is has to be dogmatic –theory-based and systematic–, but also practical and engaging. In this context, dialog as a learning tool and the technique of debating are fostered. This training must be, and is, essential and systematic, ensuring that fundamental concepts can be clearly understood.

We ultimately develop a teaching model that ensures continuous and practical-oriented training, in order to facilitate access to the job market and social reality and successfully step into the European and international profile required.