MA in Diplomacy / Global Security and Strategy

With the MA in Diplomacy and Global Governance and the  MA in Global Security and Strategy , the Brussels School of Governance offers two separate English-taught Master programmes that can be considered as ‘twin programmes’: they have a similar structure and a common set of core compulsory courses in the first trimester to build on, but then further expand on the subject of the MA chosen by the student. Both these Master programmes can be taken either as a 90 ECTS programme (12 months for a full-time student) or a 120 ECTS programme (16 months). The 120 ECTS option adds an intensive internship to the curriculum, in addition to expertise on the subject of the twin programme, as well as a set of Risk Analysis and Crisis Management modules.

The  MA in Diplomacy and Global Governance  provides students and professionals with comprehensive knowledge and policy-oriented skills at the intersection of diplomacy and global governance. Both diplomacy and global governance are important institutions of the international order, but they are also the institutions undergoing permanent processes of change in the modern and at times turbulent world. With its strong links to the policy-making world and university/think tank partners in Brussels, wider Europe, the US and Asia, the programme offers students a truly global exchange between theory and practice. By bringing together key practitioners with scholars from these fields, graduates of this programme will be equipped to extract insights and advantages of the various perspectives and approaches at this turning point in the history of diplomacy and global governance.

The  MA in Global Security and Strategy  provides students and professionals with comprehensive knowledge and policy-oriented skills at the intersection of security and strategic studies. The programme enables students interested in an international career in government, international organisations, think tanks or NGOs to gain unique theoretical foundations, practical skill sets and high-level contacts. Leading scholars, think tanks and senior strategists in security studies (from organisations including NATO, the United Nations, the Royal Military Academy of Belgium and the Egmont Institute) are brought together in the partnership circle, advisory board and faculty of this programme to allow for critical and balanced exchange between the perspectives. Graduates of this programme will be equipped to extract the insights, advantages and limitations of these perspectives and approaches to global security and strategy.

This MA in Diplomacy/Global Security and Strategy is a programme of which the degree will be awarded by Vesalius College . Vesalius College is part of the Brussels School of Governance, an alliance with the Institute for European Studies, established in February 2021.

Prestigious Internships

As part of this MA program, you will have an opportunity to do a tailor-made internship with one of our high-profile internship partners which you will be involved in the deep end of our partners’ activities from day one. The program has a wide range of agreements with international organizations for internships during the summer after the completion of your major coursework, allowing you to focus full-time on your internship in addition to writing your thesis.

Key Features

• Organised in cooperation with the Royal Military Academy
• A strong link between  theory and actual practice
• The limited class size  ensures high interaction and close contacts among students and with the professors
• Internship placement  in international organisations think tanks and NGOs
• Intensive skills training  and policy workshops, e.g. during a Capstone course that exposes students to real-life issues and challenges of policymakers and practitioners; during several simulations, students participate in (SUNY model EU, Model NATO, Model UN MEDMUN)
• Strong link to the  policy-maker scene  in Brussels
• Accredited  by the Flemish educational authorities (NVAO)
• Supported by the extensive expertise of our  Office for Teaching, Learning and Innovation  to accommodate sophisticated blended teaching methods.

The Brussels School of Governance (BSoG) is the alliance between the Institute for European Studies VUB (Vrije Universiteit Brussel) and Vesalius College (VeCo). For decades, both institutions have built up strong reputations as frontrunners in education, research, and academic services on the international scene. The BSoG provides a unique educational experience, according to our STEP approach: our programmes are Student-centred, have a solid Theoretical base, their educational Excellence is guaranteed, and they are strongly Practice-oriented. It makes our School a prominent hub for the study of European and global governance, from the BA right up to the PhD level.

Within the Brussels School of Governance alliance, all Institute for European Studies and Vesalius College programmes are accredited by the Dutch-Flemish Accreditation Organisation (NVAO).

The BSoG’s multidisciplinary research activities focus on some of the most urgent governance challenges confronting policymakers in Europe as well as elsewhere in the world in years to come. They cover four broad policy areas: the sustainability transition; the impact of migration on European, national and regional identity; the shifts in political and military competition between the great powers and their implications for European military defence and diplomacy; and the way that new digital technologies challenge existing organisational and management habits and routines, question education and participative democracy more broadly defined.

At the Brussels School of Governance, we want to offer our students not only valuable academic preparation but also the opportunity to test career options, gain practical experience and build relationships with professionals and organisations in their areas of interest, before they graduate. After graduation, BSoG students typically secure positions in various public and private institutions and organisations across the globe, such as the European and international institutions, government administrations, telecom companies, financial institutions, law and accountancy firms, media companies, etc.

The Brussels School of Governance is located at Pleinlaan 5 in the University District of Brussels and it has a vibrant student lifestyle. Our campus is easily accessible by bus, train, tram, or metro, the area has everything to meet students’ needs including affordable housing, two on-campus cafeterias, libraries, banks, shops, markets, restaurants, bars, live entertainment venues, organised athletic activities, and state-of-the-art sports facilities.