Among the very few of its kind in the world and unique in both Romania and the region, the program focuses on professional and individualized training, with about 80% of the instruction time allocated to seminars, policy workshops, internships, individual tutoring and professional mentoring.

FOUNDATIONAL MODULE

• Comparative Political Systems: Major Concepts and Analytical Tools (1st semester)

• Elements of National and Transnational Constitutionalism (1st semester)

• Public Policy in Comparative Perspective: Major Concepts and Analytical Tools (2nd semester)

CORE CONCEPTS, ANALYTICAL COMPETENCE & POLICY WORKSHOP MODULES

• UNIQUE IN ROMANIA Civic technology: Citizen Experience Design for Public Services, organized with Code4Romania (1st & 2nd semesters)

• Cultural Affairs and Creative Industries in an Interconnected World (3rd semester)

• Emergent Global Challenges (3rd semester)

• Foreign Policy Analysis: Theories and Analytical Tools (2nd semester)

• Public Communication and Risk Management in International Environments: Fundamentals of Protocol, Diplomacy, Negotiation, Lobby and Advocacy (2nd semester)

• Public and Social Policies: Contemporary puzzles (2nd semester)

• Public Opinion, Social Movements and Civil Society Organizations in International Contexts (3rd semester)

• The Global Agenda of International Public Affairs: Concepts, Institutions, and Analytical Tools (1st semester)

SKILLS & TRAINING MODULES

• Critical Reasoning for International Public Affairs (1st semester)

• International Project Writing, Management and Evaluation (3rd semester)

• Research Design, Methods, Techniques, and Digital Tools for International Public Affairs (2nd semester)

• Writing and Presenting Professionally for International Audiences (1st semester)

INTERNSHIP MODULES

• Institutions and Actors of International Public Affairs (4th semester)

• Strategies, Tools and Practices of International Public Affairs (4th semester)

• Professional Research Team Project (3rd semester)

  • All students are integrated in team projects organized with different institutional partners from the civil society and governmental sectors

INDIVIDUALIZED PROFESSIONAL TRAINING

• Capstone Project Tutoring (4th semester)

• Methodological Seminar and Academic Tutoring (2nd semester)

• Professional Seminar and Mentoring

  • Preparing CVs, letters of intent, job interviews (1st semester)

  • Media and public relations (2nd semester)

  • Labour relations, Civil society & Public administration in international contexts (4th semester)

• Professional Workshop: Contemporary diplomatic practices - public diplomacy, cultural diplomacy, digital diplomacy

EXTRA CREDITS

• Foreign languages (Chinese, French or German)

• UNIQUE IN ROMANIA Cultural Management Academy (summer activity, organized with Goethe Institute Bucharest and EUNIC)

• UNIQUE IN ROMANIA European Investment Bank summer school, organized in Luxembourg with the European Investment Bank (summer activity)

• UNIQUE IN ROMANIA Special module on European Union funding opportunities and infrastructures, organized with the European Investment Bank (2nd or 4th semester)

• In focus (special short modules with guest experts)

  • NEW Gastro-diplomacy, module with career diplomats and hospitality industry experts (2nd or 4th semester)

  • NEW Contemporary refugee puzzles, module focusing on recent fieldwork experience of the International Organization for Migration and the UN Refugee Agency  

CAPSTONE PROJECT

Instead of an MA thesis, at the end of the program students are required to defend publicly a capstone project (i.e. application of the knowledge and skills acquired throughout the program to examine or evaluate a specific real life problem).

All classes are scheduled during the weekdays after 17:30 (Bucharest time zone). Some courses have weekly sessions, while others are delivered in a modular form concentrated in one or several periods of the semester.

Most classes will be in face-to-face format, from Monday to Thursday, but some modules and seminars, especially those with foreign guests and experts from sectors outside academia, may take place online and/or in different intervals, pending upon the guest availability. 

From time to time, special short / intensive courses, seminar activities and study visits in partner institutions and organizations may be scheduled on Fridays (any time of the day between 9:00 and 20:30). 

Occasional alumni meetings and other special networking and teambuilding optional activities may be scheduled during the weekends.  

The timetable is published at the beginning of each semester.

Semesters 1, 2 and 3 have each 14 weeks of classes, professional seminars and practical activities, while semester 4 has 10 weeks of practical activities, professional seminars and capstone project tutoring. 

The academic year starts on the 1st of October and ends on the 30th of September (the period includes the teaching semesters, the examination sessions and the various holidays). 

Class materials are available in digital format for all courses.

In case restrictions due to a new pandemic wave are suddenly reimposed, all courses have the required digital infrastructure for a fast temporary shift to online teaching. 

Instead of an MA thesis, at the end of the 2-year program students are required to defend publicly a capstone project. This is a written analysis based on at least one year of research and which uses the knowledge and skills acquired in the program to examine or evaluate a specific real life problem and provide a feasible solution to it.

Capstone projects can be written for a specific institution or designed to address the needs of a larger sector. 

To develop such projects, students have a tutor at the Faculty of Political Science, University of Bucharest, and, if designed for an institutional partner, a mentor in the respective institution.

Starting with the 2022-2023 academic year, students can contribute to a capstone project built for the European Investment Bank (EIB), the "financial arm" and "climate bank" of the European Union. At the end of the project, this will be defended also in Luxembourg, at the EIB headquarters.

Up to 5 candidates admitted in 2023-2024 will be able to enroll also in a double degree option offered with University of Urbino's Master “International Politics, Society and Economics". These students will spend their 3rd semester of studies (2024-2025) in Urbino, studying in English, and will benefit from tutoring from staff from the two universities. After the successful defence of their capstone projects in front of teaching staff from both universities, they will be awarded the master degrees from both universities. 

Academic contact point at the University of Bucharest (Romania): Assoc. Prof. Luciana Alexandra GHICA (luciana.ghica@unibuc.ro)
Academic contact point at the University of Urbino (Italy): Prof. Luigi CECCARINI (luigi.ceccarini@uniurb.it)

During the 3rd semester, all students are enrolled in special team internships with one of our institutional partners. Each year we add new partners and projects. Among our traditional partners are Code4Romania, CONCORDIA, Făgăraș Research Institute, FOND Romania, Funky Citizens & MozaiQ

Developed with Code4Romania, the leading hub for digital innovation for the public services in Romania, this course is unique in Romania and one of the very few of its kind in the world. Offered for the first time in 2021/2022 as a pilot module within the MIPA program, since 2022/2023 it is part of its mandatory curriculum. Following its success, including the subsequent employment in the field of students who enrolled in it, from 2023/2024 it will be offered as a year-long experience to all students of the program.   

Between 2022 and 2025, the EU-funded consortium Digital Diplomacy: Building the Common Future with Technology (DD-TECH) develops a set of tools for teaching digital diplomacy, including an open access English-language module that can be used as an e-module or a blended-learning module.    

The DD-Tech consortium brings together 6 European universities - Istanbul University (leading partner | consortium coordinator: Özgün ERLER BAYIR), Catholic University of the Sacred Heart Milan (Italy), Istanbul Commerce University (Turkey), University of Bucharest (Romania), University of Ljubljana (Slovenia), and University of Tartu (Estonia), which will also be the first to include the module in their curricula.  

At the University of Bucharest, the MA in International Public Affairs (MIPA) program will be the first to offer the module in 2025-2026. Pilot versions of it will be already offered for credits during the 2023/2024 and 2024/2025 academic years. 

Any person holding a BA degree can candidate, irrespective of the previous field of studies.  

• Candidates who are citizens of any EU state (including Romania), citizens of Liechtenstein, Iceland, Norway, Switzerland or UK, refugees and persons who hold the long term residence of any EU country apply directly at the Faculty of Political Science, University of Bucharest. For all these the registration is available online between 3rd and 20th of July at https://fsp.unibuc.ro/en/ma-admission/ OR at the secretariat of the faculty (59, Calea Plevnei - check Google map here). The calendar for these candidates is the one at the beginning of this page.

• The registration of applications from candidates who are citizens of countries outside the European Union / European Economic Area / Switzerland / UK will is managed directly by the International Relations Office of the University of Bucharest. Candidates can register between 14 April and 30 June 2023. More details and the full calendar is available at https://unibuc.ro/international/studenti-internationali/admitere-master/?lang=en. 

1. Candidates who are citizens of Romania/EU/EEA/Switzerland/UK, refugees or persons with long term EU residence apply directly ONLINE or at the Secretariat of the Faculty of Political Science with the following documents:

• Application form (for online submissions, available as part of the platform https://fsp.unibuc.ro/master/?locale=en; for submissions at the secretariat, hard-copy forms can be filled in on the spot) 

• Letter of intent in English (7000-character document briefly presenting the candidate's most important achievements, interests and projects so far, their career paths ideas and how this program could help develop one or more of these paths)   

• Baccalaureate or equivalent diploma attesting the successful completion of high school education 

• BA diploma or equivalent document attesting the successful completion of a BA degree

• Birth certificate

• Medical certificate

• Identity document

• ID card-type photograph - 3 pieces (if the application is online, they can be submitted physically during the confirmation stage but a digital photo should be submitted in the digital application) 

• Proof of payment of the registration fee

• CV 

Additional documents for special situations

• For those whose birth name is different from the current name: proof of name change

• For those who obtained their BA degree before 2023 and wish to candidate for a tuition-free place (if they have not already studied for a MA program in Romania on a tuition-free place): an affidavit through which the candidate declares whether or not they already benefitted from a tuition-free place for a MA program in a Romanian public university 

• For those who obtained the BA degree or the Baccalaureate outside the Romanian higher education system: 

  • proof of equivalence/recognition; OR proof of submission of the equivalence/recognition documents to the University of Bucharest or to the Romanian Ministry of Education (MEN-CNRED)

  • EU/EEA declaration (DOC / PDF) 

More details about each of these documents and special situations are available on the general page for MA admissions on the website of the Faculty of Political Science, University of Bucharest at https://fsp.unibuc.ro/master/?locale=en 

2. The admission procedure for candidates who are not in any of the categories above or are Ukrainian citizens are managed directly by the the International Relations Office of the University of Bucharest. The special calendar, documents and procedures are listed at https://unibuc.ro/international/studenti-internationali/admitere-master/?lang=en 

For all candidates, except citizens of Ukraine:

If applying only to the MA in International Public Affairs: 150 RON (for those exempted from paying the fee: 0 RON) 

If applying to two or more programs of the Faculty of Political Science, University of Bucharest

• For two programs (including MIPA): 250 RON (for those exempted from paying the fee for one program: 100 RON ) 

• For more than two programs (including MIPA): 250 RON + 50 RON for each additional program above two (for those exempted from paying the fee for one program: 100 RON) 

The fee(s) can be paid as follows:

• by bank card at po.unibuc.ro/master or

• by bank transfer/payment order to the account of the University of Bucharest IBAN: RO67RNCB0076010452620072, payment details: "FSPUB Admission July 2023".

• at the faculty's admission committee, on the faculty's premises, during the registration period

The proof of the exemption of the registration fee payment is a written request for exemption, signed by the candidate and approved by the President of the admission commission (currently the dean of the Faculty of Political Science, University of Bucharest, Cristian Preda - cristian.preda@unibuc.ro).

The candidates who require to be exempted from the payment of the admission fee must submit to the President of the admission commission one of the following documents, in addition to the written request:

• Copies of the parents’ certificates of death (for orphans of both parents); 

• A certificate (adeverință) issued by an orphanage; 

• A certificate (adeverință) that attests that one (or both) of the legal tutors of the candidate is (are) an employed teacher(s) / professor(s); 

• A certificate (adeverință) that attests that one (or both) of the legal tutors of the applicant is(are) employee(s) of University of Bucharest.

If the request is approved, the President of the admission commission will mark the approval on the written request, which can then be submitted as part of the application.

Students declared admitted on the TUITION-FREE places do not pay tuition fees in their first year of studies. According to law, based on academic performance, during the 2nd year they can maintain their TUITION-FREE status or they become TUITION-PAYING students.

Students declared admitted on the TUITION-PAYING places pay a yearly fee of 4700 RON (for all candidates who were admitted through the process administered directly by the Faculty of Political Science) or 2,500 EUR (for non-EU citizens, whose admission process is managed by the International Relations Office of the University of Bucharest). The fee can be paid in several installments throughout the academic year, taking into account the social context of the student. 

The first installment of this annual fee will be paid by the future student as part of the procedures required to confirm their TUITION-PAYING place in the admission competition. If, following the confirmation procedures and lists updates, a candidate is declared admitted on a TUITION-FREE place after they had been declared previously admitted on a TUITION-PAYING place, this first installment will be reimbursed to the candidate.

According to current regulations, the following categories of candidates can be admitted on TUITION-FREE places:

• Any Romanian or foreign citizen who has passed a Romanian BA graduation exam or an equivalent exam

• Any EU / EEA / Swiss / UK or Ukrainian citizen who passed a BA graduation exam or an equivalent exam

• Refugees, citizens with subsidiary protection and citizens holding a long-term residence permit on the territory of the European Union.

For the current admission session, the program can admit maximum 30 students, with students placed on the first 16 places guaranteed TUITION-FREE places. Nine places are reserved for separate admissions - 4 places reserved for non-EU students and 5 places reserved for the double-degree track for students admitted at the University of Urbino. The remaining 5 places can be transformed into TUITION-FREE places by the end of September, through the redistribution of funding from other master programs of the faculty or university. Given the previous years' experience, it is very likely that, except the places reserved for non-EU students, all places in this program are offered in 2023-2024 as tuition-free.  

Candidates who already completed an MA program in a Romanian public university on a tuition-free place can be admitted only on a tuition-paying place. 

The evaluation of the application has three stages

• basic linguistic skills evaluation (evaluation of the letter of intent included in the application - marked Pass/Fail)

• comprehension skills test - 21 JULY 2022, 17:30 - Bucharest time (UTC+3): online evaluation of the comprehension, logical thinking and writing abilities, through several questions modeled on the Thinking Skills Assessment standard (TSA Oxford), as well as through a summary of a text at first sight - entire task marked with maximum 100 points; at least 60 points required to be admitted to the interview 

• interview - 23 or 24 JULY 2022 (presentation of the letter of intent, with a focus on career options and suitability for the program - marked with grades from 1 to 10). 

The grade for the interview represents the admission grade. Grades in the Romanian system range from 1 (minimum) to 10 (maximum). The minimum grade for admission in an MA program in Romanian according to current legal provisions is 6.

The test is modeled on the Thinking Skills Assessment (TSA) Oxford standard and is available through an online form. 

The link to the form is sent to the candidates at least six hours before the opening time (21 JULY, 17:30) but the form's content can be accessed only on the 21st of JULY 2023 between 17:30 and 19:00 (Bucharest time zone, UTC+3).

The subjects require 60-80 min. of work.

On the first page of the form candidates are required to fill in the following information:

• Email

• Family name

• First name

• NATIONAL ID no. ("serie și număr carte de identitate" for Romanian citizens) or PASSPORT no. (passport number for non-Romanian citizens). Refugees or persons under other form of international legal protection write "N/A" in this section

• SECURITY CODE

The individual SECURITY CODE for each application is sent via email to each candidate at least 6h before the opening time.

After the first page, in a first section there are several exercises that test the comprehension and critical thinking skills. In each exercise candidates are presented with a situation and a question about that situation. For each question candidate will have to choose one of the indicated potential answers.

In the second section there is a text of about 2500 words that you need to summarize in 250 words (+/- 10%). The summary should present accurately the main argument and all major points made in the text, as well as the text’s structure of the argumentation, without additional elements. Points are given for accuracy (40%), clarity (20%), the quality of language (20%), structure (15%) and compliance with the formal requirements (5%).

All texts are in English and the summary should be written in English. We are not interested in testing the fine points of grammar (hence no points are deducted for minor language mistakes) but rather in clear and structured thinking, expressed in a highly intelligible English.  

After the mandatory fields on the first page are filled in, candidates can navigate between sections at any time but when their work is finished they should press the "Submit" button, otherwise the test will not be recorded.

For technical troubles or questions before or during the exam, please write us at mipa@fspub.unibuc.ro

Each test is marked with maximum 100 points. At least 60 points are required to be admitted to the interview.  

All candidates that pass the online comprehension test are invited to an interview in English at the headquarters of the Faculty of Political Science, University of Bucharest (59, Calea Plevnei - check Google map here). For the current session these are scheduled on the 23rd or 24th of JULY 2023. 

The grade for the interview represents the admission grade and is the basis for ranking the candidates. If two or more candidates have the same admission grade, they will be ranked, in this order, based on the points obtained at the comprehension test, the BA defence examination, cumulative GPA for the BA studies. 

If, for exceptional reasons, the candidate cannot be physically present, an online interview will be organized during the same day. For such situations, please contact us as soon as possible at mipa@fspub.unibuc.ro or contact directly the academic coordinators of the program (luciana.ghica@unibuc.ro, claudiu.tufis@unibuc.ro)  

All candidates declared admitted (tuition-free places, tuition-paying places or waiting list) should confirm their place through the submission of a Declaration of confirmation. Candidates who do not confirm their place are eliminated. Candidates who confirm their place may improve their ranking and position on these lists based on the number of eliminated applications before them. The confirmation period for the current session is scheduled for the 26th and the 27th of JULY but confirmations can be submitted also before the 26th of JULY, immediately after the results are published.

More details at https://fsp.unibuc.ro/en/master/

All main FSPUB and associated teaching staff members hold a PhD in social sciences or humanities (political science/international relations, sociology, economy, law, philosophy or contemporary history) and have pursued postgraduate studies at top European and North American universities such as the Central European University, Ecole des Hautes Etudes en Sciences Sociales (EHESS), London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE), McGill University, Pennsylvania State University, Sciences Po (IEP Paris), University of Cambridge,  University of Oxford and others. 

Teaching staff of the Faculty of Political Science, University of Bucharest 

• Conf. univ. dr. Raluca ALEXANDRESCU

• Lect. univ. dr. Ana-Maria BÂRSAN

• Lect. univ. dr. Felicia BEJAN

• Conf. univ. dr. Anca DOHOTARIU

• Conf. univ. dr. Luciana Alexandra GHICA 

• Conf. univ. dr. Bogdan IANCU

• Conf. univ. dr. Ruxandra IVAN

• Lect. univ. dr. Brîndușa NICOLAESCU

• Conf. univ. dr. Camil PÂRVU

• Conf. univ. dr. Bogdana PETRICĂ

• Asist. univ. dr. Octavian SOFRONEA

• Lect. univ. dr. Oana-Valentina SUCIU

• Conf. univ. dr. Claudiu D. TUFIȘ

Associated teaching staff

• Conf.univ. dr. Oana BĂLUȚĂ, Faculty of Journalism and Communication Studies, University of Bucharest

• Dr. Bogdan CHIRIȚOIU, President of the Competition Council of Romania

• Dr. Ștefan CIBIAN, President of the Romanian Federation of Development NGOs (FOND Romania) 

• Dr. Emanuela IGNĂȚOIU-SORA, European Institute in Romania

• Dr. Bogdan IVĂNEL, Co-founder and CEO at Code4Romania

• William MORRIS, Fulbright Fellow 2023-204

• Conf. univ. dr. Silvana RACHIERU, Faculty of History, University of Bucharest

• Olivia VEREHA, Co-founder and Chief Operations Officer at Code4Romania

Former teaching staff

• Dr. Claudia PETRESCU, Scientific Researcher, Romanian Academy - Institute for Research on the Quality of Life

• Dr. Laurențiu ȘTEFAN, current Ambassador of Romania in the Republic of Ireland

Most of these instructors have also collaborated as consultants/independent experts with numerous strategic partners from the labour market in the field of international public affairs such as the Romanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Romanian Ministry of Labour, the Romanian Cultural Institute, various foreign embassies and cultural institutes present in Romania, the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), UNICEF and the World Bank Group.

Although the newest program of the Faculty of Political Science at the University of Bucharest, having been established in 2018, it already has a vibrant community of alumni.

All alumni benefit from the following services:

• free newsletter ISEDUGATE (news from the program; local and global trends in international public affairs; job opportunities; call for applications for volunteering projects; internships or other contributions; invitations for events; language skills tips for international public affairs professionals)

• free access to new modules offered to current students of the program  

• access to new training opportunities with professionals in the field offered under the same conditions as for current students of the program

Starting from 2022-2023, MIPA students and alumni can also meet to socialize and network, as well as to gain new insights from top experts on international public affairs, within the Alumni Weekend series, as well as through other events open to both alumni and students of the program.  

Alumni who have not registered yet for the ISEDUGATE newsletter can do so HERE.