Objectives and competences
The Master's in International Security taught at the Institut Barcelona d'Estudis Internacionals (IBEI) is an interdisciplinary programme intended to educate future professionals in the area of security within the field of peace and war studies. Its aims are to provide students with a comprehensive set of analytical skills, robust training in research methods, and a deep understanding of international conflicts in the 21st century.
This one-year-long, advanced master's degree is worth 60 credits ECTS and is taught fully in English. It is addressed to graduates in political sciences, international relations and economics. It combines theory and practice and provides students with both academic rigour and policy relevance. The programme is becoming increasingly popular given the current armed conflicts and their consequences on community policies. The overall objective is to train analysts in international security equipped with the skills and knowledge needed to study and interpret current challenges in international spheres, from both a global and a local perspective.
IBEI's teaching model is organised around lectures, seminars and small tutorials. Modules are capped and candidates are expected to actively participate in the form of presentations, group work and assignment writing. In addition, students are assigned a personal tutor and their progress is monitored throughout the academic year. IBEI also develops transferable skills that students can apply in their future international careers. The postgraduate programme includes the possibility of doing an internship or studying abroad for one semester.
IBEI's masters' degrees are officially accredited in Spain and adapted to the European Higher Education Area. The degree diplomas are issued jointly with the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, the University of Barcelona and the Pompeu Fabra University.
IBEI's teaching model is organised around lectures, seminars and small tutorials. Modules are capped and candidates are expected to actively participate in the form of presentations, group work and assignment writing. In addition, students are assigned a personal tutor and their progress is monitored throughout the academic year. IBEI also develops transferable skills that students can apply in their future international careers. The postgraduate programme includes the possibility of doing an internship or studying abroad for one semester.
IBEI's masters' degrees are officially accredited in Spain and adapted to the European Higher Education Area. The degree diplomas are issued jointly with the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, the University of Barcelona and the Pompeu Fabra University.
Basic information
| Type | Master's degree |
|---|---|
| Faculty or school | Faculty of Law |
| Branch of knowledge | |
| Mode of delivery |
|
| Credits | 60 |
| Length of course | 1 academic year |
| Language(s) of instruction | English |
| Open pre-enrolment | No |
| Open enrolment | No |
| Lead to doctoral studies | Yes |
| Admission for applicants not holding a degree qualification | No |
| Main university information | Master's degree course homepage |
| Interuniversity | Yes |
| Main university | Universitat Pompeu Fabra |
| Universities |
|
| Bridging courses | No |
Objectives and competences
Objectives
- Master and apply specific knowledge of contemporary international relations, security, and global governance from a comprehensive and multidisciplinary perspective.
- Identify the main sources of bibliographic information on issues related to international studies, including specialised periodicals and primary source collections.
- Identify the main authors, approaches and ideas in the study of international security, as well as its debates and explanatory limits.
- Design and carry out specialised information searches on subjects related to international security, as well as to analyse results obtained following the rules of the scientific method.
- Develop an independent reflection for decision-making aimed at solving the specific problems and challenges of international security.
- Have a command of and apply the dynamics, processes and factors that interact in local, national and international decision-making, as well as the instruments used for its implementation.
- Command the knowledge acquired about the actors, dynamics, processes and factors of international security in order to analyse the results of the daily practice of governments, non-governmental organizations, governmental organizations, companies, etc.
Competences
Access and admission
Applicant profile and access requirements
Recommended applicant profile
Access requirements and conditions
General requirementsStudents wishing to be admitted to a university master's degree must hold one of the following qualifications:
- Official Spanish university degree.
- A degree issued by a higher education institution within the European Higher Education Area framework that authorizes the holder to access university master's degree courses in the country of issue.
- A qualification issued by an institution outside the framework of the European Higher Education Area. In this case, applicants must request homologation of the degree to its equivalent official Spanish university qualification or obtain express approval from the University of Barcelona, which will conduct a study of equivalence to ensure that the degree is of a comparable level to an official Spanish university qualification and that it grants access to university master's degree study in the country of issue. Admission shall not, in any case, imply that prior qualifications have been recognized as equivalent to a Spanish master's degree and does not confer recognition for any purposes other than that of admission to the master's degree course.
Specific requirements
Academic background
Pre-enrolment
Calendar
Until 1 July 2023.Required documentation
- Online application form
- Photocopy of degree certificate or equivalent qualification. In case of admission, foreign degrees that require so should be translated and authenticated through diplomatic channels before completing the enrolment.
- Other specific documentation related to the selection criteria
Selection criteria
Notification
IBEI runs a rolling admissions process. The Admissions Committee meets once a month to evaluate all complete applications received by then. Applicants can expect an answer after four to six weeks following the submission of all the required documents (including both reference letters).Enrolment
As a general rule, at the UB you will be required to enrol online. Remember that you can lose your place if you do not enrol on the day you have been assigned
- Documents required for enrolment
- Procedure to formalize enrolment
- Grants and financial aid (in Catalan)
- Economic information (in Catalan)
Course curriculum
Subjects and course plans
Distribution of credits
| Type | ECTS |
|---|---|
| Compulsory | 22 |
| Optional | 28 |
| Compulsory placements | 0 |
| Compulsory final project | 10 |
| TOTAL | 60 |
List of subjects
Placements
Placements in a company or another type of organization are an integral part of university studies, providing first-hand experience of working methodologies in students' chosen professional fields. They offer invaluable practical experience for the transition into work after graduation.
Placements are supervised by tutors and subject to assessment. They are therefore included in the academic record. There is also an option to complete non-curricular placements of up to 500 hours, which can be extended to 900 hours. For both curricular and non-curricular placements, an educational cooperation agreement is signed between the UB and the company, institution or other organization at which the placement will be carried out.
Institutional information