International Governance and Diplomacy

Programme Fact File

Study direction:
Sociology, Political Science, Anthropology

Master’s study programme
accredited until 01.07.2025.

Degree conferred / qualification obtained:
Master's Degree of Social Sciences in International Relations and Diplomacy

Language: English

Credit points/ECTS: 80/120

Study location: Rīga

2 years

Places:
16 full fee

2800 EUR/year

You can apply for Latvian state scholarships.
Read more

The programme prepares specialists for international organisations, diplomatic corps, international companies, non-governmental organisations, scientific institutes.

Programme booklet

Academic Environment and Methods

Academic Environment

The programme provides the opportunity to study various aspects of international governance and diplomacy which teaches students the skills to think and act globally. During their studies students acquire the expertise to analyse, understand, and predict developments in international governance and diplomacy, as well as to provide reasoned opinions both orally and in writing.

Lectures are taught by both academics and practitioners, including current and former diplomats.

Students will be educated in various topics of international governance – small states in the international system; the history of international relations with an emphasis on great powers, wars, and diplomacy; international and diplomatic law, global economy and trans-national interests; the governance of the European Union; the foreign policy of the United States, the Peoples’ Republic of China and other great powers; the Middle East; energy security; security governance; e-governance and other issues.

In the third semester students can apply for Erasmus+ exchange studies.

Academic Methods

Studies are organised in the form of lectures and workshops with an emphasis on independent work.

Syllabus

1. semester
Category	Course code	Course title	Structural unit	Course supervisor	ECTS
B	KPUMTK_012	Civil Defence and Environmental Protection	Department of Clinical Skills and Medical Technologies	Oļegs Sabeļņikovs	3
A	SZF_039	European Union in Global Political Economy	Faculty of Social Sciences	Kārlis Bukovskis	7
A	SZF_037	Global Governance: Institutions and Processes	Faculty of Social Sciences	Mārtiņš Daugulis	7
A	SZF_038	Power, War and Diplomacy	Faculty of Social Sciences	Edijs Bošs	7
B	SZF_041	Russia's Political Culture in Transformation	Faculty of Social Sciences	Deniss Hanovs	6
B	SZF_042	Russia's Political Culture in Transformation	Faculty of Social Sciences	Deniss Hanovs	3
B	SZF_043	Small state strategies in modern diplomatic environment	Faculty of Social Sciences	Māris Cepurītis	3
B	SZF_040	Small state strategies in modern diplomatic environment and international negotiations	Faculty of Social Sciences	Māris Cepurītis	6

2. semester
Category	Course code	Course title	Structural unit	Course supervisor	ECTS
B	SZF_045	Belarus between the East and the West	Faculty of Social Sciences	Elizabete Vizgunova	6
B	SZF_048	Energy, Security and Diplomacy: Power Relations and Strategic Perspectives	Faculty of Social Sciences	Andris Sprūds	6
B	SZF_110	Energy, Security, and Diplomacy: Power Relations and Strategic Perspectives	Faculty of Social Sciences	Andris Sprūds	3
B	SZF_072	Information War and Propaganda	Faculty of Social Sciences	Lelde Metla-Rozentāle	6
B	SZF_044	International Law and Diplomatic Rights	Faculty of Social Sciences	Aleksandrs Fillers	6
B	VC_124	Latvian Language Course for Foreign Students	Faculty of Social Sciences	Inga Laizāne	3
A	SZF_046	Politics and Religion: Governing the Middle East	Faculty of Social Sciences	Māris Andžāns	6
A	SZF_047	Russia, the U.S. and the Baltics - Interaction in the Past and Present	Faculty of Social Sciences	Edijs Bošs	6

3. semester
Category	Course code	Course title	Structural unit	Course supervisor	ECTS
B	SZF_051	EU and International Governance	Faculty of Social Sciences	Māris Andžāns	6
B	SZF_049	Foreign Policy Vectors of the People's Republic of China	Faculty of Social Sciences	Una Aleksandra Bērziņa-Čerenkova	6
B	SZF_053	International Organisations	Faculty of Social Sciences	Gunda Reire	6
B	SZF_050	Regional and Social Policy of European Union Member States	Faculty of Social Sciences	Tatjana Muravska	6
B	SZF_052	Security Governance: the Euro-Atlantic Space and Beyond	Faculty of Social Sciences	Māris Andžāns	6
B	SZF_105	Social Media and Digital Diplomacy	Faculty of Social Sciences	Māris Cepurītis	6
A	SZF_054	Theories and Methods in International Relations and Diplomacy	Faculty of Social Sciences	Kārlis Bukovskis	6

4. semester
Category	Course code	Course title	Structural unit	Course supervisor	ECTS
A	PZK_032	Development of Master’s Thesis and Defence	Faculty of Social Sciences	Māris Andžāns	30

Admissions Requirements

General eligibility criteria:

Bachelor's degree in social sciences or humanities
English language proficiency
Skype interview with the applicant

Application checklist 2021

Study bases

RSU main building, 16 Dzirciema iela

Career opportunities following studies

Graduates of this study programme will possess the knowledge and skills to work for international organisations, diplomatic corps, international companies, non-governmental organizations, scientific institutes.

Further studies

You can continue to study at RSU in one of the following doctoral study programmes (the courses Communication Culture and Multimedia and Psychology are offered in English):