Instituto de Empresa Business School

• Study the European Union from within. Spain offers a vantage starting point for the study of European institutions. On the one hand, Spain is now a consolidated major player in the EU; on the other, memories from the times when it was a newcomer are still fresh, thus facilitating an analysis of the position that many Central and Eastern European countries occupy today.
• Field work in Brussels. A salient feature of the program is a week-long trip to Brussels, including visits to all major EU institutions (Parliament, Council, and Commission) to study the workings of Europe's powerhouse of decision-making and policy development in situ. Working in the field will provide students with the opportunity to put into practice the deep knowledge and skills acquired during specific courses dedicated to the analysis of the European Union procedures, and which include a full-day negotiation role-play excercise.
• Public-private convergence. IE’s Master in International Relations is designed to enable students to participate successfully in international projects that require the cooperation of players in both public and private sectors, including non-governmental and civil society organizations.
• Madrid: making the most of the capital. The program’s academic curriculum will be enriched by a series of visits and events that will make use of the largely untapped potential of Madrid’s political, diplomatic, defense, business and financial communities.

The European Union is the most successful of all international organizations, the world’s largest market and the biggest aid donor. Moreover, it is also an ideal testing ground for the international relations student: a vast forum where all sorts of cross-border issues are debated and decided every day.

Such decisions have an influence that reaches way beyond the European continent: only the United States can compete with the EU in shaping globalization. Your international career will be affected by the European Union and, therefore, it should play a central role in your international relations training.

The IE experience places the student at the epicenter of the learning process. Programs are centered round the case method, which places students in real situations for their deliberation in an international environment. The case method is particularly suited to the study of international relations and will play a pivotal role in this program, where a stipulated maximum of 30 students will decisively enhance the interactive nature of all classes.

Moreover, the program places a marked emphasis on the specific skills and languages that form an essential part of international relations. Highly innovative courses afford participants a thorough working knowledge of multicultural teambuilding, multilingual communication, negotiation in international forums and other key competencies that make up a complete toolkit for every internationally-oriented professional.

The Master in International Relations will follow the pattern of the compact, one-year programs that IE has been successfully running for many years. The program will consist of twenty-three core courses. All students will also have to write a Master’s thesis.

The program’s courses will be taught in three periods: October to December, January to March and April to July. The April to July trimester will include an electives period in which students can choose from a list of subjects that are offered in IE business and law programs.

A visit to the European Union institutions in Brussels is scheduled for the first week of April.

A Master at IE is filled with intense experiences. It is not only a time of hard work and study, it is a way of life and, above all, a transformation of professional and personal perspectives which stay with our students for the rest of their lives.

The international focus of the program is designed to attract a large number of international applicants, creating a melting pot of students from all over the world, and representing a unique opportunity for sharing diverse backgrounds, points of view and cultures.

Being part of the IE community is more than just being an alumnus; it makes you part of a global network of people sharing a set of common goals and ethical values and allows you to build up a network of contacts with your classmates, professors, associations and clubs as well as with the corporate relationships that IE has fostered over the years.

Becoming part of the Master in International Relations is an investment in your future. IE graduates are exceptional people with exceptional skills who are sought out by multinational companies, international consulting firms, NGOs and governmental organizations around the world. IE’s Master in International Relations is the beginning of a bright future for you.

To be considered for admission, candidates must have successfully completed the following:

• A Bachelor degree at an accredited college/university (or equivalent).
• GRE* exam or IE Admissions Test. The result from one of these exams is a prerequisite for admission.
• An English language certificate is required for all non-native English-speaking applicants (TOEFL**, TOIEC, IELTS or Cambridge Advanced). This requirement does not apply if you can demonstrate one of the following:
  • Two years work experience in an English speaking country.
  • Undergraduate degree completed in English.
• A completed application for evaluation by the Admissions Committee, including all supporting documents.

*GRE is administered by the Educational Testing Service (ETS). For more information, please contact ETS, Rosedale Road, Princeton, NJ 08541, USA, Tel: +1(609)921 9000, Fax: +1(609)734 5410, e-mail: etsinfo@ets.org, website: http://www.ets.org.

**The TOEFL is a test administered by ETS. For more information, please contact TOEFL/TSE Services, PO Box 6151, Princeton, NJ 08541, USA, e-mail: toefl@ets.org, website: http://www.toefl.org.

The demanding nature of the Master in International Relations means that applicants are subject to a rigorous selection process. The main objective of the admissions process is to select students with the highest potential.

IE operates on a rolling admissions process and although early application is recommended there is no explicit deadline for applications for a particular intake.

More on the Admissions Process in Detailed Information

Candidates must pay a non-refundable application fee of 120€ to cover administrative costs.

The tuition fees for the 2008-2009 Master in International Relations amount to €27,000 + a €1,100 contribution to the IE Business School Foundation.

Admission is valid for two years, allowing the successful applicant up to two years to reserve a place on a particular intake. To reserve a place on the Master in International Relations program, applicants are required to make a deposit equivalent to 20% of the total fees + the contribution to the IE Business School Foundation.