International Political Economy ( Double Degree)

Programme Description The Master of Science in International Political Economy is an international and interdisciplinary two-year Master's programme designed to combine the analytical strength of economics with global insights from political science. The programme provides training in quantitative as well as qualitative research methods. The Master of Science in International Political Economy is jointly offered by the University of Texas at Dallas and the University of Marburg. Successful students will receive a degree from both universities (through this double or dual degree programme). Students are required to spend one year of study at each university. The Master of Science in International Political Economy is targeted at students who have already earned a Bachelor's degree or its equivalent in (i) economics or a related field or (ii) political science or a related field. Admission of the former group is handled in Marburg; admission of the latter group in Dallas. Programme participants will develop an up-to-date understanding of the subject of study (i.e., an awareness of leading theories, criticisms, and limitations, as well as recent advances in research). In addition, they will be taught how to use this acquired knowledge to analyse real-world circumstances within an economic paradigm and discover appropriate and feasible solutions. Programme Structure Students with an economics background start the MSc in International Political Economy programme at Marburg and move to Dallas after two semesters, whereas students with a political science background start in Dallas and move to Marburg after two semesters. During the course of their studies, students earn a total of 120 credit points in the European Credit Transfer System (ECTS). Credits acquired at Dallas will be converted into ECTS and vice versa. Courses are structured in modules, some of which are required and some of which are electives. Most modules contain various courses from which students can choose those in which they are most interested (subject to availability; not all courses are offered in all semesters). Most courses deal with general or specific aspects of economics or politics, but some courses emphasise research methods. The Master's thesis is written over a period of four months, during which the student works independently on an academic research topic under the supervision of an experienced professor. The following list is an example of module choice across all four semesters. The specific courses offered within each module might vary from year to year, but the main qualifications acquired in each module are the same. Students starting at University of Marburg Semester 1 & 2: Marburg Research Methods International Economics Economics Electives Semester 3 & 4: Dallas Research Methods International Politics Political Science Electives Master's Thesis Students starting at University of Texas at Dallas Semester 1 & 2: Dallas Research Methods and Economics International Politics Political Science Electives Semester 3 & 4: Marburg Research Methods International Economics Economics Electives Master's Thesis