The London School of Economics and the University of Bocconi in Milan have launched a new Double Degree programme in European and International Public Policy and Politics. The main course outline is a deep study in European politics and policy-making in an international context.
Students will also be required to study languages and undertake an internship. Minimum entry for this course is a 2:1 degree in a social science subject and offers career opportunities in fields including politics, journalism, diplomacy and business.
This programme is a Master’s course consisting of studying MSc Politics and Policy Analysis for the first year at the University of Bocconi. This includes international relations, population dynamics and demography, public economics and the legal aspects of policy making.
The second year will take place at the LSE, studying MSc European and International Public Policy. This will include international migration, migration management, informal governance, the politics and policies of Brexit and policy-making in the EU.
This degree will allow students to obtain two distinct degrees from both universities over the 2-year teaching span. LSE Director Minouche Shafik stated that “the combination of expert teaching from both institutions across the social sciences will give students a global perspective on the many challenges confronting Europe and its neighbours”. Shafik also reiterated that “70% of our students are international… with 35% of our faculty being EU nationals”.
Michel Barnier, European Commission Chief Negotiator on Brexit, also expressed that the union shows that “two of our most prestigious universities… will continue to work together and step up their cooperation as the UK leaves the EU”. This reflects a desire to continue European collaboration despite current political uncertainty.
Haydon Etherington, third year BSc Government and Economics student stated that “something that has struck me about LSE, at least as an undergraduate, is that there hasn’t been an abundance of opportunities to study in Europe. I am generally in favour of building bridges with other institutions across Europe, and to do this in spite of Brexit seems to mark LSE as an open and international institution”.
Etherington expressed his personal apprehension concerning the opportunities that this MSc may bring “simply because it will be an extremely expensive degree, and many people doing it may have had decent experience in the workplace or in politics beforehand.”
