MA in European Law and Policy
This programme will not run in September 2024
Introduction
The EU is an increasingly important policy and legal actor. EU action cuts across virtually every policy field including security, economic policy, human rights and the environment. In response, DCU has established the Masters in European Law and Policy, an innovative programme that will equip graduates with the knowledge and skills to navigate and address those 21st century challenges, from Brexit to climate change and to the post-pandemic economic and social recovery.
A broad curriculum will familiarise students with the legislative and institutional structure of the European Union and the operation of EU law while equipping students with core skills of public policy design and analysis. Core modules include Law & Politics of Brexit, one of the first modules of its kind on the island of Ireland, as well as optional modules that focus on key policy areas such as the environment, EU banking and finance law and EU foreign policy. A special effort is made to integrate legal and public policy skills and to consider law in light of policy requirements and the role of law in shaping and implementing policy.
Speaking in relation to this programme, Denis McShane (UK Minister of European Affairs during the Blair Government), said:
"The DCU Master in European Law & Policy steered by the Brexit Institute is the ideal graduate program for anyone interested in understanding the law & politics of Brexit and future of Europe".
DCU is home to the Brexit Institute, Europe’s first and Ireland’s only centre designed to analyse the legal, political and economic impact of Brexit from both a research and a policy perspective. It is also home to the BRIDGE Project, a Jean Monnet Network and a Jean Monnet Centre of Excellence REBUILD - ‘Recovery of Europe, Budget of the Union: Integration, Law & Democracy’. The latter will allow exploring the post-pandemic reconstruction of the EU economy, focusing on the “Next Generation EU” Recovery Fund, its governance, financing and values. They are both funded by the European Union’s Erasmus+ programme. Students on this programme will benefit from the very close links between our teaching faculty and these high level initiatives.
Programme Structure and Content
The Masters in European Law and Policy is designed to integrate legal and policy analysis and to equip students with complementary knowledge and skills across both fields. It is designed to ensure students have a comprehensive grounding in both EU law and policy analysis while allowing for some specialisation in either law or policy through optional modules and the dissertation topic.
In the first semester you will study three core modules covering EU Institutional law and policy analysis alongside a research skills module specifically tailored to the needs of leading legal and policy analysis.
In the second semester you can deepen your knowledge of key fields while maintaining an interdisciplinary approach. You choose three optional modules dealing with specific areas of law and policy. You must choose at least one law and one policy based module while the third can be either a law or a policy module.
The MA in European Law and Policy is delivered online both full-time and part-time, which equips graduates with the knowledge and skills to navigate and address those 21st century challenges, from Brexit to climate change and to the post-pandemic economic and social recovery.
Finally, students will be expected to complete a dissertation in either law or public policy under the supervision of an expert member of faculty.
Modules
Core modules include:
- Law and Politics of Brexit - one of the first modules of its kind on the island of Ireland
- Public Policy Analysis and EU Institutional Law
Optional modules include:
- Climate Change Law
- EU Banking and Finance Law
- EU Trade Law and Policy
- Policy Challenges
- Public Policy Evaluation
- Health Policy
- Housing Policy
- Irish Foreign Policy
- European and International Human Rights Law
View the current course structure
Why DCU?
- Draw on expertise across Ireland’s most innovative university
- Study at the home of the Brexit Institute, Ireland’s leading centre for the analysis of Brexit related law and policy
- Small class sizes with a diverse student body.
- Interactive, problem-based teaching style.
- Accessible lecturers with real expertise in their disciplines.
- Links to employers and a network of alumni.
Why do this programme?
- Gain expertise on the European Union and its role in law and policy making today
- Join the growing number of policy makers and legal advisors working for public bodies, including the state, international and European institutions or as a legal or policy specialist in the private or NGO sector, navigating EU law and policy and engaging with the law and policy making process
- Gain insight into the interaction of law and policy and their mutual influence
- Increase your expertise in specific fields of European law and policy
- Internships/work placements available on a competitive basis as part of an optional professional development module.
The Masters in European Law and Policy is designed to equip participants with a range of legal and policy related social science skills with specific reference to the European dimension of law and policy. Participants will graduate with a comprehensive knowledge of EU law and processes and public policy design, implementation and evaluation. Graduates will be equipped to engage in legal and policy advice and analysis across a wide range of fields impacted by European law and policy. Internships/work placements available on a competitive basis as part of an optional professional development module.
Possible careers
- Legal policy advisor
- Policy maker
- National or European public servant
- Lawyer and legal advisor *
* The Masters in European Law and Policy does not qualify an individual as a legal practitioner in Ireland or elsewhere. Further professional qualifications are required.
Requirements
For admission to the MA in in European Law and Policy programme, successful applicants will have -
- A degree at the level of an Irish or UK Honours undergraduate degree (H2.1 or above) or equivalent.
- Applicants with the equivalent of a H2.2 in a related discipline with relevant work experience may also be considered.
- If the applicant has not yet completed their degree than a conditional offer may be made on the basis of most recent grades and pending the achievement of a H2.1 degree.
- Applicants with appropriate combinations of professional qualifications and experience may also be considered. This includes discipline-specific knowledge and know-how; transferable skills; basic research competency; personal effectiveness.
- International candidates who are non-native speakers of English must satisfy the University of their competency in the English language. More information about DCU's English language requirements can be found here.