International Relations & Diplomacy, M.A.
You are interested in international relations and world politics? You want to earn further qualifications at the intersection of political science, history and law? You are looking for a study program that helps to prepare you for job opportunities in the field of international relations?
The Master „International Relations & Diplomacy“ offers you an attractive choice! The study program entails courses in international relations (political science), international history and international law. In sum, the program wants to address conceptual and empirical questions of world organization in a world that is characterized by overlapping patterns of conflict and cooperation, crisis and change.
Programme facts
| Degree | Master of Arts (M.A.) |
|---|---|
| Duration | 4 semesters, 120 ECTS |
| Language of instruction | German |
| Required German | C1 |
| Study mode | Full-Time |
| Start | Winter semester |
| Application | Directly to the university, winter semester until 15.07 |
| Admission | No admission restriction: every eligible applicant is admitted |
| Tuition fee | €0 per semester for international students |
| Semester contribution | €375.80 per semester |
What the tuition fee consists of
Will I get in
Every applicant who meets the formal requirements is admitted — but places can run out before the deadline, so apply at the start of the window.
How the selection works and how strong the competition is — we go through it against your certificate when we select programmes for you.
Programme selection →About the programme
The Master Program „International Relations & Diplomacy“ reflects the increased relevance, complexity and challenges in world politics. It offers a multidisciplinary academic profile combining political science, law and history. The objective of the Master program is to provide students who aspire to work in an international context with a profound understanding of concepts and theories as well as tools and instruments to be applied in international relations.
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Multifaceted Course Offerings
The program spans the realm of international relations in its entirety: Courses deal with a range of actors (from individuals to states, NGOs and international organizations), issues (from armed conflict to cultural exchange or global crises) and principles (from state sovereignty to human security or differing conceptions of world order). The courses are designed to address questions of theoretical understanding as well as questions of practical organization and implementation of policies.
Innovative Emphasis
The emphasis on international relations and diplomacy is an expression of three distinct perspectives that are associated with the program: We understand diplomacy to be concerned with mediating complex international problems, managing a diversity of actors and interests as well as working for the solution of global challenges. Such a perspective includes, but is not confined to the work of „professional“ diplomats. Secondly, our perspective on international relations and diplomacy is guided by the notion of an international community of cooperating and competing actors. This allows for the inclusion of a range of approaches to international relations – from classical positions of the „English School“ to theories of normative change and practice to postcolonial approaches. Thirdly, our emphasis implies a focus on „diplomatic skills“, i.e. using case scenarios, simulations and the exchange with practitioners.
What you study
The three pillars of international politics, international history and international law together form the three pillars of the course. In addition, opportunities for (technical) scientific and practical profiling are offered. In this way, insights into related disciplines can be gained or language skills can be acquired.
The full curriculum and the programme's parameters are part of programme selection: we compare them with your profile.
Pick programmesCareer
The increase in political, economic, social and cultural interdependencies across the globe – with all its potential and problems – is mirrored by an increased internationalization of job profiles. The Master program wants to offer a range of qualifications to prepare for job opportunities in international organizations, foreign ministries, NGOs, think tanks or academia.
Cost of study
| Tuition fee of the federal state (Rhineland-Palatinate), international students | €0 |
|---|---|
| Semester contribution | €375.80 |
Requirements and application
| Previous education | A bachelor's degree in political science, history or law. |
|---|---|
| Language | German C1 — confirmed by a certificate when you apply |
| Application | Directly to the university, winter semester until 15.07 |
The procedure and the set of documents depend on your certificate. We check the university's requirements against your documents and give you a list: what to submit, how to certify and translate it, where and when to apply.
Check the requirementsHow to get into this programme
- 1Check your certificate and its recognitionDirect admission, a year at a university at home, or Studienkolleg first — this decides the whole plan.
- 2German up to C1 and a certificateDSH or TestDaF has to be passed before you apply.
- 3Documents and translationsCertified translations of the certificate and transcript, an APS if required. 3–4 weeks.
- 4Application directly to the university until 15.07Send the documents well before the deadline — an incomplete application cannot be completed after it.
- 5Admission, visa, movingPlan 2–3 months for the visa and the blocked account in parallel.
How to apply
You can submit the application yourself or with our help — the university decides on admission in both cases.
Applications go through the university's portal or uni-assist. Typical mistakes:
- ×incorrectly made certified copies and translations
- ×a wrong set of documents
- ×the application submitted the wrong way
- ×errors or gaps in the application form
- ×the application submitted at the wrong time — too early or too late
An incomplete or incorrectly prepared application is excluded from the selection — it can no longer be corrected after the deadline.
StudyInFocus does not represent the university and does not influence the admission decision. We do not sell study places and do not guarantee admission — this is a service for preparing and submitting documents on the applicant's side.
If your level is not enough yet
The two most common stoppers are a language level below the requirement and a certificate without direct admission. Both can be solved, but they take months — plan them now, not after a rejection.
Questions about this programme
How much does the programme cost?
What language level do I need?
When do I need to apply?
Don't postpone the application
The deadline is 15.07.2027 (274 days left). Language, translations and the document check take months, not weeks. In 30 minutes we will build a plan backwards from the deadline and tell you honestly whether you can make it.