International Relations
- Degree
- Graduate school
- Credits
- 120 ECTS
- Duration
- 2 Years
- Language
- English
- Year
- 2027/2028
The Luiss Master's Degree in International Relations, classified as LM-52, provides advanced interdisciplinary training to understand global dynamics and address the main political, economic, legal, and social challenges of the contemporary world.
Students can tailor their education by choosing one of three majors, all taught entirely in English:
- Diplomacy: designed to train individuals for careers in diplomacy and the international civil service.
- Security: focused on global security challenges, the fight against terrorism, and defence policies.
- Euro-Mediterranean Studies: dedicated to training experts in the Euro-Mediterranean region, with in-depth study of the politics, sociology, and culture of the countries in the area.
In line with the educational objectives of the LM-52 master's degree programme, the course prepares professionals who are capable of:
- Mastering multidisciplinary skills to work in international institutions, governmental and non-governmental organisations, and the private sector.
- Critically analyse and interpret the links between legal, economic, and historical-political phenomena from a global perspective.
- Develop original solutions in crisis and transition contexts, applying data collection and processing methods to monitor international scenarios.
- Communicate in multicultural settings, thanks to a command of English and the compulsory study of a second foreign language.
- Demonstrate leadership and teamwork, honed through workshops on cross-cutting skills, case simulations, and public speaking exercises.
The Director
Rosario Forlenza
Rosario Forlenza specializes in the history of modern Europe and Italy in its global implications. He works at the intersection of history, politics and anthropology and focuses particularly on democracy and authoritarianism, political revolutions, nationalism and the politics of memory, politics and religion, symbolic politics, and the Cold War. He has written six books, co-edited two volumes, and published over forty peer-reviewed articles and chapters, most notably in The American Historical Review, Past & Present, and Journal of Contemporary History, He is currently working on a comparative history of revolutions from the perspective of political anthropology, on the totalitarian experiences in interwar Russia, Italy, and Germany, and on the global history of Christian Democracy.
The curriculum allows you to build an academic and professional profile that aligns with your interests and career goals, combining specialist training, a personalised pathway, and learning through real-world experiences.
The educational offering is divided into:
- Essentials: courses that provide the theoretical, methodological, and disciplinary foundations of the degree programme, developing the core knowledge upon which to build the subsequent specialisation pathway.
- Majors (where included in the curriculum): in-depth courses focusing on specific subject areas or professional fields, allowing students to develop advanced and distinctive skills in their area of interest.
- Profile: elective courses that allow you to further personalise your learning path by selecting content that aligns with your academic and professional aspirations.
- Certificates: distinctive elements of the Graduate School’s educational model, integrated into the study plan to offer students the opportunity to choose learning activities developed in collaboration with Corporate and Institutional Partners. With a strong focus on practical application, the Certificates enable students to gain specialised skills, engage with industry professionals, and delve deeper into methodologies and experiences gained across various professional settings. Upon completion of each Certificate, a blockchain-notarised digital micro-credential is issued. This securely and verifiably attests to the skills acquired and can be shared on major professional profiles, enhancing one's educational background.
- Field Experience: real-world professional experiences that allow you to put the skills you've developed during your studies into practice and foster the connection between your academic training and the world of work.
- Final Thesis: the culmination of the educational journey, dedicated to research, critical analysis, and the application of acquired knowledge.
🇬🇧 Major: Diplomacy
Semester I - Essentials
Comparative History of Political Systems
This course analyses the historical evolution of the European political systems from the nineteenth century to the present day in a comparative perspective, focusing on the evolution of democracy and the different shapes it has adopted over time.
Comparative Politics
This course analyses in a comparative perspective the political institutions of contemporary democracies, focusing on nation-states, on the functional and institutional differences between nation-states and unions of states, and on the characteristics of non-democratic regimes.
Comparative Public Law
This course analyses the evolution of contemporary constitutionalism on a global scale through a comparative approach. It focuses on traditional and new topics – such as legal transplants and borrowing, the backsliding of the rule of law and the democratic decay.
Research Methods for Social Sciences
This course introduces students to approaches, methods, and skills for research in the social and political sciences. Topics include how to define a research question; research ethics; qualitative methods (such as case studies and interviews); quantitative techniques; data analysis methods (such as survey and questionnaire design).
Academic and Professional Communication Skills
This course is an introduction to academic and professional communication, with a focus on key topics and areas of international relations, to enhance students’ skills in academic writing, public speaking, critical thinking, and virtual literacy.
Semester II - Major
Demography and the Politics of Global Populations
The course aims to provide students with theoretical and methodological knowledge on demography and major geo-demographic trends, with a focus on the interconnections between demographic trends and political, social and economic phenomena.
International Organizations and Global Economic Governance
The course examines the role and function of international economic and political organisations, focusing on how global norms and rules facilitate transnational economic cooperation.
Sociology of Global Politics
This course develops a sociological approach to global politics by moving beyond the focus on states and international organizations, to include non-state actors and social movements. Specific attention is dedicated to local and transnational dynamics related to anthropology, society, culture, and religion.
International Political Theory
This course introduces the recent debates within normative international political theory, focusing on fundamental moral claims, conflicts, and dilemmas that arise in the global context, as well as the ethical responses to them.
Semester I - Major
History of International Relations
This course combines topics from the history and theory of international relations with topics from the history of international institutions, with a focus on the system of international relations since the outbreak of the cold war.
Profile
3 Elective courses
Certificates
Certificate 1
Certificate 2
Mandatory language course
Compulsory foreign language
Field Experience
Internship
Create
Final Thesis
Total ECTS
🇬🇧 Major: Security
Semester I - Essentials
Comparative History of Political Systems
This course analyses the historical evolution of the European political systems from the nineteenth century to the present day in a comparative perspective, focusing on the evolution of democracy and the different shapes it has adopted over time.
Comparative Politics
This course analyses in a comparative perspective the political institutions of contemporary democracies, focusing on nation-states, on the functional and institutional differences between nation-states and unions of states, and on the characteristics of non-democratic regimes.
Comparative Public Law
This course analyses the evolution of contemporary constitutionalism on a global scale through a comparative approach. It focuses on traditional and new topics – such as legal transplants and borrowing, the backsliding of the rule of law and the democratic decay.
Research Methods for Social Sciences
This course introduces students to approaches, methods, and skills for research in the social and political sciences. Topics include how to define a research question; research ethics; qualitative methods (such as case studies and interviews); quantitative techniques; data analysis methods (such as survey and questionnaire design).
Academic and Professional Communication Skills
This course is an introduction to academic and professional communication, with a focus on key topics and areas of international relations, to enhance students’ skills in academic writing, public speaking, critical thinking, and virtual literacy.
Semester II - Major
Security and the Economy
The course focuses on the profound role and consequences that economic factors play in national security, countries' strategic interests and international politics.
International Human Rights
The course provides an introduction to human rights and their conceptual and historical foundations, and examines the main legal instruments and international institutions that protect and promote them.
Sociology of Terrorism and Political Violence
The course analyzes and studies terrorism and political violence from a sociological perspective.
International Security
The course aims to develop students’ ability to understand both the causes and the dynamics of the most challenging issues in international security. In addition, the lectures will provide participants with specific skills to demonstrate critical thinking regarding the main tools used by states and the international community to address a wide range of security challenges, each of which will be presented with its key characteristics.
Semester I - Major
Security Law and Constitutional Protection
This course focuses on the ability of constitutional law to guide and limit the exercise of public authority under circumstances of threats to the security of individuals.
Profile
3 Elective Courses
Certificates
Certificate 1
Certificate 2
Mandatory language course
Compulsory foreign language
Field Experience
Internship
Create
Final Thesis
Total ECTS
🇬🇧 Major: Euro - Mediterranean Studies
Semester I - Essentials
Comparative History of Political Systems
This course analyses the historical evolution of the European political systems from the nineteenth century to the present day in a comparative perspective, focusing on the evolution of democracy and the different shapes it has adopted over time.
Comparative Politics
This course analyses in a comparative perspective the political institutions of contemporary democracies, focusing on nation-states, on the functional and institutional differences between nation-states and unions of states, and on the characteristics of non-democratic regimes.
Comparative Public Law
This course analyses the evolution of contemporary constitutionalism on a global scale through a comparative approach. It focuses on traditional and new topics – such as legal transplants and borrowing, the backsliding of the rule of law and the democratic decay.
Research Methods for social Sciences
This course introduces students to approaches, methods, and skills for research in the social and political sciences. Topics include how to define a research question; research ethics; qualitative methods (such as case studies and interviews); quantitative techniques; data analysis methods (such as survey and questionnaire design).
Academic and professional Communication Skills
This course is an introduction to academic and professional communication, with a focus on key topics and areas of international relations, to enhance students’ skills in academic writing, public speaking, critical thinking, and virtual literacy.
Semester II - Major
The Political Economy of the Middle East and North Africa
The course adopts the tools and concepts of political economy to examine the transformations, continuities and ruptures in the societies of the Middle East and North Africa.
Demography, Human Rights and Migration
The course aims to provide theoretical, methodological and empirical knowledge on the relationship between demographic trends, migration flows and human rights, with a specific focus on the Euro-Mediterranean area.
Politics of the Middle East and North Africa
This course offers an examination of pivotal factors in the contemporary politics of the modern Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. It brings together empirical knowledge with a critical reading of key texts examining the changing place of the region in global politics.
EU Neighborhood Policy
This course examines the EU neighbourhood policy (ENP), with particular attention to its institutional framework and its relations with EU migration and asylum policies.
Semester I - Major
History and Culture of Mediterranean Countries
This course addresses the field of Mediterranean studies under different disciplinary perspectives. Particular attention is paid to Euro-Mediterranean relations, multiculturalism, the Arab uprisings, as well as economic cooperation in the region.
Profile
3 Elective courses
Certificates
Certificate 1
Certificate 2
Mandatory language course
Compulsory foreign language
Field Experience
Internship
Create
Final Thesis
Total ECTS
Luiss offers various opportunities for international experience and the development of skills that are valuable in global academic and professional settings.
Students can take part in Double and Triple Degree Programmes, QTEM Masters Network programmes, Erasmus and International Exchanges, Free Mover semesters abroad, international Summer Schools, the Joint Programme in Digital Transformation, and ENGAGE.EU international mobility programmes.
The course also offers the option of a Study Plan Abroad, allowing students to take core and elective courses overseas, thereby enhancing their academic background and developing intercultural skills.
Admission depends on the course of study and the requirements set out in the individual calls for applications. Explore all the international experiences offered by Luiss and choose the one that best aligns with your educational and professional goals.
Admission procedures and requirements for 2027/2028
To enrol in the Master’s Degree in International Relations at Luiss, you must take part in the admission procedures for the 2027/2028 academic year.
Initial information on admission procedures, selection sessions, and key deadlines is available in the dedicated section. The notices, which will include all the requirements, how to apply, and the full schedule, will be published from November 2026.
Visit the page dedicated to admission to Luiss Master’s Degree Courses and find the procedure that applies to your profile.
Tuition fees
The single annual fee for enrolment in the first year of the Master’s Degree in International Relations for the 2027/2028 academic year is €16,000, payable in three instalments, plus the regional tax.
Scholarships and financial support
Luiss offers scholarships and partial or full exemptions from tuition fees, thanks in part to support from public and private partners. This enables students to access tangible support throughout their academic journey.
Explore all the opportunities for Luiss scholarships and financial aid, and check the requirements, deadlines, and how to apply.
The Master's Degree in International Relations prepares students for a wide range of career opportunities in the global political, diplomatic, and social spheres.
Graduates are equipped to hold key positions within European and international institutions, national public administrations, think tanks, strategic consultancy firms, and non-governmental organisations.
The graduate profile encompasses several specialist roles:
- Officials in international and European organisations: experts in coordinating and organising economic, political, and environmental cooperation projects.
- International policy specialists: analysts capable of designing and monitoring programmes on issues such as conflict resolution, sustainability, and the management of migration flows.
- Business and security consultants: professionals who work within multinational corporations or security organisations, analysing geopolitical risks and overseeing human rights governance.
Thanks to an education that combines academic rigour with an empirical approach, graduates in International Relations are able to adapt to new and complex contexts, acting with independent judgement and strong negotiation skills.
Luiss Alumni Network
With over 70,000 alumni worldwide, the Luiss Alumni Network is a dynamic and ever-growing community, created to keep the connection with the university alive after graduation. With 19 active international chapters, alumni and students take part in local initiatives that strengthen their sense of belonging and foster intergenerational dialogue.
The activities on offer include professional discussions, networking events, opportunities for training and in-depth study on current issues, class reunions, cultural visits, and initiatives aimed at enhancing the Alumni community.
Discover the Luiss Graduate School’s Employability Journey and the initiatives designed to support students as they develop their skills, build their professional networks, and enter the world of work.
