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Study Offerings at the Institute for East European Studies
Masters Degree Program East European Studies
The interdisciplinary masters program East European Studies develops competencies relating to East Central, Southeast, and Eastern Europe. The two-year course of study empowers graduates, as knowledgeable and practice-oriented East European experts, to careers in academia as well as many different professional fields.
The degree program builds on a first university degree (B.A. or equivalent qualification) and is designed primarily for students with a first degree in political science, sociology, cultural studies, literature, history, law, or economics. Students have the opportunity to deepen their previous specialization in an Eastern Europe-focused core discipline and to supplement it with other disciplines. The program also includes a practice-oriented project module and an internship.
The aim of the masters program is to provide the academic basis and practical experience to later be applied as an East Europe expert in the areas named above.
The masters program was accredited unconditionally by the Central Evaluation and Accreditation Agency (Zentrale Evaluations- und Akkreditierungsagentur) Hannover in November 2005.
Admission Requirements
- Bachelors degree or equivalent in one of the fields essential to East European Studies from a university or legally equivalent institution.
- English language proficiency corresponding to the level C1 of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages or equivalent scale.
- For applicants whose native language is not German, proof of German language proficiency by passing the DSH-Test or equivalent.
Study begins: every winter semester
Study duration: 4 semesters
Tuition fees: There is no tuition fee for the masters program East European Studies. The Freie Universität Berlin’s general immatriculation fees (Information only availaible in German) apply.
Further Information and contact
Detailed information about this course of study can be found on the website of the Masters Program East European Studies.
Contact: Dorothea Friese, Program Coordinator Master East European Studies
East European Studies Online
Aims
Representatives from business, research, politics and administration confirm a growing demand for experts on Eastern Europe, yet appropriate education and training is scarce. Thus, the Institute for East European Studies (OEI) at the Freie Universität Berlin has taken the initiative to respond to this obvious need. The OEI is well reputed for its East-West competence.
East European Studies online are set out to be multidisciplinary and contain political, social, historical, cultural, economic and legal knowledge. Students are to be enabled to analyze and interpret developments and situations in Eastern Europe and to assess them within their respective political, social, legal, economic, historical and cultural contexts. Moreover, students will be equipped with the skills that are necessary to work out regional questions and problems in a multidisciplinary and comparative way.
Emphasis is placed on distance learning. 12 modules are presented online via the learning management system Blackboard. Four obligatory in-house classes in Berlin provide for blended learning. Working language is English. Successful completion of the program is rewarded with a master's degree (M.A.).
The program is mainly directed towards postgraduates who wish to gain further qualification. They receive preparation for a professional career, research work or further study.
In 2006, two renowned German organizations for science and teaching, namely Stifterverband für die Deutsche Wissenschaft and the German Academic Exchange Service, named EES online as one of Germany's Top Ten International Master Programs. EES online is the only online program and one out of five social sciences programs to receive this recognition.
Program
The accredited East European Studies online master program provides its students with good knowledge of Eastern Europe.The program teaches the requisites necessary for an employment of East European concern, but also prepares students for further scientific work.
The program consists of four different components:
- four in-house classes spread evenly over the two years
- the distance learning course with units offered via internet (for a sample unit see section on e-Learning )
- the internship or study project
- the master's thesis
Admission
The complete program takes two years and accounts for 120 ECTS. Application documents will be availiable from December 15, 2009 onwards. Deadline for applications: April 30, 2010.
Tuition fees for the sixth run amount to 4,450.00 € per year of study plus the regular registration fees of the Freie Universität Berlin (176,36 € per year). Costs arising from the in-house periods must be paid by the students themselves (travel expenses, room and board).
The master degree will be awarded if all in-house classes have been attended, all modules have been completed successfully, a report on the internship or study project has been handed in and a master's thesis has been completed. Moreover, increased language skills in an East European language have to be proven.
Without knowledge of at least one East European language, access to the different mind-sets and cultures within Eastern Europe is hardly possible. Thus, basic linguistic proficiency in one of the national languages of Eastern Europe has to be proven as part of the admission requirements. Moreover, during the years of completing East European Studies, an augmentation of this language ability has to be achieved. No credit, however, is earned for the fulfillment of this language requirement, since this language requirement is a necessary tool for this type of graduate study. UNIcert I and II are approved certificates of linguistic proficiency. As sufficient offers for language learning exist, the distance learning course itself does not supply them. Assistance in the search for suitable opportunities is available.
Further Information
For more detailed information, have a look on the website of the master program East European Studies online.
