European Public Affairs & Law

World Top 100 in the QS Ranking 2024 in Politics | Oldest and Largest School of its Kind in Ireland.

UCD School of Politics & International Relations is the oldest and largest school of its kind in Ireland with over 150 years of experience in political studies and a world-renowned faculty drawn from many countries.



An intensive, multi-disciplinary and tightly-focused programme of study on the European Union; its development, structures, decision-making and law as well as a major focus on the Union’s growing international role and capacity.



designed to equip graduates with strong expertise in contemporary European affairs, based on a genuinely inter-disciplinary approach to the comparative study of Europe and the European Union.

core modules in the internal and external affairs of the European Union, paying particular attention to contemporary changes in political and economic governance of the Euro area.

Module Trimester Credits



Stage 1 Core Modules

LAW41040 Law and Governance of the EU Autumn 10

POL40970 Politics of European Governance Autumn 10

POL40370 International Political Economy Spring 10



Stage 1 Options - A)3 of:

Option Modules; Select Three

LAW40120 Foundations of Environmental Law Autumn 10

LAW40150 International Competition Law Autumn 10

LAW40780 Law of the ECHR Autumn 10

POL40050 Theories of International Relations Autumn 10

POL40950 Introduction to Statistics Autumn 10

POL41020 Politics of Human Rights Autumn 10

POL41510 Politics and Change in the Middle East and North Africa Autumn 10

POL41980 Peace & Conflict Studies Autumn 10

POL42040 Gender & the Political System Autumn 10

POL42330 Research Design Autumn 10

POL42530 Politics of International Trade and Investment Autumn 10

POL42550 Feminist Theory Autumn 10

SPOL41060 Public Administration & Policy Autumn 10

LAW41090 Climate Change Law and Policy Spring 10

LAW42170 Behavioural Laws Spring 10

POL40100 Politics of Development Spring 10

POL40140 Theories of Global Justice Spring 10

POL40160 Comparative Public Policy Spring 10

POL40370 International Political Economy Spring 10

POL40540 Comparative European Politics Spring 10

POL40610 EU Foreign, Security, and Defence Pol. Spring 10

POL41030 Theory of Human Rights Spring 10

POL41640 Qualitative Research Methods for Political Science Spring 10

POL41720 Gender, Peace, and Security Spring 10

POL41910 Political Violence Spring 10

POL42050 Quantitative Text Analysis Spring 10

POL42060 International Security Spring 10

POL42340 Programming for Soc Scientists Spring 10

POL42430 IR Theory: Conflict and Identity Spring 10

POL42560 AI and Large Language Models Spring 10

Stage 1 Options - B)1 of:

Students must pick either POL42300 SPIRe Internship or POL42310 Thesis as a core module

POL42300 SPIRe Internship Summer 30

POL42310 Thesis Summer 30

A primary degree with at least Second Class Honours Grade 1 (2H1). 2H1 is equivalent to 60 per cent, B minus or 3.08 GPA - in American system: B or 3.00 GPA.



Your application will be considered on its individual merits and relevant professional experience will also be taken into account.



English language requirements: applicants whose first language is not English should have met TOEFL, IELTs, or computer-based TOEFL requirements (600, 6.5, or 250 respectively), or the Cambridge English Test (Certificate in Advanced English at a minimum of Grade B, or Certificate of Proficiency in English at Grade C). Applicants who obtained a previous degree from an English-speaking university may be exempted from this requirement. Click here for further info.



Students meeting the programme’s academic entry requirements but not the English language requirements, may enter the programme upon successful completion of UCD’s Pre-Sessional or International Pre-Master’s Pathway programmes. Please see the following link for further information http://www.ucd.ie/alc/programmes/pathways/



These are the minimum entry requirements – additional criteria may be requested for some programmes



You may be eligible for Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL), as UCD recognises formal, informal, and/or experiential learning. RPL may be awarded to gain Admission and/or credit exemptions on a programme. Please visit the UCD Registry RPL web page for further information. Any exceptions are also listed on this webpage. https://tinyurl.com/2ae2ffax

90 credits

1 year full-time or 2 years part-time.

MEconSc European Public Affairs & Law (W216) Full Time

EU fee per year - € 8525

nonEU fee per year - € 19900


MEconSc European Public Affairs & Law (W264) Part Time

EU fee per year - € 5600

nonEU fee per year - € 9950


***Fees are subject to change


Tuition fee information is available on the UCD Fees website. Please note that UCD offers a number of graduate scholarships for full-time, self-funding international students, holding an offer of a place on a UCD graduate degree programme. For further information please see International Scholarships.


SPIRe operates a Graduate Scholarship programme. To access details, see SPIRe Graduate Scholarship Scheme.

Commencing September 2025

Careers & Employability

Whether working in the private, public or voluntary sectors, the ability to explain Europe’s past, to analyze it’s present and to advise on its future is of crucial importance. The MEconSc qualifies students to work in variety of spheres, including the institutions of the EU and other international organizations; national government structures; think tanks and other policy-oriented research groups.