Curriculum
Compulsory courses
The PGC in EU Policy Making includes three compulsory courses, which provide students with a solid foundation in understanding the evolution and current functioning of the Union:
- History and Theories of European Integration (first semester)
- EU Institutions (first semester)
- EU Decision-Making and Law (second semester)
Elective courses
Students must also follow two elective courses, from a choice of four, focusing on specific EU policies:
- EU Foreign Affairs (second semester)
- EU Justice and Home Affairs (second semester)
- European Public Policy Analysis (second semester)
- EU Climate Policy (second semester)
Summer / Winter School
Finally, as an integral part of the PGC in EU Policy Making, students have to participate in the Jean Monnet Summer School (on-site in Brussels and Vienna, in July) or Winter School (online, in February) – both jointly organised by the BSoG, the Diplomatische Akademie Wien — Vienna School of International Studies and the University of Vienna.
The Jean Monnet Summer and Winter Schools have a similar curriculum and play a complementary role to the online courses taught in the PGC in EU Policy Making, in that they offer an in-depth analysis of the institutional set-up and decision-making processes in the European Union. In addition, they offer participants the opportunity to put their knowledge into practice as they both include a simulation game of the negotiation process between EU institutions. The Summer School also includes the visit of several EU institutions in Brussels and Vienna.
ECTS (European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System)
In total, the PGC in EU Policy Making is a degree worth 25 ECTS. This includes the completion of five online courses (three compulsory courses and two elective courses), each worth 4 ECTS, and participation in the Summer School or the Winter School, worth 5 ECTS.