Our graduate programmes are designed to enrich and advance your academic experience, offering you first class opportunities to become experts in your field, whether you intend to pursue a career in industry, business, government, NGO sector or academia. SSST has a long tradition of commitment to excellence in teaching, research and graduate education. Based on your background, we have a number of graduate programs for you to choose from, and can ensure that you will be able to advance your knowledge and develop your skills to be ready for a rewarding career. Our faculty and staff are committed to providing you with the support needed to succeed while pursuing your graduate degree.
On behalf of the PSIR Department, we encourage you to explore our graduate programmes offered in:
International Law (LL.M.)
The programme is run by the Department of Political Science and International Relations and lasts 4 semesters/two years (120 ECTS). All courses are carried out in the English language, and classes are held in the afternoon hours and at times adjusted to students who work full-time or live outside Sarajevo. During the first two semester, students attend lectures in three different courses each term and simultaneously make preparations for their master`s thesis. During the fourth semester, students attend lectures in two different courses, and write their master´s thesis. The master thesis is written in English. The topic of the thesis is selected by the student in cooperation with the thesis advisor, depending on the earlier education and field of scientific interest of the student, as well as on his/her working or professional experience and further professional orientation.
The Master of Laws Programme in International law is a carefully structured programme aimed at students with a law degree or a degree from related fields, who wish to specialize and get expertise in various fields of international law. Therefore, the modules of the programme have been selected to cover, in a comprehensive way, all relevant topics in contemporary international law. The key advantages of the programme are:
1) The programme offers specialized modules in all the relevant fields of international law such as: General Public International Law, International Criminal Law, International Human Rights Law, International Business Law and European Law, and is thus unique in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
2) The programme is developed to enable students not only to acquire theoretical knowledge but also practical skills. After completing this programme, students will be able to interpret and apply relevant rules of international law in practice and enhance their argumentation skills in the area of international law which is a unique approach with regard to higher education in the area of legal studies in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Therefore, the programme is also useful for practicing lawyers and judges. Finally, the programme enhances political reasoning and gives insight in underlying international legal issues in international policy, which is useful for students interested in political science and political analysis, human rights, international economy and business.
3) After the completion of the programme, students will have acquired qualifications enabling them to pursue employment within public institutions (especially institutions dealing with foreign affairs and accession to the European Union), private companies (especially multinational companies), non-governmental and international organizations needing experts in the area of Public International Law, Human Rights and European Law. Students of all socially related sciences (e.g. Economy, Politics, International Relations and Law) will obtain a more profound knowledge and skills in the area of International Law, Human Rights and International Economy, which will, depending also on their undergraduate degree, give them a competitive advantage when applying to positions such as: legal advisors in international or domestic organizations, administrative institutions and courts, political analysts, international reporters, managers of international trade, project managers, legal consultants in international and European affairs, and similar.
Programme specifications
Programme structure for LL.M in International Law
Degree - After the completion of the programme, candidates obtain Master of International Law (LL.M)degrees, from both the SSST University and the University of Buckingham of the United Kingdom respectively.
How to apply
Fees and Loans - The course fees are € 5.200,00 per annum. The course literature and the defence of the thesis are included in the cost.
For additional information, please contact our Finance Department.
Diplomacy
The Master in Diplomacy Studies is a two year programme, designed in such a way as to offer students in-depth practical and theoretical knowledge of the craft of international diplomacy and the role played by diplomats in advancing their governments' objectives. Accordingly, the programme offers eight courses that include segments on
foreign policy making and the forces that drive it,
history of diplomacy, public diplomacy, EU Diplomacy, diplomatic negotiations, as well as the practice of diplomacy. All courses are carried out in the English language, and classes are held in the afternoon hours and at times adjusted to students who work full-time or live outside Sarajevo.
Throughout the study, emphasis is placed on the practical elements of foreign policy, the way in which it is conducted and the roles of individuals and institutions that perform these functions. In this context, students will often conduct simulations of real life situations of the kind that challenge diplomats and policy makers. In addition, all courses will help students sharpen their skills in drafting, oral presentation and critical thinking, all key components of the practice of diplomacy.
The program is open to university graduates holding Bachelor of Arts Degrees in political science, humanities, law, languages and economics. The program is structured in such a way as to accommodate working students and students from outside Sarajevo. Classes are held in the afternoons or evenings.
Students who attend this program will be given the necessary skills to work in state institutions, such as the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, as well as directorates, national and international agencies and missions, foreign representations, joint commissions and expert agencies of the European Union, as well as exporting companies from Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Programme specifications
Programme structure for MA in Diplomacy
Degree - After the completion of the programme, candidates obtain Master of Arts Degree in Diplomacy degrees, from both the SSST University and the University of Buckingham of the United Kingdom respectively.
How to apply
Fees and Loans - The price of the program is € 5.200,00 per annum. The course literature and the defence of the thesis are included in the cost.
For additional information, please contact our
Finance Department.
Conflict Analysis and Reconciliation (CAR)
The programme is run by the Department of Political Science and International Relations and lasts 4 terms/two years (120 ECTS). All courses are carried out in the English language, and classes are held in the afternoon hours and at times adjusted to students who work full-time or live outside Sarajevo. The duration of the programme is four semesters (two years). Students are required to take eight courses in total with two courses per semester (total number of ECTS for all courses: 64) and produce a research-based thesis (total number of ECTS for the thesis: 56). After successful completion of all coursework, and the submission of the thesis (including an oral defence), students will be awarded a Masters of Arts degree in Conflict Analysis and Reconciliation by both the SSST and the University of Buckingham (total number of ECTS: 120).
The Master Programme in Conflict Analysis and Reconciliation (CAR) offers students a unique and highly interdisciplinary approach to understanding and analysing intergroup conflicts. The courses are taught by highly respected Bosnian and international scholars who will provide students with a comprehensive and experiential understanding of the processes and conditions leading to various types of intergroup conflicts (ethnic, religious, communal, political conflict resolution techniques as well as post-conflict related processes, such as power sharing, justice and reconciliation. The issues will be analysed and discussed from a multidisciplinary perspective, ranging from political philosophy, political science, international law to social psychology. Studying conflict related questions and issues whilst living in a post-conflict setting such as Sarajevo offers a direct understanding and a unique perspective. Students will be able to directly relate these to issues discussed in the class.
More specifically, the programme offers eight obligatory courses across different disciplines such as: political science, political philosophy, social psychology, international law and international relations. The design of the courses allows students to acquire in-depth understanding and knowledge of the processes and conditions that lead to various types of conflict and the consequent transitional and reconciliation processes. The programme will also offer practical knowledge and skills in the area of conflict management and resolution. The programme is intended to provide students with both theoretical knowledge as well as comparative and practical insights into conflict analysis, resolution techniques and post-conflict processes.
Programme specifications
Programme structure for MA in CAR
Degree - After the completion of the programme, candidates obtain a Masters of Arts Degree in Conflict Analysis and Reconciliation from both the SSST University and the University of Buckingham of the United Kingdom respectively.
How to apply
Calls for applications
Fees and Loans - The course fees are € 5.500,00 per annum. The course literature and the defence of the thesis are included in the cost.
For additional information, please contact our
Finance Department.
Doctoral Studies (PhD) in Political Science and International Relations
All doctoral candidates complete their doctoral dissertation in one of the research fields existing at SSST. Each candidate is assigned a mentor/supervisor, who conducts regular monitoring of the candidate's work.
The period of study is eight semesters (3+1 years). In the first two years of study, alongside conducting research toward the dissertation, candidates also write seminar papers in four key areas (two papers per area) relevant to the content of their dissertation, which are jointly set by a committee and the mentor. An obligatory key course for each candidate is Research Methods, where students attend lectures on how writing research papers, and have the chance to write two seminar papers themselves.
At the end of the second year, the candidate defends eight papers in front of the committee, and also gives a preliminary presentation of his/her dissertation PROPOSAL, conceptual outline and progress to date (which constitute the so-called Qualifying Examination). If the candidate successfully takes the Qualifying Examination, he/she is free to continue his/her research, and presents his/her progress before the mentor and doctoral committee at the end of each semester.
The following two years, candidates submit and defend their doctoral dissertations. Before the defence, the candidate will, as a rule, have published two papers or the results of their research in a notable and relevant academic journal, or have presented them at a prominent international conference.
PhD Degree - Successful students, who defend a doctoral thesis by University of Buckingham criteria, procedures and regulations, are awarded a Buckingham Doctoral degree (DPhil), validated by the SSST. Both collaborating institutions endeavor to maintain an internationally recognized reputation for excellence by providing high standard supervisory support and continuously monitoring the quality of the PhD research project and progress of each candidate. The possible topics of dissertations are chosen from areas in which SSST conducts active research. Dissertations are conducted within projects with financial support, or those chosen by the candidate with sources of funding outside SSST.
How to apply
Fees and Loans - The tuition for the 4 - year programme is EURO 15,200.00.
For additional information, please contact our
Finance Department.
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