The Faculty of Business and Social Sciences
University of Southern Denmark, campus Sønderborg
Profile
“Europe of Regions” has become an increasingly fashionable way to describe European integration, but politicians, businesses and civil society usually do not have a clear picture of what “Europe of Regions” actually means. The aim of the Sønderborg profile in the European Studies program offered in cooperation with the University of Flensburg is to make the students familiar with ‘regions’ in the broadest sense, using historical, cultural, political, administrative and economical approaches to the term ‘region’ and illustrate the concept within European integration. The program includes a sophisticated course of qualitative social science methods. A special focus will be put on borders and border regions. Borders still represent barriers to integration, and border regions are laboratories of European integration.
A special feature of the study program is the opportunity to take electives at the University of Flensburg in the third semester, including the possibility to earn a dual degree. Other options are to specialize by taking electives within the other master programs offered at the Department of Border Region Studies in Sønderborg, or take a company/institution internship or study abroad.
The master programme European Studies (two years) is offered in co-operation with the University of Flensburg. All classes are taught in English. In the first year, you have to choose between two tracks: a track offered in Sønderborg focussing on the popular concept of the “Europe of Regions”, where you will be introduced to regions in an interdisciplinary program with a special focus on borders and border regions as laboratories of European integration. A track offered at the University of Flensburg focuses on more general aspects of European integration. In the third semester, students choose electives from either campus to specialise according to their interests. The master thesis is written at SDU in the fourth semester.
Career opportunities
The study program intends to provide the students with broad and specialized knowledge within political, economic and cultural aspects of the “Europe of Regions”, along with the ability to use scientific methods. This offers a broad range of qualified career opportunities with leadership potential:
- Senior officers in EU institutions
- Senior officers/European consultants at institutions on the level of national, regional, local and cross-border governance (regional offices, euro regions, municipalities Senior positions in private enterprises and the media European consultants
- Senior positions in private enterprises and the media
- European consultants
- Academia