Length : 24 months.
Credits : 120.
Maximum number of students admitted : 40 students.
Degree required for admission : Applicants must normally hold a 1st level University Degree (3 or 4 year course), BA or comparable qualifications in Political Science, Law, Economics, Social Science, Humanities or Languages, Agricultural Studies.
Language of teaching : English. Students must have a minimum score of 550 TOEFL or 7 IELTS or a comparable qualification.
The course will focus on aspects of (a) Economics, (b) Politics and International Relations, (c) Media, History and Cultural Studies in (1) South-East Europe; (2) Central Europe; (3) Baltic area; (4) CIS area. Specialization in the area must be accompanied by language skills in at least one of the relevant languages on offer. Interdisciplinarity being the main characteristic of the course, the Master's Faculty can request students with deficit skills in Political Science and/or Economics to attend additional programs, i.e. in addition to the courses of the Master's program.
Structure of the courses (4 terms)
Terms 1 and 2
The first two terms, with a didactic approach, will take place in Forlì.
Term 3
The third (of the length of 5 months) will be held in the country chosen for the internship and will consist in a mixture of research work and learning.
Term 4
Entirely devoted to the writing of the thesis.
Characteristics of the Final Thesis
The Thesis must be a piece of research of original character.
The Thesis, of the order of 30/40,000 words, should normally be written in English.
First year (terms 1 and 2):
During the first two terms, in Forlì, students are required to attend a 100-hour language course (16 credits); one compulsory core course (40 hours) and 30-hour methodological courses. In addition, students must select six 20-hour courses among those in offer for a total of 120 hours, according to their specific interests. However, as the Master's program is by definition interdisciplinary, students are requested to select four 20-hour courses within the favourite disciplinary group. Students are then required to choose two 20-hour courses, one for each of the other two disciplinary groups. Moreover, students must attend seminars for a total of 4 credits. Finally, students following at least 80% of all public lectures and conferences in offer will gain 2 credits. A minimum of 3 students is necessary in order to run a course or a seminar. As a whole, the class programme in Forlì is made up of 320 hours. During that period of time, each student will single out a subject for his/her final thesis, appoint one of MIREES' teachers and define its framework with him/her. These are the pre-requisite for enrolling in the second year.
It is important to point out that the first term will be entirely devoted to practicing the basics of the language chosen (not only in class, but also and especially on a self-learning basis, using the media and the resources provided in the "R.Ruffilli" library next to the building where all Master's classes are held) and carrying out the many tasks foreseen for the core compulsory course in " State Building, Nationalism, and Development in Eastern Europe" taught by MIREES' director (prof. Stefano Bianchini) and the European Parliamentarian György Schöpflin.
This means that class hours per day will obviously be few, because the students' workload is very high and spare time between classes is specifically intended to practicing the new language students are learning.
During the second term all courses and seminars chosen by at least 3 students will be activated and all public lectures and conferences will take place. The compulsory courses will be over, few classes of the language courses will take place, so students will be fully engaged with class/conference attendance, assignment delivery and examination sessions. Second term is very tough, so partying all night, enjoying Italian cuisine, trips to Bologna, Florence, Milan (and the like) and all sorts of recreational activities are wisely best scheduled in the first term! ;-)
Additional information 1st Term starts in late September with an introductory general-knowledge test and a language test (but the latter is intended only for students in the Russian language to assess their level of knowledge of the language so that they can be assigned to attend the appropriate course level). Around December 22nd Christmas recess starts and usually lasts till January 7th. 1st Term ends with Easter recess, which usually lasts no more than a week.
2nd Term starts when Easter recess is over and lasts till June 30th. From July 1st you are allowed to leave Italy.
Second year (terms 3 and 4):
The third term (lasting at least 5 months, depending on the programmes offered by the other partner Universities) will take place in the country under scrutiny in view of the final thesis, or in London. The students will have recourse to Socrates scholarships or comparable grants that will be provided by the Master's Programme and devoted to East European countries that have not yet been included in the community exchange programme. In the course of this term the students will carry out research work for their thesis in the form of an internship. They shall attend an 80-hour language course (carrying on what by them started in the first year) and two 40-hour courses. The total obligation amounts to 160 hours.
The fourth term will be wholly devoted to writing the thesis. No teaching activities are scheduled, what matters is the direct contact between supervisor and student, up to the discussion of the thesis that will take place in the 24th month of the programme.
Additional information 3rd Term should last at least 5 months (or more up to the entire academic year) to be spent in one of the Universities connected to the MIREES (the list is here: students' mobility section). Accommodation will be at students' expenses and MIREES Office staff and the hosting University will help the student find a proper accommodation. During this period students must attend the courses they chose before leaving Italy the previous academic year (a meeting will take place in mid December to explain how to pick the University and the courses to attend), take examination, and - most important - carry out research for their final thesis. The end of this term coincides with the end of the term in the University they are studying: usually it is the end of February of the second year of their enrollment.
There is no precise moment in which the 4th Term starts or a place where it is supposed to be spent. Many of MIREES students choose to spend it either in the Country of the University in which they chose to study during the second year of the MIREES, because of the availability of the material for their research, or else. During this period students will write their thesis and keep in constant contact with their mentor, who, they have appointed the academic year of their enrollment. Students will have to come back to Forlì for a few days in mid/end of May to show the state-of-the-art of their research and its development to their mentor, their fellow students. A second reader will be assigned to students by the International Academic Board by the end of May. Students will then need to meet 4 final deadlines: draft submission to their mentor and second reader by the end of June; July 25th delivery of the final, printed and bound version of their thesis to MIREES Office, Students' secretariat, mentor and second reader; beginning of October (around 7th-9th) defense session + graduation will take place in Forlì.
When coming back to Forlì for thesis presentation and defense+graduation students will have to find a temporary accommodation for no more than a week. Through Koiné Students' association students will easily find a cheep and comfortable place where to stay for such sort a time.
|
First year |
||
|
COURSES |
HOURS |
CREDITS |
|
East European language I |
100 |
16 |
|
Methodological course |
30 |
6 |
|
Core course |
40 |
8 |
|
First subject |
20 |
4 |
|
Second subject |
20 |
4 |
|
Third subject |
20 |
4 |
|
Fourth subject |
20 |
4 |
|
Fifth subject |
20 |
4 |
|
Sixth subject |
20 |
4 |
|
Seminars and conferences |
30 |
6 |
|
TOTAL |
320 |
60 |
|
Second year |
||
|
East European language II |
80 |
16 |
|
Seventh subject |
40 |
8 |
|
Eighth subject |
40 |
8 |
|
Internship/period of study |
300 |
20 |
|
TOTAL |
460 |
52 |
|
Thesis (Depending on the Committee's evaluation) |
8 |
|
|
TOTAL |
780 |
120 |
Future options include (subject to availability): Albanian, Rumanian, Hungarian, and Czech.