Course Catalogues

Friday, Oct. 17.25, 8.30 a.m. – 12.00 p.m.
Friday, Oct. 24.25, 8.30 a.m. – 2.00 p.m.
Monday, Nov. 03.25, 8.30 a.m. – 10.00 a.m.
Friday, Nov. 14.25, 8.30 a.m. – 4.00 p.m.
Saturday, Nov. 15.25, 8.30 a.m. – 4.00 p.m.
Elective

The class will introduce students to the fundamental freedoms and basic rights of the EU. The first part of the semester will deal with the four fundamental freedoms of the EU, the second half with the basic rights within the EU. The students will also learn how the evaluation of a case in European Law works from the perspective of a lawyer. 

Tuesday, 12.30. p.m. – 2.00 p.m., weekly
Starting 21.10.2025 – 03.02.2026
Elective

Beyond its policies conducted under the Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP), the European Union constitutes a significant actor across multiple arenas of global governance. How can the EU's actorness in international politics be conceptualized? Which factors are formative for Europe’s democratic agenda? Building on these guiding questions, the seminar will critically examine and evaluate the Union’s broader civilian external policies. Particular emphasis will be placed on the EU's contributions to global environmental governance, international climate change regimes, and development cooperation.

Tuesday, 2.30. a.m. – 4.00 p.m., weekly
Starting 21.10.2025 – 03.02.2026
Elective

The European Union, representing more than 500 million citizens and the world's largest internal market, is acknowledged as an economic superpower. European Institutions conduct a tremendous number of external policies and assemble a large range of competencies to do so. However, the Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP), incorporated into the integration process by  the Maastricht Treaty in 1992, has to be perceived as a latecomer. Since most CFSP provisions are related to intergouvernmental decision-making, many scholars doubt that a coherent foreign policy will ever be possible.

This class, though, will put particular emphasis on CFSP and the accompanying Common Security and Defence Policy (CSDF). The historic developments and achievements have to be addressed as well as current problems and shortcomings in this policy area. After analysing and assessing CFSP polity, policy and politics we will explore how Europeanization affected and affects Member States. Selected national foreign policies and their contribution to CFSP have to be compared in this second block.

Active participation requires a full set of reading notes for all assigned texts and the presentation of one of the assigned texts for class discussion. A detailed course outline, further information and relevant literature will be provided via the course website at ILIAS.

Wednesday, 10.30 a.m. – 12.00 p.m., weekly
Starting 15.10.2025 – 04.02.2026
Required

This course introduces academic and political debates on European Union politics and policymaking. What are the main policy processes and institutions? Who exerts what kind of influence on policymaking? And how democratic are the European Union’s policymaking processes?

Wednesday, 2.30 p.m. – 4.00 p.m., weekly
Starting 22.10.2025 – 04.02.2026
Required

This weekly master forum supports students in conducting the master meeting and writing their master theses. Topics include 
a) the development of research projects, 
b) the presentation of papers relating to the thesis, 
c) comments on paper presentations by fellow students, 
d) group discussions on the papers and related issues. 
In addition, the master forum offers a regular platform for discussing issues and problems relevant to the course of study, including students' feedback an evaluation the master programme.

Thursday, 10.30 a.m. – 12.00 p.m., weekly
Starting 20.10.2025 – 02.02.2026
Required

The multi-layered processes of European cooperation and integration constituted an area of peace and security. The use of violence between European states participating in these integration projects seems to be unthinkable today. How does political theory explain this phenomenon? What is crucial about the functionalistic idea of a ‘working peace'? And - can Europe serve as a role model for other regions in the world?

The class aims to provide students with appropriate scientific expertise to answer these questions, or, at least, to come close to a suitable and satisfying answer. Based on Dieter Senghaas' Civilisational Hexagon different aspects of integration will be analysed in order to understand how Europeanization changed conflict management and generated new normative standards.

A detailed course outline, further information and relevant literature will be provided via course website.

Required