European Politics & Society

The European Politics & Society program is designed for students majoring in political science, international studies, international relations, human rights, or related fields. The core course and study tours will equip you with solid knowledge of the EU, including its institutions and governance. Furthermore, the program will further your understanding of current policies and issues and provide theoretical and hands-on insight into the processes that shape European politics.

Choose Your Core Course

• European Politics: The European Union (European Politics track)
• War Crimes and Human Rights (Justice & Human Rights track)

European Politics Track

A study of the European Union (EU) in terms of history, governing institutions, political processes, major policies, European integration.  You will learn about the political organs behind the Unidentified Political Object – UPO – that is emerging as a major global power, and you will visit politicians who work inside of the EU to find out ‘how to play the game.’ At the end of the semester, the students participate in a Simulation Game, where they represent a European country in the European Union Council and play the part of a real politician to lobby for the benefit of their state.

Prerequisites: A course in political science and a course in international relations or comparative politics.

Justice & Human Rights Track

The core course and study tours will provide you with a thorough understanding of the legal aspects and political context influencing the decision-making process that have been implemented as a result of several major human rights violations in Europe.  War Crimes and Human Rights examinies war crimes and human rights violations, and European responses to these in an institutional and political context. The course uses the civil wars of Yugoslavia and Kosovo in the 1990s as a case study.

Prerequisites: A course in political science, or a course in human rights.

Study Tours

• A short regional study tour in Denmark and northern Germany (European Politics track) or Denmark (Justice and Human Rights track)
• A longer European study tour to Brussels (European Politics track) or The Balkans (Justice & Human Rights track)

The study tours, which are covered by the DIS tuition, form an integral part of the core course. For the European Politics track they feature highly topical visits to EU and other European political institutions and engage students with political actors in Copenhagen and Brussels, highlighting topics studied in class.  For the Justice & Human Rights track visits to human rights institutions, war crimes courts, NGOs, international agencies, and Danish troops deploying to Kosovo. Students will engage with actors at all levels in the Balkans.

Elective Courses (both tracks)

In addition to the required core course, you are free to select any combination of courses from the DIS curriculum. Please click here for a full course overview. If you want to take some of your electives in the field of politics, check out courses listed under Political Science and International Relations.