Courses

In the first two academic semesters (October-January and February-May), students are required to complete eight courses while, in the third semester (June-October), they must complete a dissertation of min. 20,000 words.

For the academic year 2019-20, the following courses are offered:

AUTUMN TERM (compulsory courses)

Politics and Society in Eastern and Southeastern Europe _{(7.5 ECTS)}

The aim of the course is to introduce the student to some of the main political and social developments in post-communist Europe. By providing an overview of diverse social and political trends and offering historical and theoretical background to key issues the course will help the student develop the necessary skills for a comprehensive understanding of contemporary Eastern and South-East Europe. Based on the historical specificities of the regions and set against the backdrop of the first post-Communist decade the course will elaborate on trends and events at the local, national and regional level. Analysing both the elite and the grass root levels and particularly interested in their interplay, the course will employ multiple teaching methodologies and approaches. Spanning disciplinary fields from political science, sociology and international relations to conflict studies, anthropology and cultural studies, the course will avoid providing students with a set of fixed disciplinary knowledge. Rather the course is intended to provide plentiful ‘food for thought’ on actors, structures and processes. It will encourage students to seek their own understanding of contemporary Eastern Europe and South-East Europe and to think ‘creatively’ about these societies, their characteristics, strengths, weaknesses and prospects.

Economics in Eastern and Southeastern Europe _{(7.5 ECTS)}

ΕU Integration: Eastern and Southeastern Europe _{(7.5 ECTS)}

Empirical Methods in Social Sciences _{(7.5 ECTS)}

SPRING TERM (optional courses – student chooses four)

Parties and party systems in Eastern and Southeastern Europe _{(7.5 ECTS)}

The course presents the itinerary of party development in Eastern Europe as a whole in the post-communist period. After a brief historical introduction to the overall context of post-communist change in Eastern Europe, the course will focus on the process of competitive party formation and the sequence of democratic elections that have structured and shaped the development of the political parties. Special attention will be given to the relation between party organization and the institutional environment (finance and party funding, relations with the media). The course will focus, also, on the character and the different types of party systems that have emerged in the last twenty years, as well as, on the conditions that influence party system change.

Security Problems in Eastern and Southeastern Europe _{(7.5 ECTS)}

Minorities, human rights and ethnic conflicts in Eastern and Southeastern Europe _{(7.5 ECTS)}

Industry and Public Policy in Eastern and Southeastern Europe _{(7.5 ECTS)}

International Business and Regional Integration in Eastern and Southeastern Europe _{(7.5 ECTS)}

Law for Business and Trade in Eastern and Southeastern Europe _{(7.5 ECTS)}

Financial Markets in Eastern and Southeastern Europe _{(7.5 ECTS)}

Political Anthropology in Eastern and SEE _{(7.5 ECTS)}

Note: Not all elective courses are guaranteed to run in any one year. A minimum of four students is required for a course to run.

Course attendance is compulsory. Students sit exams at the end of every (teaching) semester. If a student fails more than two courses in total, she is dismissed from the program. A student who fails one or two courses (and no more than two in total) may repeat the exams in September. In case the student fails only one exam in September and her average mark (including the latter course) is at least 6.00, then she can proceed to write her thesis in order to graduate. In case the average is smaller than 6.00, the student is dismissed from the program. Failure in more than one exam in September constitutes a failure of the degree.

In addition to normal coursework, students have the option to take an Eastern European language at the introductory, intermediate or advanced level, selecting from the pool of languages offered by the Department’s undergraduate program. There is no extra fee for the language course but the Department’s and respective language tutor’s approval is required.