The College of Europe is open for applications for the 2017-2018 academic year. This is a private academic institution, which runs postgraduate programmes with a particular emphasis on politics, diplomacy and international relations, particularly European affairs.

The College has two campuses: the college in Bruges, Belgium, was founded in 1949 in the aftermath of World War II, at the Hague conference. Meanwhile, the Natolin campus is in Warsaw, Poland, and was founded in 1992 in the aftermath of the 1989 revolution, and in anticipation of the EU’s eastern enlargement.

Suffice it to say you’d be hard pressed to find two more beautiful cities than Bruges and Warsaw to study in. Bruges is a former “European Capital of Culture” and at the end of their studies, all students at this campus are invited to the city hall by the mayor to become honorary citizens of Bruges.

The College of Europe’s Warsaw campus is part of a 120ha historical park and nature reserve – formerly the Royal hunting palace of Natolin.

recruiting now

The college is currently recruiting for students from right across Europe for the next academic term – and the good news is that there are a lot of scholarships available. In fact, approximately 70% of College of Europe students are granted scholarships by their government or by public or private institutions.

One person who was served very well by a stint at the College of Europe was Helle Thorning Schmidt, who went on to become prime minster of Denmark for four years to 2015 and who was the first female prime minster in the country (but who you are more likely to remember for the controversy surrounding her selfie with Obama!).

On her experience at the College of Europe, she said: “To say that I enjoyed my time at the College of Europe would be a great understatement. To say that it was rewarding for me, to study here also doesn’t really capture the truly unique experience I had here in Bruges. My stay here was an eye-opener. It was a formative experience for a young woman who arrived from Denmark with a keen interest in Europe and the promise of European integration.”

master’s programmes

The college runs Master’s programmes in European Interdisciplinary Studies; EU International Relations and Diplomacy Studies; European Economic Studies; European Political and Administrative Studies; and European Legal Studies. The programmes are particularly suited to graduates who have degrees in politics, law, economics or European Studies.

The programmes in Natolin in Warsaw in particular place a focus on the political and socio-economic developments of central and eastern Europe, as well as on the policies developed by the EU to shape its relationships with its neighbours following enlargement.

Students interested in applying for any programmes at the College of Europe must take a close look at the academic and language requirements for the programmes, as they are many and varied.

The two working languages at the College of Europe are English and French, and many of the programmes require a very high standard of competency in both of these languages.

language of politics

For the EU International Relations and Diplomacy Studies programme, in particular, language courses form an integral part of this programme.

Students follow a compulsory language course throughout the academic year. In terms of academic requirements, students admitted onto the European Legal Studies programme, for example, must hold a university degree in Law.

The average age of students in the college is 25, and there are over 50 different nationalities represented across both campuses. The “College formula” sees students live in campus residence accommodation together for 10 months. This, along with their academic development in class, helps prepare them to work with a range of different nationalities in an integrated Europe.

How to secure your scholarship

Each year, the Department of Education and Skills offers a number (usually three) of full and partial scholarships to successful Irish applicants, based on the final ranking of the candidates after an interview with an independent national selection committee.

Full scholarships would cover the academic fees and living expenses (student accommodation and food on the College’s campuses) of the successful applicant.

Another scholarship Irish students can apply for is the European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP) scholarship. This sees the College of Europe offer full scholarships (academic year 2017 to 2018) to candidates from EU Member States who demonstrate a specific interest for the European Neighbourhood Policy. These scholarships are, in principle, limited to one or two per Member State.

Candidates applying for this scholarship must include a submission with their application form explaining why, in a maximum of 600 words, he or she is interested in the European Neighbourhood Policy.

Beneficiaries of this scholarship will have to write their Master’s thesis on a topic related to the ENP and follow a course or seminar dealing with the ENP as part of their study programme.

WANT TO FIND OUT MORE?

For more information, visit https://www.coleurope.eu. The deadline for applications is 18 January 2017. If you encounter problems submitting your online application, contact them well before the deadline at info.admissions@coleurope.eu.