
The Master's Degree Program in Economic Development and International Relations (SERI) is designed for students interested in a multidisciplinary education in the fields of economics, law, political science, and history, essential for analyzing and interpreting global phenomena. The multidisciplinary approach of the program provides a comprehensive and in-depth understanding of the complex and dynamic international reality, drawing on the long-standing tradition of international studies at the University of Pavia.
The main disciplines contributing to the education of SERI graduates (economics, political and social sciences, law, history, and languages) are fundamental for understanding the various dynamics that interact within the international system. They offer a preparation based on different methodological approaches through which globalization and the transformation of international structures are studied and interpreted.
Among the topics to which SERI pays particular attention are international cooperation and development economics, integration processes and mechanisms in different regions of the world, relations between industrialized and emerging countries, the role of international organizations, and the international politics of various national and multilateral actors.
The SERI curriculum stipulates that about half of the courses are taught in English, preparing students to communicate effectively in an international context. Starting from the academic year 2024/2025, a Double Degree program will be launched in collaboration with the University of Tirana, allowing selected students to spend the second year of the degree program in Albania and obtain a double degree. The curriculum is focused on the specificities of the Balkan context, providing a practical approach to the studies of international economics and politics, international organizations, and economic development and growth.
Overview of the program
- DEVELOPMENT ECONOMY AND COOPERATION 9 CFU - 60 hours 1st semester
- HISTORY OF INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS 6 CFU - 40 hours 1st semester
- INNOVATION AND DEVELOPMENT 9 CFU - 60 hours 2nd semester
- INTRODUCTION TO ECONOMETRICS FOR SOCIAL SCIENCES 9 CFU - 60 hours 1st semester
- ENGLISH, ADVANCED LEVEL 6 CFU - 40 hours 2nd semester
- INTERNATIONAL MACROECONOMICS 9 CFU - 60 hours 2nd semester
- INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS 6 CFU - 40 hours 2nd semester
- SOCIOLOGY OF DEVELOPMENT 6 CFU - 40 hours 2nd semester
- ECONOMIC MODELS OF POLITICS 6 CFU - 40 hours 1st semester
- GREEN GROWTH, INNOVATION AND SUSTAINABILITY 6 CFU - 40 hours 2nd semester
- MARKET AND INTERNATIONAL INSTITUTIONS 6 CFU - 40 hours 2nd semester
- METHODOLOGICAL AND COMPUTATIONAL APPROACHES IN DATA SCIENCE 6 CFU - 40 hours 2nd semester
- FINAL EXAM 24 CFU - 0 hours
- EUROPEAN UNION POLITICS AND GOVERNANCE 6 CFU - 40 hours
- ISSUES IN INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS 6 CFU - 40 hours
- METHODS FOR POLITICAL RESEARCH 6 CFU - 40 hours
- THEORIES OF POLITICAL CHANGE 6 CFU - 40 hours
- HUMAN RIGHTS AND INTERNATIONAL JUSTICE 6 CFU - 40 hours
- LAW OF REGIONAL INTEGRATION 6 CFU - 40 hours
- ARAB LANGUAGE 1 6 CFU - 40 hours
- ARAB LANGUAGE 2 6 CFU - 40 hours
- CHINESE LANGUAGE 1 6 CFU - 40 hours
- CHINESE LANGUAGE 2 6 CFU - 40 hours
- FRENCH LANGUAGE 1 6 CFU - 40 hours
- FRENCH LANGUAGE 2 6 CFU - 40 hours
- JAPANESE LANGUAGE 1 6 CFU - 40 hours
- JAPANESE LANGUAGE 2 6 CFU - 40 hours
- SPANISH LANGUAGE 1 6 CFU - 40 hours
- SPANISH LANGUAGE 2 6 CFU - 40 hours
- GERMAN LANGUAGE 6 CFU - 36 hours
- GERMAN LANGUAGE 2 6 CFU - 40 hours
- INEQUALITY AND GLOBALIZATION 3 CFU - 20 hours
- ITALIAN POLITICS AND SOCIETY 6 CFU - 40 hours
- MIGRATIONS, LAW AND EUROPEAN CONTEXT 6 CFU - 40 hours
- HUMAN PROGRESS AND SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT 6 CFU - 40 hours
- HISTORY OF POLITICAL ISLAM: FROM ISLAMIC REFORMISM TO GLOBAL JIHAD 3 CFU - 20 hours
- GAMES THEORY 3 CFU - 24 hours
Educational goals
The Master's Degree Program in Economic Development and International Relations (acronym: SERI) aims to train master's graduates with a solid multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary background, essential for analyzing and interpreting issues related to the international dimension of economic, political, and social phenomena. Alongside a solid economic preparation, the SERI master's degree program also provides training in legal, political science, historical, and linguistic fields. The main educational objectives that the SERI master's degree program intends to achieve include the student's acquisition of: - Advanced interdisciplinary knowledge - both methodological and cultural-professional - suitable for understanding the complexity of economic and political integration processes and ongoing development dynamics at the international level; - Analytical tools and comparative institutional knowledge necessary for understanding globalization processes and the transformation of international structures and institutions, also in relation to diplomatic activities and relations; - Proficiency in empirical research methods, particularly economic, and comparative analysis, enabling high-level integration into public and private sectors at the national, European, and international levels. Graduates of this program will also be able to fluently use, both in written and oral form, at least one foreign language besides English, referring also to disciplinary vocabularies, thanks to the use of study materials and bibliographies in foreign languages. At the end of the educational path, graduates will have the necessary skills to: - Plan and implement high-complexity operational strategies to enter the job market with high-level positions in both national and multinational private companies and organizations, as well as in national, supranational, and international public administrations, institutions, and organizations; - Prepare, implement, and monitor international and supranational development cooperation programs; - Pursue further education and research paths (master's and doctoral degrees) also at the international level. These specific objectives are achieved through a diverse educational path based on a block of teachings in international economic matters and introduces legal, political science, historical, and sociological subjects, consistently with the multidisciplinarity characteristic of the previously described degree program. Foreign language courses are also provided to provide and/or consolidate linguistic skills already acquired by students and to deepen the knowledge of specialized vocabularies. The presence of courses taught in English contributes to achieving mastery of the language not only in terms of specific and technical vocabulary but also regarding the communication of knowledge in a broader sense and its use in the world of work. The course includes not only lectures but also group work, discussion of case studies, statistical analysis, and oral presentations to the class. The importance of these aspects is emphasized by the fact that participation in these activities and the skills acquired in these areas contribute to the evaluation of students. Additionally, students are encouraged to participate in curricular and extracurricular activities organized within the Study Program, the Department, or the University, as well as training, study, or work experiences, also abroad.
Career opportunities
International Relations and Analysis Specialist. The multidisciplinary training and international focus of the "SERI" master's program, enriched by proficient language skills (in European and/or non-European languages), enable graduates of this program to possess the necessary skills to enter as specialists in economic, social, and political sciences in intermediate and senior positions within government administrations, intergovernmental or non-governmental international organizations, private companies (national or multinational) operating in international markets, as well as other public or private organizations with international projection. In relation to the specific insights offered (both concerning European issues and those related to developing countries), privileged employment opportunities include European institutions and socio-economic organizations and professions connected to them, as well as governmental and non-governmental organizations active in the field of international development cooperation and socio-economic professions related to them. The preparation acquired in economic, historical, political, and legal issues in the international arena, in addition to the opportunity to deepen the knowledge of at least two foreign languages, provides graduates of this program with the basic knowledge required to participate in the competition for a diplomatic career. Finally, the program provides preparation useful for further studies towards a profession, including in the field of scientific research in the disciplinary areas characteristic of its profile, particularly in economics and political and social sciences.
Admission requirements
To be admitted to the master's degree program, students must hold a bachelor's degree or a three-year university diploma, or another foreign qualification recognized as suitable by the competent university authorities. In order to meet the objectives of the program, students are required to meet specific curricular requirements and have adequate initial preparation. These requirements include obtaining a bachelor's degree in the following classes according to DM 270/2004: L-18 (Economics and Business Management), L-33 (Economics), L-36 (Political Science and International Relations), L-37 (Social Sciences for Cooperation, Development, and Peace), or the corresponding classes according to DM 509/1999. In the case of degrees in other classes, the minimum curricular requirements are specified in the educational regulations. The educational regulations also establish the methods for assessing the aforementioned requirements. Furthermore, candidates' personal preparation is assessed and evaluated through methods specified in the educational regulations. Finally, the educational regulations establish the methods for assessing, in the verification of personal preparation, linguistic competencies in both languages (Italian and English) in which the teaching is delivered, as well as computer skills.