Application

Academic-career requirements are as follows:

• a Bachelor’s degree or higher (see below); or
• 156 CFU earned in a Bachelor’s degree programme, only from courses included in the study plan, by the application deadline.

Graduates, and upcoming graduates, in the following programmes (as stated in the Study Programme) are eligible for the Master’s degree programme in International Relations, to wit:

• L-5 (Philosophy),
• L-6 (Geography),
• L-10 (Literature),
• L-11 (Modern languages and culture),
• L-12 (Linguistic mediation),
• L-14 (Legal services studies),
• L-15 (Tourism studies),
• L-16 (Administrative and organisational studies),
• L-18 (Business administration),
• L-20 (Communication),
• L-33 (Economics),
• L-36 (Political science and international relations),
• L-37 (Social studies in cooperation, development, and peace),
• L-39 (Social work),
• L-42 (History),
• Bachelor’s degree earned under the prior academic regulations in a programme analogous to the foregoing degrees.

Admission of graduates holding degrees in other programmes shall be at the discretion of the Academic Board.

Upcoming graduates must, without exception, have earned at least 156 CFU in a Bachelor’s degree programme,   only from courses included in your study plan, by the application deadline.

In addition to academic-career requirements, graduates and upcoming graduates must meet certain curricular requirements.  Curricular requirements must be met before the applicant will be allowed to sit for the entrance exam.

The deadline by which students must meet all curricular requirements shall be binding as to the date they might sit for the entrance exam (either September or December – see “Eligibility for the entrance exam”).

The curricular requirements imply earning at least 60 CFU in the following academic fields, broken down as follows:

1. Economics: at least 9 CFU in the following academic fields: SECS-P/01 – Political economics; SECS-P/02 – Economic policy-making; SECS-P/03 – Finance; SECS- P/06 – Applied economics;
2. Law: at least 15 CFU in the following academic fields: IUS/01 – Private law; IUS/02 – Comparative private law; IUS/04 – Commercial law; IUS/05 – Economic law; IUS/07 – Labour law; IUS/08 – Constitutional law; IUS/09 – Foundations of public law; IUS/10 – Administrative law; IUS/13 – International law; IUS/14 – European Union law; IUS/21 – Comparative public law;
3. History and Politics: at least 9 CFU in the following academic fields: SPS/01 – Political philosophy; SPS/02 – History of political doctrines; SPS/03 – History of political institutions; SPS/04 – Political science; SPS/05 – History and institutions of the Americas; SPS/06 – History of international relations; SPS/13 – History and institutions of Africa; SPS/14 – History and institutions of Asia; IUS/19 – History of medieval and modern law; IUS/20 - Philosophy of law; L-OR/10 – History of Islamic nations; M-STO/02 – Modern history; M-STO/03 – Western European history; M-STO/04 – Contemporary history; SECS-P/12 – Business history;
4. Language: at least 9 CFU in the following academic field: L-LIN/12 – Language and translation – English language. The requirement may be met by holding a language certification  recognised by the University, at or above Level B2 . In such cases, the applicant must upload a copy of the certification upon submission of their online application. 

Please click  here  for the curricular self-assessment checklist.

Attention:

• Only those exams with marks recorded in thirtieths will qualify for curricular requirements. For example: “language-proficiency assessments” will not count.
• To calculate the requirements, please consult your transcript for the Bachelor’s programme, which should include the exams passed, complete with CFU earned and academic field (“SSD”) for each exam. The SSD code is an alphanumeric code identifying the academic field for each course and its subcategory. Example 1: The “SPS/04 International relations” course falls into “SPS/04 – Political science”. Example 2: “IUS/13 International private law” course falls into “IUS/13 – International law”.
• The sum of the minimum requirements in the four areas (9+15+9+9=42 CFU) is not, in and of itself, sufficient to satisfy curricular requirements; it only becomes sufficient if the sum of the total credits earned by the student in the four areas is at or above 60 CFU. In other words, the applicant must meet or exceed the minimum requirements for each academic field, and have earned at least 60 CFU in the foregoing areas. Example: an applicant who has only earned the minimum requirements (9 CFU in Economics, History/Politics, and Linguistics, 15 CFU in Law) has only earned 42 CFU, and thus may not sit for the entrance exam because they have not met curricular requirements.
• Language certification, if any, submitted in lieu of the L-LIN/12 academic-field requirement will not count toward the four areas. In other words, the candidate who submits such certification must nevertheless earn 60 CFU in the remaining three areas in question (Economics, Law, and History/Politics).
• Undergraduate students who at the end of their Bachelor’s programme have not met curricular requirements may take electives in relevant academic fields in order to meet such requirements. If they have already graduated, they can take “ prerequisites ” as ad-hoc exams through the University of Milan or through another Italian university providing such option.
• Applicants holding a first-tier academic degree conferred by a foreign university (e.g. a Bachelor's degree) should contact the International Relations Master’s degree programme tutors at  relint@unimi.it . Please attach a full university transcript.

Academic Year 2024-2025

The admission application must be submitted by 30 April 2024.
In order to sit for the entrance exam, applicants must meet both academic-career and curricular requirements.

Academic-career requirements must be met, without exception, by the application deadline, or the student may not be evaluated. A certificate attesting to the student’s having passed any exams on the day of the deadline must be submitted.

Exam dates 

• Candidates who have met curricular requirements by the application deadline will be evaluated and may be asked to sit for the 5 September 2024 in-person exam, to be held at 3.00 p.m.
• Candidates will be informed of the outcome of their evaluation by email (please check it regularly). 
• Further information concerning the exact time and procedures/modalities for the exam will be published on this page.

The December admission is solely for those applicants who failed to meet curricular requirements by the application deadline, but who have in the interim (by the December exam) met such requirements. A certificate attesting to the student’s having passed any exams on the morning of the exam must be submitted.

List of admitted students

The results of the entrance exams, and instructions on any required events and enrollment will be posted to the notices section.

The exam is intended to assess the applicant’s basic aptitude toward International Relations, and their ability to successfully enter into the Master’s programme. Overall, the exam consists of three parts, which vary depending on the track chosen at the application-submission stage.

• Those applying to  Curriculum A – Diplomacy and International Organisations  must have studied the following subjects: international law, political economics, international relations.
• Those applying to  Curriculum B – International Commerce and European Integration  must have studied the following subjects: international law, political economics, foundations of European Union law.
• Those applying to  Curriculum C – International Politics and Regional Dynamics  must have studied the following subjects: international law, political economics, international relations; the entrance exam for Curriculum C is entirely in English.
• Those applying to  Curriculum E – International Cooperation and Human Rights  must have studied the following subjects: international law, political economics, comparative social systems; the entrance exam for Curriculum E is entirely in English.

In order to pass the test, each candidate should demonstrate a sufficient knowledge in each and every area tested for the curriculum selected.

The exam will include a multiple-choice quiz for each area subject associated to each curriculum

Passing the entrance exam is a requirement (necessary condition) for admission to the Master’s degree programme.

Depending on the student’s performance in the exam, the Admissions Committee may admit the student on a probationary basis, requiring remedial work in certain areas. The remedial coursework will take place September 2024 - January 2025.

Recommended readings (most recent available edition)

• Diritto internazionale/International Law (Curricula A, B, C, E)
  Gioia, Manuale breve di diritto internazionale, Milan, Giuffrè; or Conforti, Diritto internazionale, Naples, Editoriale Scientifica ; or Dixon, Textbook on International Law, Oxford University Press; or an analogous textbook on this subject.
• Economia politica/Economics (Curricula A, B, C, E)
  Sloman,  Elementi di economia , Bologna: Il Mulino; or Frank, Bernanke, Principles of Economics, McGraw-Hill/Irwin; or any similar economics textbook which includes both macro- and microeconomics.

And, depending on the track chosen, the following readings:

• International relations (Curriculum A)
  Andreatta, Clementi, Colombo, Koenig-Archibugi, Parsi, Relazioni internazionali, Bologna, Il Mulino .
• European Union law (Curriculum B)
  Daniele, Diritto dell'Unione Europea  - Institutions, laws, courts, and authority, Giuffrè, Milan; or Adam, Tizzano,  Lineamenti di Diritto dell’Unione europea , Giappichelli, Turin; or Draetta,  Elementi di diritto dell'Unione Europea , Chapter on Institutional Order and Structure of the European Union, Giuffrè, Milan.
• International Relations (Curriculum C)
  Jackson, Sorensen, Introduction to international relations: theories and approaches, Oxford.
• Comparative Social Systems (Curriculum E)
  Both of the following: Ritzer, Introduction to sociology, Sage, London; Beck, What is globalization?, Polity, Cambridge.

Topics subject to assessment
The entrance exam will cover the following topics, by subject:

• Economia politica  ( Curricula A and B)
• Economics  ( Curricula C and E)
• Relazioni internazionali  ( Curriculum A)
• International Relations  ( Curriculum C)
• Comparative Social Systems  ( Curriculum E)
• Diritto dell'Unione europea  ( Curriculum B)
• Diritto internazionale  ( Curricula A and B)
• International Law  ( Curriculum C)

University fees

For students enrolled on bachelor’s, master’s and single cycle degree programmes are divided into two instalments of different amounts and with different payment deadlines:

• the first, corresponding to the minimum amount, is the same for all students 
• the second - technically referred to as an ‘all-inclusive fee’-  that is variable.

Students can also be entitled for tuition fee reductions such as:

• lowering for students who meet high merit requirements 
• fixed amounts calculated on the basis of the student's citizenship group for those with income/property abroad
• support for students who have political refugee status.

More info at: Fees - current academic year

Scholarships and benefits

The University also provides a range of financial benefits to students meeting special requirements (merit, financial or personal conditions, international students), including:

• Part-time study
• Financial aid, refectory service, accommodation, awards and scholarships
• Fees exemption

Guidance:

• Choosing the right degree programme: discover Study and Career Guidance Services

Admission, ranking and enrolment

• Registrar office - contacts
• Online information desk Infostudente (please register for the first access)
• International students: welcome desk
• Students with disabilities
• Students with SLD