Applicants must send by e-mail to the Secretariat of the School of Political Sciences of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (e-mail: info@polsci.auth.gr) between Monday, June 24, and Tuesday July 23, 2024.

This e-mail should include the following documents (as attachments in .pdf or .jpg format):
1. Copy of their degree(s)or of a certificate of completion of studies.
2. A transcript with the analytical score for all their studies.
3. A certificate of English language proficiency (at least C1 level), or a certification of previous university
studies undertaken in English.
4. A motivation letter of up to 500 words in English

All prospective applicants who meet the minimum criteria set by the Study Program Committee will be notified by email by Friday, July 28, 2024, and will be invited to the written examination.

The written examination and the personal interview may be conducted online for applicants who cannot be present in Thessaloniki.

Applicants who are successful in the entry exams and are offered an unconditional offer will have to submit in person or send by courier the above accompanying documents 1-3 to the Secretariat of the School of Political Sciences of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki. Applicants who are successful in the entry exams but have not yet received their Bachelor’s Degree will be offered a conditional offer with a set deadline to provide their degree.

The international orientation of this Πrogramme provides easy access to the international job market. The Programme pursues a comprehensive knowledge of Europe as a political, economic, social, and cultural space, and of the European Union as a model of regional integration and as a global actor. It is addressed to highly motivated students who want to pursue a career in the European institutions or in those private and public entities (ministries of Foreign Affairs, local and regional administrations, NGOs and civil society organisations, enterprises, interest groups, etc.) interacting with the European Union. It also provides a first-rate learning opportunity to those students from non-EU countries who are interested in studying the European history, society, law, institutions, and policies.

The Programme includes as a core component ‘Region Europe’, the international program of the University of Turin on Europe and its role in the world (regioneurope.eu). Involving professors, experts, and students from all over the world, Region Europe contributes to expose students to different perspectives and voices from EU and non-EU countries, EU stakeholders and institutions. Through a planned visit to the EU institutions and NATO in Brussels and to EU and international agencies in Torino, students can be introduced to the real functioning of EU governance and of other international institutions. 

The duration of the Programme is two academic years. During the first year, students attend courses at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, while in the second year they attend courses at the University of Torino. In other words, the class, composed of up to 40 selected students, attends courses in Thessaloniki and Torino together.

ESIS is a double degree Programme. Successful students receive two MA degrees, one from each participating university.

Successful completion of the Programme requires from students to write and defend a single final dissertation under the supervision of a member of the academic staff of one of the two participating universities. 

The structure of the Programme is as follows:

Year one: UNIVERSITY OF THESSALONIKI

Compulsory courses

• Constitutional Law of the EU 
• History and Institutions of European Integration 
• Euroscepticism: Parties, Policies, and People 
• EU Area of Freedom, Security, and Justice
• EU Governance and Policies

Electives courses (2 out of 4)

• Politics and Government in Southern Europe – A Comparative Analysis
• Fundamental Rights in Europe
• Political Systems in the Balkans
• EU-Africa Relations

Year two: UNIVERSITY OF TORINO

Compulsory courses

• Region Europe Lab
• The Economics of European Integration
• The International role of the European Union
• Global Political Economy: Regions and Networks
• Comparative European Societies
• Foreign Language (elective 1 out of 3 ) :
• Arabic Language (basic or advanced)
• Chinese for Economics and International Relations (basic, intermediate, or advanced)
• Stratégies Discursives en Français Contemporain
• Preparation and defence of the Dissertation

Tuition fees for students enrolled in the Programme through the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki amount to 1.500 Euro per semester and are due for each of the two semesters of study in Thessaloniki. Students enrolled in the Programme through the University of Turin will pay the standard UniTo student fees. Students enrolled in the Programme through the University of Turin do not pay the above tuition fees at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, but they have to pay the registration fees or other enrollment fees required by the University of Turin.

The tuition fees are paid directly to the Research Committee of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki from 1 to 15 October for the winter semester and from 1 to 15 March for the spring semester. In exceptional circumstances, students may request a different payment plan, after special agreement with the coordinator of the Programme. 

Upon completion of the admission process, students receive a unique reference code for making safe and easy payments online. No other payment methods are allowed.

Students who do not complete their studies within the time provided by this Regulation (four semesters), pay for each additional semester that studies are extended the amount of €250. Reimbursement of tuition fees already paid is allowed only if there is an extremely serious reason for the interruption of the student’s studies,  at the student’s request, and if this latter adequately justifies the reasons for this interruption to the Curriculum Committee no later than 25 days from the beginning of the course.

Scholarships and exemption from tuition fees

Students who are Greek nationals and enroll in the Programme through the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki may, if they meet the criteria set by Greek law (in particular due to his/her reduced financial resources based on the national median disposable equivalent income) request an exemption from paying tuition fees. The number of exempt students will not exceed 30% of the total number of students admitted to the Programme. 

Students who wish to benefit from tuition exemption for the above reasons should apply to the Secretariat of the School after the completion of the selection process for students in the Program. Under no circumstances is financial disadvantage a reason for not being selected in the Program.

Erasmus+ Scholarships Studies

In addition to the tuition waiver, students of the Programme may receive partial financial support or a scholarship either through the Programme funds or through the resources of the Erasmus+ Studies Mobility Programme of the University to partially cover the cost of their travel and accommodation in Turin during the second year of the Programme.

In particular, the Programme may fund the travel and accomodation of its students for their second year studies in Turin through the Erasmus+ Studies Programme of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki. Such mobility scholarships through are provided for up to 10 students for up to ten months each year.

Further information on financial support to mobility is made available by each University. For further information please check the websites of the School of Political Sciences, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (https://www.polsci.auth.gr) and of the Department of Cultures, Politics and Society (University of Torino). (https://www.unito.it/ugov/degree/35778 ).