European Union Policy Studies Concentration

James Madison University's M.A. in Political Science is a 10-month program with a concentration in European Union Policy Studies (EUPS). The program is based in Florence, Italy, though all coursework is held in English. While Florence is a global cultural destination, accessible to English speakers, students receive Italian language instruction in the fall at a level corresponding to their proficiency.

While in the program, students conduct applied assignments within their coursework and refine their cross-cultural competencies by working with a dynamic international faculty, by living abroad, and by talking with policy and political practitioners based in Europe and in the United States. These conversations are primarily virtual in the fall semester. In the spring, students participate in academic trips to Brussels and Rome.

In the summer session, professional development is a key focus as our students hold mock job interviews; create a professional portfolio of policy and political analyses; and conduct either an internship or an applied research project. The EUPS program prepares students for careers in politics and policy, government agencies, policy research & advocacy, government relations, consulting for the private sector, and nonprofit organizations.

Beyond the classroom, our graduate program provides support during calendar years 2021 and 2022 for Project TRACK-STAR, a two-year initiative co-funded by the European Union (PI/2020/420-289) that facilitates policy reform dialogues in Europe and the United States regarding climate change, circular economy & biodiversity, energy, digital economy, regulatory reform, trade & investment, and democracy & transparency.

To learn more about this program, we welcome you to explore this website's content -- including the embedded 60-second video tied to the banner photo on the top of this page.

To speak with the program director, current students, and our alumni, click on the link below to register for the next program information session held on Zoom:

https://www.jmu.edu/polisci/eups-info.shtml 


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