Freie Universität Berlin

MA in International Relations Online

Your opportunity – with IR Online you:

• receive a degree from a German University of Excellence whilst staying on the job;
• enjoy an innovative online learning environment and gain in-depth knowledge in global politics
• enhance your career opportunities in the global arena;
• get access to a sustainable network of peers and alumni all over the world.

About us - IR Online is:

• offered by Freie Universität Berlin, Center for Global Politics;
• a Master of Arts program that can be studied two years (full-time) or four years (part-time), comprised of 120 credit points according to ECTS standards;
• designed to enhance your career perspectives in IR related fields and to further qualify you to work in governmental agencies, internationally operating private enterprises, NGOs, the media, and international organizations.

Contents – IR Online invites you to study:

• tools and methods of academic and applied research;
• innovative approaches to study global politics, as well as theories of IR
• prevailing issues of IR, such as ‘Globalization,’ ‘European Politics,’ ‘International Law,’
• International Trade and Finance,’ ‘International Security,’ ‘Megacities,’ ‘Migration,’ ‘Media and IR,’ ‘Conflict Management’;
• practical training modules in ‘Intercultural Studies’ and ‘International Negotiation and Simulation’.

Implementation - IR Online is a challenging learning experience with:

• blended learning approach – combining online teaching with on-site instruction;
• 4 week-long in-house classes in Berlin;
• 15 high quality web-based modules;
• state-of-the-art IT based methods.

Admission Requirements

Applicants for this program must hold a first university degree (B.A., M.A., diploma, state examination, or equivalent) preferably obtained in - but not limited to - the humanities and social sciences, including political science, law and economics. Applicants in other fields of study are encouraged to apply, although such applications will be subjected to close review.

In addition, applicants must have at least one year of relevant postgraduate work experience and need to be fluent in English. If English is not your native language, a language certificate verifying English proficiency is required. For the "Test of English as a Foreign Language” (TOEFL) a score equivalent to or higher than 550 points for the paper-based test, 213 points for the computer-based test or 79 points for the internet-based test is required. Alternatively, we accept the "International English Language Testing System" (IELTS) and the "Cambridge Certificate" at the same level of language proficiency.

To successfully complete the program, applicants need to have reliable access to adequate electronic equipment – specifically internet access and a computer capable of working with multimedia course materials.

Applicants must provide a certified translation for all documents written in any language other than German or English.


Freie Universität Berlin

Freie Universität Berlin (FU) is one of Germany's leading research-based universities. Founded in 1948 according to the principles "Truth, Justice, Freedom" and based on its history as a reform-oriented university, it continues to display a modern and international character. Today, the university offers courses with more than one hundred subjects to over 35,500 students.

FU Berlin is the largest of the three universities in Berlin with about 570 professors, 4,000 graduate students and 1,000 doctoral candidates each year. Its academic profile is comprised of a broad range of disciplines in the humanities, social sciences and natural sciences. Freie Universität Berlin is one of eleven German “Universities of Excellence”.

The M.A. International Relations (IR) Online is a Master program designed for professionals who want to obtain a degree whilst staying on the job. It belongs to the distinguished graduate study programs offered by the Center for Global Politics (CGP) at Freie Universität Berlin. The CGP is a pioneer in blended-learning formats, uniting six distinct graduate study programs: International Relations Online, East European Studies, Leadership in Eastern Europe, Global Politics Seasonal Schools, Graduate School of Global Politics, and German Studies Russia.

With our unique programs we enable students worldwide to explore the multiple challenges of the Twenty-first Century. They develop an understanding of the interdependent nature of seemingly diverse issues such as migration, changing security issues, and environmental degradation, as well as increase their understanding of global challenges and their political, economic, and social causes and impacts. The Center for Global Politics is your gateway to a global career.