Courses are held in English only. No German will be required from prospective applicants.
We highly recommend starting the programme in the winter semester. Although a start in the summer semester is possible, the programme is optimised for a start in the winter semester.
The letter of admission is valid for two consecutive semesters. Applicants from countries requiring a visa for entering Germany should consider applying by 15 January in order to begin their studies in the winter semester of the same year. This will give them more time to complete the visa process and to prepare for their stay.
Non-EU citizens:
EU citizens:
Applicants with a BA or MA degree from a German university:
Recommended start of the programme: winter semester
Dealing with current issues of governance and government requires a deeper understanding of contemporary policy and governance challenges in different parts of the world. This Master's programme covers two major world regions, the European Union and East Asia. Students will learn to analyse how these regions adapt to often disruptive and transformative economic and political changes. The European integration experience, EU decision-making, and key EU policies are analysed and compared with institutions of regional cooperation in east and South-East Asia as well as with East Asian approaches to key policy fields such as economic and security issues. Furthermore, contemporary issues of global governance and the roles of both the European Union and China in global governance will be analysed by students.
This Master's programme introduces students to a variety of theoretical perspectives, mainly from political science, and equips them with strong analytical skills. These will be applied to deal with real-life problems through decision-making simulations and policy-oriented case studies. In addition to political science approaches, students will gain a basic understanding of European law.
Our Master's programme has a strong focus on practical policy issues. Students will go on field trips to European institutions and can complete an internship. All of these features will prepare students for careers in the following areas: regional or national governments in Europe or East Asia, EU institutions or EU-related organisations, interest groups, and private companies or non-profit organisations dealing with topics of European and East Asian governance and policies.
This programme's main foci are on European politics, governance, and law. These are then compared to East Asian – in particular Chinese – institutions, governance frameworks, and policies. A special emphasis is laid on comparative and international political economy and security issues and policies.
The European and East Asian Governance Master's programme is a comprehensive, full-time, two-year course of study consisting of 10 modules.
Seven modules are compulsory, including European Politics and Governance, Research Techniques and Methods, East Asian Politics and Governance, European Law, Europe and East Asia in Global Governance, Global Governance, and the Master thesis.
The remaining three modules can be chosen from a range of five electives. These electives include: European and East Asian Political Economy, Digital China, European Public Policy, EU Decision-Making: EuroSim, or an internship.
The diagram below shows the recommended study plan.
Students can decide to do an internship during the programme. The optional internship module can replace one of the modules in the third semester.
Trier University does not charge tuition fees. Students only have to pay a semester contribution of approx. 300 EUR for the first semester and 285 EUR from the second semester onwards. This includes a semester ticket covering public transport in Trier and the Trier region. The fee acts as a contribution that benefits Trier Student Services ("Studierendenwerk Trier") and the student union. It also enables students to buy meals at reduced prices at the university's canteens.
Students should expect expenses of approx. 900–1,000 EUR per month. For instance, monthly housing costs are approx. 290 to 400 EUR (in a students' dormitory or a room in a shared flat) and 450 to 650 EUR (for a single apartment on the private market). A meal in the student cafeteria costs approx. 3 to 5 EUR.
Trier University offers some funding opportunities for international students in the final stage of their degree programmes (maximum duration: six months). However, there are no funding opportunities within the university for the whole course of study or the first three semesters of the programme.
Academic admission requirements include a Bachelor's degree (or equivalent) in political science or in the social sciences (with at least 60 credits in political science) with a grade of at least 2.7 (German grading system). Further details about the admission requirements can be found at: https://meeag.uni-trier.de/requirements/.
Applicants must prove their English language proficiency at level C1, based on the Common European Framework through one of the following tests. The test must have been taken within the last three years:
Equivalent to one of the tests is proof of:
Non-EU citizens:
EU citizens:
Applicants with a BA or MA degree from a German university:
Recommended start of the programme: winter semester
Please apply directly via the application portal of the University of Trier.
Please note that registration is only possible during the application periods. Applications submitted outside of the application period will be automatically rejected by the system.
Further details on the application process and deadlines can be found here.
Students from the European Union, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland enjoy unrestricted access to the German labour market. International students from other countries are allowed to work 120 full days or 240 half days per year.
The Career Service of Trier University and the "Agentur für Arbeit" provide an online database for student jobs. Jobs offers can also be found on the website of the "Bundesagentur für Arbeit": https://jobboerse.arbeitsagentur.de.
Additionally, some temporary student jobs can be found on the university's bulletin boards. However, many job offers will require at least some knowledge of German.
Accommodation is available in student halls of residence through the Student Services Office (Studierendenwerk Trier: http://www.studiwerk.de) or on the private market (e.g. http://www.hunderttausend.de). Monthly housing costs are approx. 280 to 400 EUR (for a basic dorm room with a shared bathroom) and 450 to 650 EUR (for a single apartment on the private market).
Trier University provides career services in cooperation with the German Federal Employment Agency (Bundesagentur für Arbeit: http://www.career-service.uni-trier.de). Located on campus, the career service ("Jobpassage") is designed to support students and graduates in all career-related matters such as internships, full-time and part-time jobs, and future career opportunities.
Additionally, Trier University’s International Office offers a career mentoring programme specifically targeted at international students: www.career-international.de.
The department offers students a mentoring programme. Within this programme, our academic staff provides our students with guidance regarding their studies and professional development.
The language centre of Trier University offers German language courses at all levels (free of charge).
Trier University was founded in 1473, and it reopened in 1970 as a modern campus university. Built on a high plateau overlooking the Moselle River and surrounded by luscious green nature, it is said to be one of Germany's most beautiful campuses. Faculty and departmental buildings are connected by bridges and grouped around the forum and the central library.
Trier University has a strong focus on the humanities, social sciences, and economics, but it is also steadily strengthening its environmental science programmes. There are six faculties that together cover more than 30 subject areas. Many research projects are interdisciplinary in nature and embedded in global networks.
With its roughly 1,200 employees and 11,000 students (including about 12% international students), Trier University embraces contrast: young yet true to tradition, internationally oriented yet regionally rooted, and at the geographic edge of Germany but in the heart of Europe.
Trier is situated in the western part of the federal state of Rhineland-Palatinate in the Moselle Valley. The city is proud of its rich history, which is reflected in its museums and its many historical sites. Thanks to its landmarks, the Porta Nigra, the Trier Cathedral, and other significant architectural monuments, Germany's oldest city was declared a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage Site.
Today's cityscape is a fusion of history and modern lifestyle, not least characterised by a vibrant student life. With bars, cafés, and a colourful range of cultural offerings and festivals, Trier is a tourist attraction with international appeal and a beautiful place for the city's 110,000 residents to live.
The economy of the city is characterised by a few major enterprises and many medium-sized businesses. Trier is in the heart of Europe, as evidenced by its proximity to Luxembourg, which is an important financial centre and the site of several EU institutions, as well as its proximity to France and Belgium. Nine twin towns and cities across Europe, Asia, and the USA attest to Trier's international orientation.
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