The Master in Contemporary Diplomacy guides working diplomats and international relations professionals through the theoretical and practical building blocks of diplomacy, with a focus on contemporary issues and challenges.
Participants can focus on contemporary diplomacy or select internet governance as an area of specialisation within the programme. Those who select internet governance will attend several required courses in this area and write their dissertations on internet governance-related topics.
Apply by 1 August 2022 to benefit from our Early Bird 400 EUR discount!
Offered by DiploFoundation and the University of Malta’s Department of International Relations, the programme is:
Relevant: Courses cover traditional and contemporary topics in diplomacy; faculty members include practising and retired diplomats, and experts with both theoretical expertise and practical experience.
Flexible: You design your study programme, selecting from our wide range of courses and deciding on the Postgraduate Diploma or Master’s degree.
Practical and affordable: Programme fees are competitive compared to similar programmes; with online delivery, you can continue to work and earn an income. All you need is a computer connected to the internet.
Personalised: Small group sizes emphasise learning together, drawing on the experience and knowledge of participants as well as lecturers, enabling you to extend your professional network.
Effective: The programme is highly rated by former participants, who have seen immediate and lasting benefits ranging from personal development to career advances.
Accredited: The degree is awarded by the University of Malta; the programme has European postgraduate accreditation making it recognised worldwide.
Amir Kiyaei, from South Africa, completed his Master’s in 2019. Here are his impressions of the Master’s programme (click above, or watch on YouTube)
Master application
Please provide your details to receive more information from our Admissions Team about the programme and a link to our application form. You can also read all about the application process below.
PROGRAMME DETAILS
The Master in Contemporary Diplomacy involves 16 to 20 months of online study, including writing a dissertation. Areas of study range from the basics of diplomacy (Diplomatic Theory and Practice, Bilateral Diplomacy, Multilateral Diplomacy, and more) to contemporary topics (Artificial Intelligence: Technology, Governance and Policy Frameworks, Internet Technology and Policy, E-Diplomacy, and more).
The programme is organised in three phases:
- Phase I: The introductory workshop takes place over a three-week period in January and February of each year.
- Phase II: Following the workshop, you will attend five online courses, each lasting ten weeks.
- Phase III: The final phase includes writing your Master’s dissertation.
The programme is awarded 90 ECTS credits: 15 for the introductory workshop, 45 for 5 online courses (9 ECTS each) and 30 for the dissertation.
Please see the University of Malta Accredited Courses to learn more about this option.
Phase I: The introductory workshop
The introductory workshop focuses on building skills used in diplomatic practice, through an interactive and exercise-based set of seminars. The workshop sets the stage for the entire programme and provides the opportunity to get to know other course participants and faculty members. Participants tell us that they keep in touch with classmates and faculty members long after the programme ends and the resulting professional network is highly valuable in their work.
The workshop takes place over a two-week period; you should expect to spend five to six hours of study time per day during this period, including reading and discussing course materials, attending live meetings via a video-conferencing platform, joining group exercises, and completing assignments.
The exact schedule for 2023 will be finalised and shared with applicants in January 2023.
Phase II: The online courses
During this phase, you complete five online courses of your choice, each lasting ten weeks. Participation in the courses involves seven to ten hours of study time per week. Online class groups are small to allow for intensive discussion with course lecturers and classmates, and rich collaborative learning.
Courses cover a wide range of both traditional and contemporary topics in diplomacy, many of them not taught elsewhere. See our full list of courses within the MA/PGD programme.
After successful completion of the introductory workshop and five online courses, you may choose whether to receive the Postgraduate Diploma or to proceed with writing your Master's dissertation.
In order to proceed to the Master’s degree, you must achieve an average mark of at least 65% for the five online courses.
Should you opt to stop at Phase II, you will be awarded our Postgraduate Diploma in Contemporary Diplomacy.
Phase III: Your dissertation
If you aim for the Master's degree, you will prepare a 25,000-word dissertation on a topic of your choice under the personal online guidance of a research supervisor selected from Diplo's faculty members. You may decide whether to write your dissertation over a four- or eight-month period. Candidates for the internet governance specialisation will write their dissertations on internet governance-related topics.
You can read more about how to apply for the Master's dissertation here.
Learning methodology
The introductory workshop phase involves intensive daily online study over a three-week period (five to six hours per day). The workshop aims to build skills for diplomatic practice through a variety of activities: reading and discussing course materials, attending live meetings via a video-conferencing platform, joining group exercises and simulations, and completing assignments. Participants are expected to participate fully in the workshop, and evaluation is based on both participation and graded assignments for each topic covered.
During the online course phase, interaction takes place via the internet through an online classroom. Each week, participants study course materials, adding questions, comments, and references in the form of hypertext entries. Lecturers and other participants read and respond to these entries, creating interaction based on the reading materials. During the week, participants complete additional online activities (e.g. further discussions via blogs or forums, quizzes, group tasks, simulations, or short assignments). At the end of the week, participants and lecturers meet online to discuss the week’s topic. Evaluation is based on discussion contributions and on several assignments for each course.
Writing the thesis during the dissertation phase is largely an individual activity. Each participant will work with a supervisor drawn from Diplo's faculty, communicating via email.
Lecturers
Online courses are delivered by Diplo’s faculty members: practising and retired diplomats, and experts with both theoretical expertise and practical experience.
The introductory workshop team includes:
Victor Camilleri
Former Permanent Ambassador of Malta to the United Nations in New York and Geneva
Biljana Scott
Associate of the China Centre, University of Oxford
Jovan Kurbalija
Executive Director
Kishan Rana
Professor Emeritus, former Indian Ambassador, and a joint secretary to Prime Minister Indira Gandhi
Liz Galvez
Former Senior British Diplomat
Olaph Terribile
Foreign Policy Advisor to the President of the Republic of Malta
HOW TO APPLY
Complete applications must be received by 15 October 2022 (see instructions for sending documents below).
Please note that by sending your application package, you are confirming that you have read Diplo's Privacy Policy. Diplo will process and share your personal data with third parties (including the University of Malta) for admissions and academic matters, finance, and administrative purposes in accordance with the Privacy Policy.
Required documents
The following documents should be sent by email to admissions@diplomacy.edu:
- University of Malta application form filled out in full (download form). At the top of the form please indicate February 2023 as the start date. For Section A please indicate the correct course code and title: Master in Contemporary Diplomacy (PMCDIPFDL8); or Master in Contemporary Diplomacy (Internet Governance) (PMCDIGVFDL2).
- Draft research proposal of around 500 words (relevant to Section F of the application form). You will have the opportunity to revise or change this before beginning work on your dissertation.
- Certified true copies of your degree(s) and official transcripts. Documents can be certified by a legal professional or a diplomatic or consular officer or any other professional of good standing, and must be apostilled by the relevant authority in your country.
- English translations of degree(s) and transcripts, if not in English, signed and stamped by translator.
- English language proficiency certificate:
- TOEFL Internet-Based Test (iBT). (minimum requirements: 95 overall with a writing score of at least 24, obtained within the last two years).
- Academic IELTS Certificate (minimum requirements: 6.5 overall with a minimum of 6.0 in each element, obtained within the last two years).
- Cambridge English Proficiency Advanced Certificate (minimum requirements: Grade C or better).
- A certified true copy of the personal details pages of your passport.
- If you are requesting partial financial assistance, please include your CV and a motivation letter (300 – 400 words) with your application. The motivation letter should include details of your relevant professional and educational background; reasons for your interest in the programme; and why you feel you should have the opportunity to participate in this programme, i.e. how will your participation benefit you, your institution, and/or your country. Please note that all financial assistance is partial. We do not offer full scholarships. Financial assistance is only available to applicants from developing countries.
Once the applicant is accepted by the University of Malta, the following documents must be sent by registered mail to DiploFoundation (attn: Ms Tanja Nikolic), Anutruf Ground Floor, Hriereb Street, Msida MSD 1574, Malta:
- Certified true copies of degrees and transcripts
- Translations of documents that are not in English
- A certified true copy of your English language proficiency certificate
- Certified true copies of the personal details pages of your passport
Please ensure that your application package is complete as we cannot process incomplete applications.
Late applications will be considered if space remains in the programme. Please contact us at admissions@diplomacy.edu if you wish to submit an application after the deadline.
For questions about the application process, please contact admissions@diplomacy.edu.
WHO SHOULD APPLY
This programme will be of interest to:
- Practising diplomats, civil servants, and others working in international relations who want to refresh or expand their knowledge under the guidance of experienced practitioners and academics.
- Postgraduate students of diplomacy or international relations wishing to study topics not offered through their university programmes or diplomatic academies and to gain deeper insight through interaction with practising diplomats.
- Postgraduate students or practitioners in other fields seeking an entry point into the world of diplomacy.
- Journalists, staff of international and non-governmental organisations, translators, business people, and others who interact with diplomats and wish to improve their understanding of diplomacy-related topics.
The internet governance area of specialisation will be of interest to:
- Individuals interested in developing a career in internet governance, cybersecurity, and other emerging internet policy areas.
- Diplomats and government officials dealing with internet governance, cybersecurity, and other internet-related policy issues.
- Business people and civil society activists involved in multistakeholder internet governance processes.
- Postgraduate students of diplomacy, international relations, and communications wishing to study the multidisciplinary topic of internet governance, and to gain deeper insight into internet governance through interaction with diplomats and internet governance policymakers.
- Journalists, staff of international and non-governmental organisations, translators, business people, and others who would like to take an active part in internet policy-making.
ADMISSIONS REQUIREMENTS
Applicants for the Master/Postgraduate Diploma in Contemporary Diplomacy must meet the University of Malta prerequisites for postgraduate study:
- Bachelor’s degree in a relevant subject with at least Second Class Honours.
- English language proficiency certificate (see 'How to apply' section for details).
FEES AND SCHOLARSHIPS
The fee for the Master in Contemporary Diplomacy is €10,800. The fee has two parts:
- Postgraduate Diploma in Contemporary Diplomacy: €8,200
- After successful completion of the Postgraduate Diploma, participants who choose to write the Master's dissertation pay an additional fee of €2,600
The fee covers:
- Application and registration fees
- Tuition fees for online workshop and five online courses
- Access to all course materials, via Diplo's online classroom
- Access, via the Internet, to the University of Malta e-journal collection
- Personal interaction via the online classroom with course lecturers, staff, and other participants
- Use of Diplo’s online databases and resources
- Online technical support
- For the Master's dissertation, personal supervision by one of our faculty members and advising by Diplo staff
Financial assistance
DiploFoundation offers a limited number of partial scholarships, up to a maximum of 50%, for the Postgraduate Diploma in Contemporary Diplomacy fee, to assist participants from developing countries. Financial assistance is not available to cover the additional fee for the Master's dissertation.
To apply for a scholarship, please include your CV and a motivation letter with your application package. The motivation letter should include:
- Details of your relevant professional and educational background.
- Reasons for your interest in the programme.
- Why you feel you should have the opportunity to participate in this programme: how will your participation benefit you, your institution, and/or your country.
Maltese applicants can benefit from up to 70% of the fee in tax credits, as part of the Get Qualified scheme. The credit can be set off against personal income.
