Master in Contemporary Diplomacy

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 2024 will be finalised and shared with applicants in January 2024.

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.

HOW TO APPLY

Complete applications must be received by 15 October 2023 (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.

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.