International Security module on Master Academic Studies in Political Science
International Studies at the Faculty of Political Science, University of Belgrade is one of the leading programs in security studies in South-East Europe.
It provides students with a strong foundation in contemporary security studies, a wide range of new concepts and analytical instruments for a better understanding of human, national, regional and global security, methodological tools for independent research work, as well as professional skills that prepare them for a career in national and international security.
The Head of the module is Filip Ejdus, whose biography is available here. Lecturers who teach courses on this module are Dragan Simić, Nemanja Džuverović, Daša Duhaček, Siniša Tatalović, Maja Kovačević, Miroslav Hadžić, Goran Tepšić, Miloš Hrnjaz and many others. Teaching Assistant Marko Kovačević and Graduate Student Instructor Tijana Rečević assist on several courses on this module.
Every year, the program hosts many guest lecturers from academia, security sector and the civil society. Some of the lecturers who have been guests in previous years are Iver B. Neumann, Stefano Guzzini, Lene Hansen, Ivan Čolović, Sonja Stojanović Gajić, Orli Friedman, Vojin Dimitrijević, Cornelius Friesendorf, Laura Sjoberg, Zorana Antonijević, Goran Topalović, Can E. Mutlu, Predrag Petrović, Maja Bjeloš, Saša Đorđević, Predrag Petrović, Luka Glušac, Saša Janković, Jelena Radoman, Dragan Šutanovac, Rodoljub Šabić, Dragan Mladenović, Vuk Vukasnović and many others.
Courses and teaching
In the first semester, the compulsory courses are: Security Sector Reform (6 ECTS) and Master Seminar (6 ECTS). In addition, students can choose from the following courses (it is necessary to collect 18 ECTS): Securitization and Desecuritization (6 ECTS), Contemporary Security Theories (6 ECTS), Gender and International Security (6 ECTS) and Conflict Theories and Typologies (6 ECTS, in English).
In the second semester, the compulsory courses are Regional Security (6 ECTS) and Final Thesis (12 ECTS). Students also choose between the following subjects (it is necessary to collect 12 ECTS): European Union as a Global Actor (6 ECTS), Euro-Atlantic Security (6 ECTS), International Regionalism and Interregionalism (6 ECTS) Political Regulation of Ethnic Conflicts and Relations (6 ECTS) and Regional Perspectives on Peace and Conflict (6 ECTS, in English).
In addition to course activities, students of this module have the opportunity to engage in extracurricular activities during the year through internships at the Belgrade Center for Security Policy, volunteering in the Journal of Regional Security, participation in the Belgrade Security Forum and other national and international conferences and workshops which are held in partnership with our institution.
Lectures and seminars are held every week in the afternoon hours and students’ presence is mandatory. A detailed curriculum of the International Security module can be found here.
Enrollment requirements
This study program can be enrolled by a person who completed undergraduate academic studies at the Faculty of Political Sciences and other faculties from the group of social sciences and humanities, achieving at least 240 ECTS credits, as well as a person who completed four-year undergraduate studies at the Faculty of Political Science or any other faculty from the group of social sciences according to the regulations that were valid until the Law on Higher Education entered into force. A person who completed integrated studies, having achieved 300 ECTS credits, can also enrol in the first year of master’s academic studies.
In exercising the right to enrol in the study program, candidates have equal rights that cannot be limited on the basis of gender, race, marital status, skin colour, language, religion, political beliefs, national, social or ethnic origin, disability or other similar grounds, positions or circumstances. More on enrolment requirements can be found here.
Admission process
To enrol in the module International Security on Master Academic Studies in Political Science – International Studies, it is necessary to follow the application procedure proscribed by the Faculty of Political Science, and timely published on its website (the call for application is usually announced in July, while the applications are to be submitted in September/October). The conditions for enrolment in the International Security module are the same as for other modules in this master program. The tuition fee is approx. 124,000.00 dinars (academic 2020/21).
The admission process consists of a written entrance exam and interview. The entrance exam includes two parts – the translation of the text from English into Serbian and writing an essay on a given topic concerning international security. The entrance exam lasts a total of 90 minutes. After the entrance exam, an interview with the candidates is held. Since a significant part of the literature is in English, a solid knowledge of this foreign language is an important condition for enrolling in this module.
Literature for the entrance exam is: Filip Ejdus, Međunarodna bezbednost: Teorije, sektori i nivoi, Beograd, Čigoja Štampa i Fakultet političkih nauka, 2017 (or the first edition published by Službeni glasnik, 2012) The book can be purchased in the scriptorium of the Faculty of Political Sciences (165 Jove Ilića, Belgrade).
All interested students can also apply for a scholarship offered each year by the OSCE Mission to Serbia. During the year, the OSCE Mission to Serbia organizes additional activities for scholarship holders, such as a summer school and expert visits to security institutions in the country and abroad. Those interested in applying for a scholarship by OSCE Mission to Serbia still have to apply for both the competition for master’s studies at FPN and the competition for OSCE scholarships.
Criteria for determining the order of candidates
A candidate for enrolment in the study program can achieve a maximum of 100 points, based on the success achieved during undergraduate academic studies, the length of study and results achieved in the entrance exam and interview.
A person can exercise the right to enrol if he/she is positioned on the final ranking list up to the number proposed by the call for applications published by the Faculty.
A candidate can enrol in a study program in the status of a student that is financed from the budget of the Republic of Serbia (budget student) if he/she is positioned on the final ranking list up to the number approved for enrolment at the expense of the state budget.
The candidate can enrol in the study program in the status of a self-financing student if he/she is positioned on the final ranking list up to the number determined for the enrolment of self-financing students.
More information on ranking criteria can be found here.
Calendar of application and enrollment
- Applications should be submitted in the period September 15 – 30, 2021.
- Lists of candidates with information on their average grade from the previous level of study will be published on October 4, 2021, at 4:00 pm.
- The entrance exam will be conducted on October 6, 2021, at 5:00 pm.
- Preliminary ranking lists will be published on October 8, 2021.
- Final ranking lists will be published on October 11, 2021.
- Enrolment will take place on October 12-13, 2021, in line with the schedule by study programs.
- Presentation of elective courses will be done as of October 18, 2021.
- Classes will start as of October 25, 2021.