Master of Peace and Security Studies (M.A.)
If working towards peace — whether in academia or in practice — is your goal, this degree programme will provide you with the prerequisites. It has been running for 20 years and is the only degree programme in Germany to date that combines a comprehensive focus on issues of security policy and security research with a peace studies perspective.
It is designed for students who have already completed at least a bachelor’s degree. For the winter semester 2022/23, the programme will be changed to a standard period of study of four semesters, which can be studied consecutively for Bachelor graduates (admission requirement: 180 ECTS) at the University of Hamburg. Students with the necessary credit requirements (240 ECTS) can continue to apply for a one-year programme option.
The curriculum combines research-oriented learning with a strong practical orientation. It is unique in its interdisciplinary focus: knowledge and competences are taught at the interface between social sciences, law, humanities, ethics and natural sciences.
We closely cooperate with other academic institutions in Germany and abroad whose work is thematically related to that of the IFSH.
Students will obtain basic knowledge about topics, theories and methods of peace and security policy research and will be introduced to the fundamentals of their practice-oriented processing. The focus of the programme is on questions of identifying peace and security policy problems, possible options for action and instruments for dealing with these challenges as well as their normative evaluation from a peace science perspective.
The variety of topics in this course of study is reflected in the diversity of its students, who hail from countries all over the world and have diverse academic backgrounds as well. They include not only social scientists, but also engineers, educators and jurists, often with professional experience. The cooperation network enables a great diversity in the range of teaching and internships. The curriculum includes also field trips to the Bundestag in Berlin, the OSCE in Vienna or the European Parliament in Brussels. Placements from previous years show that our graduates are sought-after specialists on the job market. They work in sectors such as academia, non-governmental organisations and diplomatic service.
The study programme is free of charge. Here you can find more information about the degree programme and application procedure.
The programme is supported by an alumni network comprised of a community of current and former students, lecturers and supporters of the institute.
APPLICATION PERIOD:
15.2. - 31.3.2025