Faculty of Political Science and Journalism, UMCS
Głęboka 45, 20-612 Lublin, Poland

Master of Arts (MA) |  Full time studies |  2 years/ 4 semesters |  English |   ECTS 120

BA graduates in humanities and social sciences interested in acquiring, deepening, and developing knowledge and competencies in public history and the politics of memory in international relations. The direction is aimed at those interested in developing skills and abilities in practical activities: shaping memory policy, implementing systemic expertise, and establishing international cooperation.

Students will acquire, among others:

Specialized knowledge, focused competences and skills in the practical use of historical memory and history in international relations and other areas of policy-making and academic research. The program combines learning theoretical foundations and training practical skills. Graduates of the program will have the knowledge and skills necessary for independent research activities: posing and solving research problems, summarizing and analyzing existing knowledge, academic writing and joint research (including organizing international scientific cooperation). They will have competences in the management of research and educational infrastructure, popularization of scientific knowledge and publishing activities. Specialization will allow them to find work in areas such as: politics, public and government institutions, non-governmental organizations and independent research, diplomacy, teaching, media, tourism, management of cultural institutions, archives and museums. The program will provide graduates with practical skills and competences that, according to the latest specialized labor market research in the field of public history, are most sought after by employers, including: project management, fundraising, written and verbal communication, historical and historiographic research, public policy analysis, public programming and interpretation: all in the context of the practical use of history and historical memory.

The studies will include the following subjects related to a given area, i.e.:

• Introduction to politics of history and memory studies,
• Major approaches to international relations: theory, analytical tools and practices,
• Introduction to public history,
• International relations, mnemopolitics and security,
• Sites of memory: international and national agenda,
• Memory narratives, propaganda and discourse analysis: school of deconstruction,
• Transnational politics of memory: projects, actors, actions,
• Memory laws: national and international dimensions,
• International relations, cultural diplomacy and historical policy,
• Public history and education: national, transnational and international agenda,
• Public relations, communication and media: historical memory issues,
• Memories in transit: post-communist transformations and international relations,
• Memory wars: the politics of history as an extreme,
• Historical heritage and cultural diplomacy,
• Mnemopolitics: strategic planning, policy analysis,
• Cultural memory, nationalism, international relations and transnational agenda,
• World Wars and the politics of the past.

Opportunities during your studies

Students will have the opportunity to study in an international environment, and classes will be conducted not only by specialists from UMCS, but also from other universities and institutions – outside Poland. Moreover, students will be able to develop their interests within scientific clubs and during professional internships, as well as study visits to institutions related to the subject of studies (international organizations, cultural institutions, archives and museums, etc.). Studies at the Faculty of Political Science and Journalism also provide the opportunity to meet figures from the world of politics, diplomacy, media, and culture. UMCS also offers the opportunity to develop personal competences, social activity (student organizations, student government) and entrepreneurship (Academic Business Incubator), and practicing sports (Physical Culture Center). As part of programs to internationalize the teaching process, students can, among others: participate in the Erasmus student exchange program. Students can also count on psychological support. Lublin, as a large urban center, also offers various opportunities for students to find work.

Strengths

The education program in the field of “Public History in International Relations” proposed by UMCS stands out among other similar fields of study due to the diversity of its curriculum and the uniqueness of the proposed content. The innovation of the proposed master’s program lies in the fact that it was created within the discipline of international relations, which makes it the first program of its kind at European universities. The program of the course has been designed so that its content reflects the multi-level and multi-dimensional nature of the phenomenon of public history in the international space and in conditions of dynamic changes and in the face of emerging new challenges. Thus, graduates of the field have the opportunity to obtain deep and specialized knowledge in the field of shaping collective memory and historical policy, as well as acquiring practical ways of influencing this type of memory and collective consciousness. The skills acquired during the study program presented in this way include: analysis of the processing of past evidence; writing speeches and preparing other texts popularizing knowledge in the field of historical memory and history in international relations; locating historical elements in the mass media, entertainment or the broadly understood virtual environment; consolidating, shaping, and promoting the memory of the past in the broad context of the development of modern technologies and political and social changes and their consequences at various levels of the functioning of the international system.

The teaching staff consists of employees of the Institute of International Relations and the Institute of Political Science and Administration of UMCS, with significant research and teaching achievements in the field of international relations and public history, as well as employees of partner institutions. It should also be emphasized that the Faculty of Political Science and Journalism of UMCS has very good premises, with modern teaching infrastructure and appropriately equipped teaching rooms, also providing the possibility of remote teaching. The Faculty Library is equipped with English literature and offers access to electronic versions of numerous magazines.

Study graduates obtain qualifications useful for:

Not only for historians, but for a broader professional audience beyond specialists in history and memory. It will be of interest to those who plan to pursue an academic career in the humanities and social sciences, as well as those who intend to enhance their competencies after graduation or are already working in fields such as policy-making, policy analysis, and strategizing, tourism, media, and journalism, social networking, museology and publishing, popular history, education, cultural management, the arts, the gaming industry, entertainment, etc.

Qualification rules

1. Admission is open to both Polish citizens and international students.
2. Programme is offered on a tuition fee-paying basis to candidates holding a bachelor degree or any other equivalent degree which entitles them to undertake the Master’s degree programme in the country where the documents were issued.
3. A candidate must submit a complete set of application documents (visit Application Procedure Tab above ⭡), including the certificate proving the applicant’s English language skills (list of recognized certificates: https://rekrutacja.umcs.pl/en/language-proficiency-certifications/  ) or a document confirming that the Education was fully conducted in English (issued by the school/University) and/or based on an interview in English.
4. Registration is open within the admission period or until all the vacancies are filled.
5. Academic documents should be translated into Polish. Visit database of recognized sworn translators in Poland HERE.
   NB: Please contact the Admissions Office for further guidance.

The required registration fee payment is PLN 85. Please check the instructions on how to make a payment in the system.

Admission enquiries: studyinenglish@umcs.pl

1) Create an account and fill in the required fields,

2) Scan and combine the following application documents into a single PDF file;

• Academic documents: Bachelor degree original certificates with transcript of records (Apostille or legalized copies for international students) along with the eligibility statement. If the documents are issued in a different language other than English/Polish we require a translation.  
• Certificate demonstrating the applicant’s English language proficiency (Refer to the list of recognized certificates) or contact the admissions team to schedule an interview.
• Passport bio page with clear details.
• Confirmation of payment for the APPLICATION FEE (mandatory)
• Candidate Profile Form:
  – Complete the required fields in the portal,
  – Download the candidate profile generated by the IRK application system,
  – Print, fill in date, handwritten signature by the applicant.  

3) Upload the consolidated PDF file (Documents mentioned above) into the application portal.

4) Upon finalizing with the process above, contact the admission office to initiate a review of your application. Email: studyinenglish@mail.umcs.pl

Note: Kindly contact the admissions office only after completing the payment of the application fee for your chosen program.