Laurea (First cycle degree/Bachelor - 180 ECTS) in INTERNATIONAL STUDIES

The undergraduate degree programme in International Studies aims to train qualified professionals with the competencies for analysing and interpreting political, economic and social phenomena, specialising in the analysis of international and intercultural relations.
During the three years, students may choose whether to specialise in international relations or human rights (cultures and human rights). In the first case, the study of relations between states and non-state entities is concentrated on issues related to international relations being looked into, first of all, by providing students with the theoretical analysis instruments and, secondly, by implementing them in real empirical cases. The contents of this curriculum focus above all on aspects and issues related to the development of the European political system and its institutions. This study programme also concentrates on the analysis of contemporary political processes of European and non-European geographic areas and on the study of the relations between these areas. In this way, students will acquire conceptual knowledge and adequate empirical knowledge of contemporary international relations. This curriculum trains experts specialised in international relations, focusing on political issues. Careers and sectors of reference include: institutions and public bodies, national and supranational ones, international and supranational organisations, and private companies operating at national and international level. In particular, this degree programme provides students with skills to work in local authority offices that deal with international issues or relations with the European Community. Students will have the necessary competencies to work in embassies and Italian cultural institutes abroad. International Studies graduates also will have the necessary competencies to work as operators in NGOs that deal with decentralised cooperation. The competencies acquired also allow graduates to work in study centres specialised in studying Europe and non-European countries. With the competencies acquired, graduates will be able to work in the lower levels of Community organisations. Finally, graduates can also pursue a career in press offices of bodies and companies involved at international level.
Students who choose to elaborate upon the themes related to cultures and human rights will have knowledge related to human rights in modern society in an international perspective. The study of these issues falls within a broader anthropological dimension which takes into account the role of different cultural contexts in the interpretation of human rights and adopts the analysis instruments of cultural and “gender” studies. Students will have instruments which are useful in particular to those who wish to work in national and international institutions that deal with intercultural issues. The programme trains operators specialised in the promotion and political and diplomatic protection of human and minority rights with the competencies for working in Italian and international institutions and organisations in the following sectors and roles: cultural mediator, ombudsman, protection of the rights of citizens and minority groups, educating for human rights and democratisation processes, third sector. The focus on “gender differences” trains operators and “equality consultants” who will be able to work in cultural, employment, and health sectors, as well as local bodies to offer advice and assistance to women concerning their family, social, employment and political rights. All International Studies students will have necessary skills and knowledge to take part, as intermediate level employees in organisations, in electoral observation and technical assistance missions which are part of peacebuilding processes that aim to set up institutions and facilities to favour the promotion of democracy.

KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING ABILITY:
Graduates:

- will have interdisciplinary methodological, cultural and professional knowledge in the legal, economic, political, historical and linguistic sectors, focusing on non-European countries;

- will have knowledge of macroeconomics which is necessary for understanding the trends of modern market economies;

- will have knowledge of issues related to the evolution of human rights in political theory;

- will have knowledge of the main issues related to political legitimisation and obligation in the historical dynamics of international relations;

- will have knowledge regarding the history of political thought: in particular the evolution of constitutional thought, state theory and political theories;

- will have knowledge of the European institutional set-up and of the comparative history of European political systems in contemporary times;

- will have knowledge of the main themes related to the modernisation process in Europe in modern and contemporary time, such as the secularisation of European culture and the surfacing of intercultural dynamics with a focus on the history of women and gender relations.

The above-listed knowledge and understanding abilities are achieved through attending lectures, seminars, supervised home study, and individual home study provided for in particular by the basic and core curriculum subject areas: political history, political economy, political science, sociology and law.
Assessment is mainly through oral and written exams, tests and oral presentations.

ABILITY TO APPLY KNOWLEDGE AND TO UNDERSTAND:
Graduates:
- will have the ability to apply sociological instruments and methods for analysing social systems;
- will have theoretical competencies and instruments for the empirical application of theories to interpret international relations;
- will have knowledge of community law and the competence to apply it professionally for a correct interpretation of the regulations of European institutions and their application in their field of operation.

Achieving the ability to apply the knowledge and understanding listed above is accomplishedthrough critical reflection on texts proposed for home study stimulated through classroom activities, study of research and application cases indicated by the professors, bibliographic research, individual and/or group projects as part of laboratory activities, provided for in particular in common curriculum course units or elective course units included in the programme, and in the following core subject areas: political history, political science, political economy, legal studies; these skills are also developed during the workshops, the preparation of the final paper and other course units that students may choose including also the curricular or training internship connected to the preparation of the final paper.
Assessments (written and oral exams, essays, problem solving activities and role playing) provide for the completion of specific tasks to assess the students' command of instruments and methodologies described above, and their critical autonomy. Internships are assessed through the presentation of an evaluation by the student and company tutor or through the assessment of the report on the activity carried out presented during the final paper.

JUDGEMENT SKILLS
Graduates:

- will have the ability to understand and interpret from a legal point of view phenomena such as: creation of international regulations, self-determination of peoples, individual rights in international law, fundamental rights of the Charter of the European Union, Constitution of the European Union, role of multinationals, role of the WTO;

- will have the ability to collect data and information from different sources and re-elaborate their knowledge to make a comparative analysis of political systems and their evolutions;

- will have the ability to collect data and information from different sources and re-elaborate their knowledge to analyse political dynamics of international relations;
- will have the ability understand public and private issues of modern societies and equal opportunity policies at national and international level.

Judgement skills are developed in particular through seminars, case studies and monographs, role playing, papers, reading of scholarly publications (in particular in the juridical, historical-political, political-economic subject areas) which focus on the relation between the historical and current dimension of international relations: these skills are also developed through internship and traineeship activities and during the preparation of the final paper.
Judgement skills are assessed as follows: course units included in the student's individual study programme, level of participation in seminars, capacity to work alone and as part of a group, during the workshop, preparation of the final paper and internship.

COMMUNICATION SKILLS:
Graduates:

- will have the ability to communicate in English and in another European Language at level B1 (written and oral);

- will have the ability to communicate their knowledge interacting with work groups and institutions both orally and in writing.

Written and oral communication skills are developed throughout the study programme, in particular during historical-political course units. The ability to write essays, documents and to present them orally is improved during department seminars and the preparation of the final paper. The above-listed communication skills are also acquired through the final paper, during the traineeship-internship and final paper, and during a special international studies workshop.
English language and the second foreign language are acquired and assessed through specific courses, seminars and relevant tests.

LEARNING SKILLS:
Graduates:

- will have the ability to use work methods and learning instruments to update their knowledge and undertake further studies and in particular, they will be able to carry out bibliographic research and gather information to keep updated.

Graduates:

- will have the ability to update their knowledge of regulations in the legal field;

- will have the ability to extend their knowledge in the historical-political and international relations sector through specialist literature.

Learning skills are developed throughout the overall course programme, in particular during home study, in the preparation of projects, by taking part in seminars and during the preparation of the final paper.

Learning skills are continuously assessed during the course units where particular importance is given to students' ability to work to deadlines and students are required to present data collected autonomously, and through the evaluation of self-learning skills matured during the activity in preparation of the final paper.