East European Studies is a fully-fledged Master of Arts degree offering the following features:
The program consists of three components:
Our digital learning environment provides you with all the material needed to complete your studies.
These are your digital learning benefits:
Twice a year, you will meet your professors and peers in Berlin for in-house classes face-to-face. Usually these intensive seminar weeks are scheduled in the end of September/beginning of October and in the end of February/beginning of March. The in-house classes span one week from Monday to Friday.
These are your in-house classes benefits:
Please note: You are liable for your travel and accommodation costs incurred during the in-house classes.
East European Studies is concluded with a master thesis. This is your opportunity to demonstrate that you are able to independently work through a research project in the field of East European Studies on an advanced academic level. You create a research design, work through the theoretical approach and empirical data, and present the results adequately.
You write the master thesis in English within 12 weeks. It should comprise about 12,000 words. An oral exam concludes the master thesis. You will receive your certificate during a festive graduation ceremony in Berlin.
What is e-learning? E-learning means that learning processes are initialized and supported by digitalized content in bits and bytes. This includes multimedia material in various formats such as audio, video, pictures, software, and scanned texts. Our master program uses the advantages of a professional e-learning platform to offer high quality standards in web-based education in combination with in-house classes. This didactic method is called “Blended Learning”. It includes a mix of online and “offline” phases designed to familiarize you with new ways of virtual learning methods.
Our learning system allows for the constant integration of relevant information on Eastern Europe caused by the rapid changes of global processes. Modules are revised continuously, links are checked and amended, the resource pool gets enlarged. All reading material is provided for you.
The content delivery system is optimized showing the contens on any device in the best way.
Your need for flexibility, mobility and independence is accounted for by the possibility to access the East European Studies learning platform anywhere at any time. Getting in touch with your instructors, colleagues and the learning contents regardless of time and space enables you to experience the advantages of virtual e-learning processes. Most of our students reconcile studies with a job and/or a family.
You decide how and when you want to learn: the pace of your learning progress and the adoption of the offered learning material is up to you. Problem- and results-oriented tasks will open up new possibilities for working on specific issue areas in the context of East European Studies in a virtual environment. Learning control is effected individually with the aid of tasks that are to be submitted.
Depending on your preference for a learning strategy, content is offered in different formats. Reading material is easily accessible on the learning platform and provided as printable PDF-files. Web-based pools of regional and cross-regional links as well as broad research possibilities such as databases are offered with regard to a wide range of East European and international topics. Moreover, multimedia elements such as video, audio and pictures are implemented on the platform. You can even listen to each learning unit!
The learning platform used by East European Studies offers you a complete study environment. You find the contents of the modules as well as helpful material. You submit your tasks through this system as well. For virtual communication and data exchange with your colleagues, various functions are available. Discussion board and e-mail functions are of fundamental importance for communication among your fellows and instructors. Data can easily be transferred to electronic drop boxes as well as file sharing storages. E-mail function, real-time chats and virtual classrooms provide you with opportunities to communicate directly and efficiently about contending issues.
East European Studies guarantees that you will receive individual tutoring and feedback, guidance and attention during your online studies as well as during the in-house classes. The program team is always available for support and counselling. Instructors answer questions concerning individual modules and advise in regard to tasks. Technical support is provided constantly. We are also very much interested in students' feedback and act upon it.
The four regular in-house classes in Berlin are short enough to be compatible with your leave days and long enough to meet your fellow students and each instructor. The participants are very international from Indonesia to Belarus, the US and plenty of other European states. They have all sorts of background (from business people with an interest in Eastern Europe to journalists, architects, social workers etc.). The alternation of in-house and online periods results in blended learning. You will acquire soft skills and social competences such as the ability to work in an international team. Last but not least, never forget: You will have fun and get to know interesting people and can share your opinions and interests with them!