Spring/February intake

Course Overview 2011-2012 (Spring/February intake)

The Academic year 2011-2012 starts both in September 2011 (see course layout above) or February 2012. The course layout for the February, or Spring, 2012 intake is as follows. The European Seminar lectures run on a fortnightly basis throughout the year.

• First semester 2012
• Second semester Fall 2012
• Schedual February Intake

First semester 2012

During the first semester the students follow two compulsory basic courses and three electives. In addition, students follow a methodology course. At the end of the first semester, the students will present their thesis research plans.

The first semester is divided into 2 blocks of 6 weeks each.

The first block consists of:

Institutions of the EU (5504VINS)
In this course, the focus will be on the functioning of the EU’s institutions and the methods of decision-making as well as on various important aspects of its external relations. Since its start in the fifties, the EU has evolved into an ever more important multilevel system of integration – important, both in terms of its capacity of decision-making and its scope of policies. During the course the students will be provided with an understanding of the (institutional) structure of the EU and its functioning, in particular with regard to the role of the EU-institutions, their interplay and the balance between the EU-institutions and the member states, as well as of the most important venues of foreign policy and external relations. The course will cover the most important theories regarding the dynamics of EU integration and external relations.
The course consists of 12 sessions of 2 hours class: lectures and seminars. Students will be required to study weekly readings, to write and present two research papers, and to do an end-term exam. More information

Economics of the EU (5504VECO)
Arguably, European Integration has been most successful in the economic domain. The member states succeeded in creating a customs union and are working hard to achieve an internal market in goods, services, labour and capital. Gradually, the appeal of an economically integrated Europe widened the EU to 27 member states, from its original 6 in 1957. In this course, we will analyse the benefits of economic integration as well as the conditions that need to be fulfilled and the steps that need to be taken to achieve a truly internal market. More information

Contemporary Problems, Sources and Methods in EU Research  (Part 1) (5504VRES)
This course is divided into two components. The first component – to followed in the first semester – takes the form of a series of "how to" classes addressing problems of research and research design. During the first semester students are expected to write a fully annotated essay on the state of research in the subject area of their eventual thesis. Students will be introduced to the libraries and depositaries in both Leiden and the Hague. The second component of this course is followed in the second semester. More information

The second block consists of:

Seminar Courses
Students choose three of the electives provided in the second block of the first semester. The choice is made on the basis of consultation with students and on the availability/commitments of the staff. These courses will all be problem-oriented and interdisciplinary in nature, although each student may choose his or her own disciplinary accent within the written papers. As far as possible, these courses will be taught by practitioners who are brought in from outside the university. They include former ministers, members of parliament, ex-MEPs, present or former high ministerial functionaries, members of government advisory bureaus and a member of the supreme court. Their practical expertise offers a valuable added dimension. 
These are the titles of the courses where the students can choose from:

1. European Competition Law (5504KECLW - 12276)

2. Citizen's rights (5504KCRW - 1389)

3. Economic and Monetary Union (5504KEMUW - 1678)

4. Energy Policy (5504KENPW - 3125)

5. Implementation of EU Policy (5504KIEUW - 2173)

6. Russia and the EU (5504KEURW - 1679)

7. Social Policy (5504KSEPW - 1683)
   
   More information about these courses can be found in the e-prospectus

Second semester Fall 2012

During the second semester students follow two compulsory basic courses, a methodology course and write their thesis.

Contemporary Problems, Sources and Methods in EU Research (Part 2)
This course is divided into two components. The second component is followed in the second semester. of a series of lectures on qualitative and quantitative approaches to research and includes a 'hands-on' introduction to statistics.

European Law (5504VLAW)
This course intends to give students an understanding on how EU law shaped EU Integration. It will be seen that the Court of Justice of the European Union played the role of integration motor along side the political movements with in the Union. The basics of EU law will pass the review. First in a theoretical framework, by a series of lectures and then in a practical way. The students will be role-playing fictitious cases in different areas of EU law. In that way the course will not only give a theoretical foundation of EU law but also show how EU law is used in the EU of today.
 
History of European Integration (5504VHIS)
This course will examine the creation of Europe’s post-war international institutional architecture. It will assess the contemporary interpretation of the problems they were supposed to address, the problems with which they were actually confronted and their degree of success in meeting them.

Schedual February Intake

Timetable block 1 and 2

 Schedual final exams block 1: