Master in International Relations and Diplomatic Affairs at University of Bologna
Two-year master on the University of Bologna's Forlì campus whose English curriculum, Transnational Challenges and Global Governance, covers global governance, international law, inequality, regional history and international politics.
Master
2 years
Bologna
Multiple
University of Bologna
The Master in International Relations and Diplomatic Affairs is a two-year, 120 ECTS degree (class LM-52-R) at the University of Bologna's Forlì campus. Its Transnational Challenges and Global Governance curriculum is taught in English, the other in Italian. Tuition follows family income, or a flat fee for non-OECD citizens.
Entry requirements
Detailed entry requirements
International Relations and Diplomatic Affairs requires a suitable first-cycle qualification, the specified curricular background, B2 English and an assessment of personal preparation. The reviewed course page contains both standing rules and older intake dates, so dated conditions must be interpreted in their own academic-year context.
Degree-class route
- The listed Italian classes are L-5, L-11, L-12, L-14, L-16, L-20, L-33, L-36, L-37, L-40 and L-42, together with DS/1 and LMG/01. These cover specified humanities, language, legal, administrative, communication, economics, political and social-science backgrounds.
- Previous-system and foreign degrees are assessed for equivalence by the university committee. A foreign degree title that resembles an Italian class is not an automatic equivalence decision.
Alternative subject-credit route
- Applicants from another degree class need at least 32 CFU in the specified subject groups: IUS/13-14; M-GGR/02; M-STO/02-04; SECS-P/01-02; SECS-S/01; and SPS/03-07, SPS/11 and SPS/13-14.
- We submit a transcript showing each completed examination, credits and disciplinary classification. For an overseas transcript, course descriptions can help the board determine which modules correspond to the required subjects. Counting all social-science credits together without checking these groups may give an incorrect eligibility result.
Language and personal preparation
- B2 English is required. The programme’s published preparation assessment covers the interdisciplinary background needed for political, economic, legal, historical, sociological and language study.
- We use the applicable call to establish accepted English evidence, selection arrangements and document deadlines. We check a certificate’s validity against that call; possession of any English certificate is not sufficient by itself.
Pending degrees and dated instructions
- The course page reviewed still displays some 2025 conditional-admission dates alongside later guidance. In particular, its 2025 completed-credit and graduation deadlines are not 2026/27 deadlines.
- For an applicant who has not graduated, we follow the current call’s minimum completed-credit and final qualification deadlines. This review confirms the standing academic and language criteria but does not treat an older timetable as an open application window.
Sources and verification
- University of Bologna. International Relations and Diplomatic Affairs: programme enrolment, curricular requirements and personal preparation. standing guidance; reviewed 6 October 2026.
About the programme
International Relations and Diplomatic Affairs is a two-year master's degree in class LM-52-R, run by the Department of Political and Social Sciences (SPS) on the University of Bologna's Forlì campus. Access is restricted, and the degree has two curricula: Transnational Challenges and Global Governance, the English-taught path, and Politica e Sicurezza Internazionale, which is taught in Italian.
The university describes it as an advanced path to interpret and respond to international diplomatic challenges. The English curriculum suits graduates in political science, economics, law, history, languages or sociology who want to work on global questions such as inequality, migration, energy and security. The programme page also lists double or multiple degree options.
What you will study
In the Transnational Challenges and Global Governance curriculum, the first year combines four compulsory units with a foreign language (French, German, Russian or Spanish) and electives in international history, politics and sociology. The second year adds laboratories, an economics unit and a wide choice of electives before the final exam. Units in the 2026/27 study plan include:
- Economics of Inequality
- Ethical Issues and Social Change
- International Law of the Global Commons
- Regional and Global Governance
- Energy Transition and International Politics, or Migrations, Borders and Belongings in Contemporary Global Orders
- The US in World Politics, International Relations of Africa or International Relations of the Middle East
- International Economics or Development Economics
- Laboratories such as Cyberspace and International Politics, Food Security in International Politics and Emerging Market Risk: How to Write Country Risk Report
How the programme is taught
Much of the second year is yours to shape: electives range from Diplomatic and Consular Law and Strategic Studies to Pan-European Security and Security Policies in East Asia, and an 8 ECTS internship can count towards the plan. Optional language courses offered on campus, such as Arabic, Chinese and Portuguese, can add up to 12 ECTS.
Career paths
The programme page names the professional profiles the degree prepares for. Graduates can look at roles such as:
- Officer in international organisations
- International affairs reporter
- Specialist in international politics
- Peacekeeper
- Export sales manager
Fees and scholarships
Fees on the Forlì campus follow family income (ISEE): with an ISEE of €27,000 or less, this programme can be tuition-free for eligible students. Families with income and assets abroad declare them to ER.GO, the Emilia-Romagna right-to-study body, instead of an ISEE. Citizens of non-EU, non-OECD countries, a list that includes countries like India, can instead choose a flat fee. ER.GO scholarship winners are exempt from tuition.
How to apply from outside the EU
This degree runs its own ranked selection. For 2026/27 it offered 140 places, and 15 of them were reserved for non-EU candidates living abroad in the first round, which closed on 4 May 2026, with the ranking published on 29 May. A second round, from 5 May to 3 July 2026, offered 35 places to EU and equivalent applicants plus any places left unassigned. We apply on Studenti Online with a non-refundable selection fee. The 2027/28 call is not yet published.
Once you are admitted, we complete the Universitaly pre-enrolment that the consulate needs for your type D study visa, and then you enrol and pay the first instalment. A foreign degree is checked by the International Student Administration Office on arrival.
How ApplyAZ helps
ApplyAZ is an Italy-based consultancy that works only with public universities. We can include this programme in a shortlist of 20 to 30 English-taught programmes that fit your profile, so your plan never rests on a single application.
For eligible students who start with us, a named person owns each stage, from A to Z:
- We check your transcript against Bologna's entry rules for this programme.
- We write your CV and a tailored statement of purpose.
- We prepare and submit your Studenti Online selection application and Universitaly pre-enrolment.
- We help you declare your family income for reduced fees and file your ER.GO Emilia-Romagna scholarship application at the right time and in the right format.
- We prepare your visa file.
With operations in all 20 Italian regions, we follow each region's scholarship rules and deadlines as they change. The university decides admission, the region decides the scholarship and the consulate decides the visa, so no one can promise an outcome. You pay in milestones, and every service you pay for is either delivered or its fee is refunded (terms apply).
Programmes at Italian public universities can be tuition-free for eligible students. Check if you are eligible and book a one-to-one consultation session with one of our Italy experts, or see how ApplyAZ works.
Questions and answers
Is a political-science degree the only route?
No. Several degree classes are listed, and another degree may qualify through the specified 32-CFU route.
How many credits does the alternative route require?
At least 32 CFU in the programme’s designated subject groups.
What English level is required?
B2. The current call determines acceptable evidence.
Are foreign degrees considered?
Yes. The university committee assesses their suitability and equivalence.
Can I rely on the page’s 2025 dates for 2026/27?
No. Older conditional-admission dates are historical, and we follow the current call’s deadlines.
Is an eligible degree enough for admission?
No. The preparation assessment and applicable admission procedure also have to be satisfied.
Can someone handle my whole application to International Relations and Diplomatic Affairs at Bologna?
Yes. ApplyAZ, an Italy-based consultancy that works only with public universities, checks your transcript against Bologna's rules for this programme, handles the application and Universitaly pre-enrolment, helps you file the ER.GO Emilia-Romagna scholarship application at the right time and in the right format, and prepares your visa file, for eligible students. Start by checking your eligibility.
I'm applying from India. What is the route into International Relations and Diplomatic Affairs?
Indian degrees are assessed for equivalence by the university committee [1]. You need a degree in one of the listed classes or an equivalent, or at least 32 CFU in the specified law, history, economics, statistics, geography and political and social science groups, plus English at B2 [1]. The steps are a Studenti Online application, the ranked selection and Universitaly pre-enrolment. Indian students apply for the type D study visa at the Italian embassy or consulate that covers their state, such as New Delhi, Mumbai or Bengaluru.
Is the route different from Pakistan, Bangladesh or Sri Lanka?
No. The academic rules for International Relations and Diplomatic Affairs are the same whatever your nationality. Applicants from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka follow the same steps as India: a Studenti Online application, the ranked selection and Universitaly pre-enrolment, then a type D study visa from the Italian mission for their country of residence. Read our guide for students in Dhaka.
I live in the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, Oman or Bahrain. Where do I apply for the visa?
At the Italian embassy or consulate responsible for the country where you legally live, after Universitaly pre-enrolment. The academic rules for International Relations and Diplomatic Affairs are the same whatever your nationality, and Gulf residents follow the same steps: a Studenti Online application, the ranked selection and Universitaly pre-enrolment. Read our guides for Dubai, Riyadh and Doha.
I studied or live in London, New York, Toronto, Vancouver, Singapore or Kuala Lumpur. What is the route?
The academic rules for International Relations and Diplomatic Affairs are the same whatever your nationality, and your degree is assessed like any other foreign qualification. Non-EU applicants who live abroad follow the same route: a Studenti Online application, the ranked selection and Universitaly pre-enrolment, then a type D study visa from the Italian mission for where they live. Read our guides for students in London, New York, Toronto, Vancouver, Singapore and Kuala Lumpur.
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