Master in International Relations at University of Milan
Two-year international relations master at the University of Milan whose International Security and Regional Dynamics curriculum is taught in English, covering security, regional politics, international law and economics.
Master
2 years
Milan
Multiple
University of Milan
The Master in International Relations at the University of Milan is a two-year, 120 ECTS degree (class LM-52-R) taught in Italian and English, with an English-taught curriculum in International Security and Regional Dynamics. Classes are in Milan. Non-EU students with family income abroad pay a fixed fee by country group, from €200 a year.
Entry requirements
- A bachelor's degree in a field such as political science and international relations, economics, law, business, languages, history, philosophy or social sciences, or an equivalent foreign degree.
- At least 60 credits across economics, law, political science or history and English, including at least 9 in economics, 15 in law and 9 in political science or history.
- English at B2: 9 graded credits in English language in your degree or a B2 certificate; applicants with a foreign degree upload an English B2 certificate.
- A written multiple-choice admission test in English on international law, political economics and international relations; applicants with a foreign degree may be asked to sit it depending on their background.
- An application on apply.unimi.it with a €30 fee, your degree certificate, transcript and CV.
About the programme
International Relations (REL) is a two-year master's degree in class LM-52-R, run in Milan by the Department of International, Legal, Historical and Political Studies of the University of Milan. The degree is taught in Italian and English across four curricula. The one to choose if you study in English is International Security and Regional Dynamics, whose course units, apart from optional language courses, are all listed as taught in English and whose entrance exam is entirely in English. A second curriculum, International Cooperation and Human Rights, is mostly in English but includes a compulsory unit taught in Italian.
The programme builds advanced skills in the political, legal, economic, historical and social analysis of international affairs. The security curriculum suits graduates in political science, economics, law or related fields interested in conflict, regional politics and international law.
What you will study
The International Security and Regional Dynamics curriculum combines security studies, international law, economics and regional history. You also choose regional history and politics courses on the Americas, North Africa and the Middle East, Sub-Saharan Africa or East Asia. Units in the 2026/27 plan include:
- English Legal Discourse in International Relations (9 ECTS)
- War and Security in International Politics (9 ECTS)
- History of Regional Integrations
- Globalisation and Regionalisation in International Security
- International Monetary Economics
- International Law or International Law of Armed Conflict (9 ECTS)
- International Economic Law
- Transnational Constitution-Making
How the programme is taught
The year is organised in trimesters, and attendance is recommended. Optional 9 ECTS language courses are offered in Arabic, Chinese, French, German, Japanese, Russian and Spanish. You also earn 9 ECTS through an internship of 225 hours or an advanced foreign language course. The degree ends with a 21 ECTS final exam: an original thesis that the manifesto allows in Italian or English. Erasmus+ partners include universities in France, Spain, Germany, Poland, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Belgium, Norway and the United Kingdom.
Career paths
For the security curriculum, the university points to analysis and research roles in strategic, political and international legal studies. Outlets it names include:
- Think tanks
- Study centres of multinational companies
- International rating agencies
- Research offices of trade associations
- Public and private research institutes in Italy and abroad
Fees and scholarships
International Relations is in fee Area A, the lower band of the 2026/27 fee regulation. Non-EU students whose family lives and earns abroad pay a fixed second instalment by country group: €200 a year in Group A, which includes countries like India and Nigeria, €910 in Group B and €3,204 in Group C, plus a first instalment from €146. The university runs the Lombardy regional DSU scholarship, and full winners pay no second instalment: zero euro tuition for eligible students.
How to apply from outside the EU
Passing the entrance exam is a condition of admission: for this curriculum it is a multiple-choice test in English on international law, political economics and international relations. Applicants with a foreign degree may be asked to sit it depending on their background. For 2026/27, non-EU visa applicants applied on apply.unimi.it between 22 January and 30 April 2026 with a €30 fee and an English B2 certificate. The 2027/28 notice was not yet published in September 2026.
Once admitted, you file Universitaly pre-enrolment (by 31 July for 2026/27), apply for a type D study visa and provide a CIMEA statement or declaration of value.
How ApplyAZ helps
If this programme fits your goals, ApplyAZ can include it in a shortlist of 20 to 30 English-taught programmes at Italian public universities. We write your CV and a tailored statement of purpose, submit your applications and Universitaly pre-enrolment, file your DSU scholarship application and prepare your visa file, with a named person on each stage. The university decides admission, the region decides the scholarship and the consulate decides the visa. See how ApplyAZ works or check your eligibility.
Questions and answers
Can I study International Relations entirely in English?
Yes, through the International Security and Regional Dynamics curriculum, whose course units, apart from optional language courses, are all listed as taught in English. The degree as a whole is bilingual, and the thesis can be written in Italian or English.
What bachelor's background do I need?
A degree in fields such as political science, economics, law or social sciences, with at least 60 credits across these areas and English, including at least 9 in economics, 15 in law and 9 in political science or history.
Is there an entrance test?
Yes. Passing a written multiple-choice test is required for admission. For this curriculum it is in English and covers international law, political economics and international relations.
What English level do I need?
B2. You can show it with 9 graded credits of English language in your bachelor's degree or a B2 certificate, and applicants with a foreign degree upload an English B2 certificate.
How much are the fees?
This degree is in the lower fee Area A. For 2026/27, students with family income abroad pay a fixed second instalment by country group, from €200 a year in Group A, plus a first instalment from €146.
What careers does the security curriculum lead to?
The university names analysis and research roles in think tanks, study centres of multinational companies, international rating agencies, trade association research offices and public or private research institutes.
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