MA in European Law and Policy

DCU is currently finalising plans for a phased and incremental return to campus, with a view to welcoming all students to the DCU campuses in September. Students should plan to attend face-to face classes in Semester 1 2021-2022. Please see https://www.dcu.ie/attendingdcu-students-studying-at-dcu for more information.

Introduction

The EU is an increasingly important policy and legal actor. EU action cuts across virtually every policy field including security, economic policy, migration, human rights and the environment. In response, DCU has established the Masters in European Law and Policy, an innovative programme which will equip graduates with the knowledge and skills to navigate and address diverse challenges from Brexit to the migration crisis.

A broad curriculum will familiarise students with the legislative and institutional structure of the European Union and the operation of EU law while equipping students with core skills of public policy design and analysis. Core modules include Law & Politics of Brexit, one of the first modules of its kind on the island of Ireland, as well as optional modules that focus on key policy areas such as migration, the environment, and EU foreign policy. A special effort is made to integrate legal and public policy skills and to consider law in light of policy requirements and the role of law in shaping and implementing policy.

Speaking in relation to this programme, Denis McShane (UK Minister of European Affairs during the Blair Government), said:
"The DCU Master in European Law & Policy steered by the Brexit Institute is the ideal graduate program for anyone interested in understanding the law & politics of Brexit and future of Europe".

DCU is home to the Brexit Institute, Europe’s first and Ireland’s only centre designed to analyse the legal, political and economic impact of Brexit from both a research and a policy perspective. It is also home to the BRIDGE Project, a Jean Monnet Network funded by the European Union’s Erasmus+ programme. Students on this programme will benefit from the very close links between our teaching faculty and these high level initiatives.