European Studies

Overview

Students engage in the study of modern European history, political economy and current affairs. The program equips concentrators to analyze what is happening in contemporary Europe, including Russia, and to understand Europe’s role in the world.

Employment Outcomes

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SAIS graduates are in great demand by employers in the public, private and nonprofit sectors. Economics knowledge, analytical abilities, regional expertise, diplomatic skills, language proficiency and the capacity to apply theory to real-world problems give our students a distinct professional advantage.

Meet Our Faculty

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“Europe is alive with new ideas and old challenges. It is the birthplace of the nation-state, the seat of empires, the home of the welfare state and the world’s greatest laboratory for regional integration. It is also a place where authoritarianism rubs up against democracy, where organized crime mingles with ethnic conflict and where Christianity meets Islam. SAIS gives students the opportunity to experience the many facets of Europe firsthand.”

Erik Jones, -European Studies

The Curriculum

Course Catalog

Concentrators analyze the trends, events and ideas that have shaped today's Europe. They discover the essentials of governance, including economic governance, focusing on individual European states as well as institutions of the European Union. Students acquire the skills necessary to apply a wide range of tools to solve problems in public policy at the regional, national and European levels.

Concentration Requirements

Program Highlights

Study Trips and Internships in Europe
The European Studies Program is directed from Bologna, Italy. Most concentrators spend their first year in Bologna and follow a natural progression in courses from Bologna to Washington, D.C. Study trips to destinations like London, Brussels and Sarajevo offer the opportunity to visit institutions and employers across Europe. The program works to make it possible for concentrators to have a “third country” summer internship experience.

European Research Seminar
Students in this seminar conducted between Bologna and Washington, via video conference develop an original question and make a scholarly contribution to the field. M.A. and Ph.D. candidates learn research methods, analyze a current European issue and present their work during a workshop in Washington during spring vacation.

Additional Opportunities

Bologna Institute for Policy Research (BIPR)

The Bologna Institute for Policy Research promotes problem-oriented, interdisciplinary research in international policy, drawing upon the global network of SAIS scholars and the comparative advantage of the Bologna Center as a transatlantic institution for research and teaching with more than 50 years of experience in Europe. Its mission is to share the work of scholars and practitioners associated with the Bologna Center with the wider policy community, providing a pivotal forum for thought and debate in international public policy. The institute works with a team of student research assistants each year to make summary content and three-question video interviews from the Bologna Center seminar series available online. The director of the institute is Professor Erik Jones.

Upcoming Events

“How the United States and Europe Can Cooperate in the Middle East” 6:00 PM - 7:30 PM Apr 9

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Upcoming Events

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Announcements

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Faculty

Erik Jones, Ph.D. Director and Professor of European Studies, Director of the Bologna Institute for Policy Research, Director of the Bologna Institute for Policy Research	Dana H. Allin, Ph.D. Adjunct Professor of European Studies	David P. Calleo, Ph.D. Dean Acheson Professor, University Professor of The Johns Hopkins University
Paolo Calzini, Laurea Adjunct Professor of European Studies	Anna Ottani Cavina, Ph.D. Adjunct Professor of Italian Art History	Anne Deighton, Ph.D. Visiting Scholar
Vincent Della Sala, Ph.D. Adjunct Professor of European Studies	David W. Ellwood, Ph.D. Senior Adjunct Professor of European Studies	Mark Gilbert, Ph.D. Professor of History and International Studies
Masha Hedberg, Ph.D. Adjunct Professor of European Studies	Antonio Missiroli, Ph.D. Adjunct Professor of European Studies	Gianfranco Pasquino, M.A. James Anderson Senior Adjunct Professor
Thomas Row, Ph.D. Senior Adjunct Professor of History	Vera Negri Zamagni, Ph.D. Senior Adjunct Professor of International Economics