Law - Political Science - Administration

Master's Degree in International Cooperation and Development

  • ECTS

    120 credits

  • Duration

    2 years

  • Training structure

    Faculty of Law and Political Science

Presentation

  • Co-educational directors: Marc Smyrl and Jean Joana

This Master's program, under the Public Policy track, offers a resolutely interdisciplinary and professional training focused on understanding the multi-institutional environment of international cooperation. It is aimed at those interested in the realities of international action in the field and who are considering a professional future in the areas of cooperation and development aid, whether at the level of national or decentralized cooperation, intergovernmental organizations, NGOs, or private operators. To this end, each class brings together a group of students representing a variety of academic backgrounds, professional experiences, and national origins. Deeply rooted in its local and regional territory through links with international cooperation actors in the Occitanie region—research organizations, local authorities, companies, and associations—it offers multiple opportunities for action and involvement from the early years of study, as well as numerous points of contact for entering the professional world.

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Objectives

  • Initial training: Professionalization of a university course
    • Give students from different backgrounds the ability to work in the cooperation sector
  • Continuing education: Career development
    • Enabling professionals from different backgrounds (public sector, private sector, humanitarian, military, etc.) to advance their careers and/or change their professional context
    The training program focuses on a specific objective: to train international cooperation and development operators, i.e., individuals capable of quickly integrating into institutions, companies, and organizations working in these fields. The aim is to meet the increasingly frequent needs of these entities, which are looking for individuals who are aware of the concrete challenges of cooperation and able to adapt to diverse demands and environments.

The emphasis is on mastering the intellectual and institutional frameworks of cooperation, the diversity of international action contexts, and the main tools needed to implement cooperation and development programs. This objective is pursued through:
• interdisciplinary teaching
• the involvement of recognized professionals in cooperation and development aid
• professional experience during an internship lasting at least four months

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Know-how and skills

Operational capacity to work in an international context, to develop a career and/or change professional context, project management, context analysis, interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary approach.

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Organization

Program

The master's program lasts two years:

The first year comprises two semesters of targeted university courses, as well as practical modules introducing students to professional life and presentations focusing on some of the key areas of cooperation: migration, health, nutrition, environment/biodiversity, each delivered by professionals from the sector. The courses are supplemented by group field projects in cooperation with our local and regional partners in the non-profit sector.

The second year is divided into two parts:
• The first part (September-January) is devoted to practical modules taught entirely by professional instructors and focused on the stages of the project management cycle: planning; diagnosis; project conceptualization; financing; implementation; evaluation (technical and ethical). Modules are also offered on budget preparation and analysis, communication and advocacy, and team management. Group work and professional scenarios are systematically emphasized.
• The February-August period is devoted to an internship lasting at least four months.

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Select a program

Master 1 Operator in International Cooperation and Development

  • Political Sociology of Elites (ST)

  • EU International Policy

    6 credits
    • International Politics Tutorial

    • CM International Politics

  • Political Anthropology (ST)

  • Context of international cooperation (ST)

    6 credits
  • Environment and Policy (ST)

  • EU Public Action and Governance

    6 credits
    • Public Action and Governance

    • CM Public Action and Governance

  • EU Language

    • Choose one of two options:

      • EU French as a foreign language

      • English

  • Digital skills - In-depth documentary research

  • Actors and international cooperation (ST)

    4 credits
  • EU Language

    • Choose one of two options:

      • English

      • EU French as a foreign language

  • EU Development Policy

    6 credits
    • Development Policy Seminar

    • CM Development Policy

  • Memory

    4 credits
  • Nations and Nationalism (ST)

  • Local authority (ST)

  • Conflicts and post-conflicts (ST)

  • Comparative Politics (ST)

  • Optional

    • Legal clinic (F)

    • Memory (F)

    • Internship (F)

    • Professional integration workshops (F): CV/cover letter

    • Supervised project (F)

    • Apprenticeship (F)

    • Legal monitoring (F)

Master's Degree in International Cooperation and Development

  • Ethical issues

    6 credits
  • Professional life

    6 credits
  • Project management

    12 credits
  • Actors and environment

    6 credits
  • Pre-professional skills choices

    • Choose one of two options:

      • Choice of Professional Internship - Thesis + Student Engagement

        • Student engagement

        • Professional internship - Thesis

          28 credits
      • Professional internship - Thesis

        30 credits

Admission

Admission requirements

  • The program is open to (up to 20 people per class):
    • Initial training: students with a bachelor's degree or Level II certification
    • Continuing education: employees and job seekers with the required degrees or who have obtained validation of their professional experience (VAE/VAP).
  • Recruitment takes place in two stages:
    • an eligibility stage: review of applications
    • an admission stage: all candidates whose applications have been accepted are invited to an audition
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And after

Professional integration

  • This Master's program aims to meet the needs of new professions in international technical expertise and the changing nature of how they are practiced. It prepares students for activities necessary for international cooperation and development aid:
    - identification of needs, stakeholders, and resources
    - responding to national and international calls for tenders or projects
    - managing cultural differences
    - technical and administrative expertise
    - project management: donor and beneficiary sides
    - financial management and budget monitoring
    - evaluation (technical and ethical) of processes and results
  • These skills are sought after and implemented by a wide range of operators:
    • public sector: state agencies, local authorities, international organizations
    • private sector: design offices, consulting firms, specialized companies
    • associations: international solidarity organizations, humanitarian aid

Some of these professions are accessible through contractual means, while others (in the public sector) require prior admission through a competitive examination. The Master's program does not specifically prepare students for national or international civil service examinations, but the training it provides can be an important resource for career guidance and success in such examinations.

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