A tailor-made programme

Students have the opportunity to tailor their mobility choices to their educational project, depending on the courses offered at the partner universities. Mobility choices are developed in consultation with the Master’s teaching team.

In the first year (M1), the Master’s program is organized into two tracks that determine mobility patterns:

  • The Francophone track begins in Semester 1 at the University of Lille and continues in Semester 2 at one of the three consortium universities in Central and Eastern Europe (UWR in Poland, UBB in Romania, KRE in Hungary).
  • The Anglophone track begins in Semester 1 at the Free University of Brussels (ULB) and continues in Semester 2 at one of the three consortium universities in Central and Eastern Europe (UWR in Poland, UBB in Romania, KRE in Hungary).

In the second year (M2), the Master’s program is organized into two specializations, which can be completed at any of the universities available in Semesters 3 and 4. These specializations provide unique flexibility in designing a training path according to one’s academic and professional aspirations:

  • Professional specialization prepares students for immediate entry into the labor market after graduation. It focuses on mastering practical skills in a specific professional field and requires completing a long-term internship and a professional report before obtaining the degree. This allows students to gain in-depth hands-on experience and strengthen their CV.
  • Research specialization focuses on a more theoretical education aimed at preparing students for a career in research and/or teaching, particularly through pursuing doctoral studies. Choosing this specialization involves conducting a long-term field investigation and producing a research thesis to complete the program.

The University of Lille provides continuous support throughout the program to ensure the coherence of each student’s educational path.

For more information, see Program > Course Structure on this site.

A mandatory internship

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Regardless of the specialization chosen in the second year (M2), students are required to complete a professional internship. The MITRA program places strong emphasis on students’ professional experience. However, the duration of this internship varies depending on the chosen specialization.

  • In the research specialization, the internship has a minimum duration of 3 months.
  • In the professional specialization, it has a minimum duration of 1 month.

The professional internship is generally carried out with one of the partner organizations associated with the MITRA consortium. These partners include humanitarian associations, administrative institutions, and academic organizations. The internship may also be completed with another host institution, depending on the student’s professional project and subject to the approval of the program’s management team.

The internship may take place either between Semester 2 and Semester 3, during Semester 3, or between Semester 3 and Semester 4, depending on the mobility schedule and the host organization’s location.

It must not interfere with the academic program and does not exempt students from attending classes. The internship is governed by an agreement between the University of Lille and the host organization, except in special cases.

The internship results in the writing of a professional internship report, whose length varies depending on the chosen specialization, and in an oral defense during Semester 4 for students in the professional specialization.

The Master’s thesis and Research report

In the second year, MITRA Master’s students undertake research in the social sciences.

Students in the research specialization must carry out approximately two months of fieldwork. This research can be conducted in one of the consortium countries or in another country, provided that local safety conditions allow it. The fieldwork may take place between Semester 2 and Semester 3, or during Semester 3. Semester 4 is therefore largely devoted to writing the research thesis (80–100 pages) and the short professional internship report (about 20 pages).

Students in the professional specialization must also carry out research in the social sciences, which takes the form of an advocacy paper supported by a scientific synthesis report (about 50 pages). Written during Semester 4, along with the professional internship report, this work is based on an in-depth review of the secondary literature related to the chosen research field, which begins in Semester 3.

These projects are supervised by a research advisor who teaches within the consortium. The research thesis and the three-month professional internship report are written in English or French, subject to the supervisor’s approval. Each piece of work is defended between June and July of Semester 4, according to local academic calendars, before a jury composed of three members. Both types of defenses are designed to validate the same number of ECTS credits. Defenses held in September are reserved for exceptional cases (illness or force majeure).

Several degrees awarded

As an Erasmus Mundus Joint Master Degree, the MITRA program delivers multiple diplomas. At the end of their studies, after completing the four semesters of coursework (120 ECTS), students are awarded the MITRA diploma issued by the University of Lille, as well as the diplomas of the universities where they were enrolled and completed their mobility periods.

The MITRA Master’s program also offers three Summer Schools between the first year (M1) and the second year (M2). See Program > Educational Structure on this site.