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Economy, State and Society: History and Society MA (International)

London, Bloomsbury for year one and either Belgrade, Helsinki, Kraków or Prague for year two

Our International Master's in Economy, State and Society (IMESS) is a two-year postgraduate programme offered by a consortium of leading European universities, leading to the award of a highly prestigious double degree. You will spend your first year at UCL's School of Slavonic and East European Studies (SSEES) and your second year at a partner university in the Central and East European region.

UK students International students
Study mode
Full-time
UK tuition fees (2026/27)
£15,400
Overseas tuition fees (2026/27)
£27,400
Duration
2 calendar years
Programme starts
September 2026
Applications accepted
All applicants: 20 Oct 2025 – 26 Jun 2026
Applications close at 5pm UK time

Applications open

Apply for this course

Entry requirements

A minimum of an upper second-class Bachelor's degree in a relevant discipline from a UK university or an overseas qualification of an equivalent standard.

The English language level for this course is: Level 2

UCL Pre-Master's and Pre-sessional English courses are for international students who are aiming to study for a postgraduate degree at UCL. The courses will develop your academic English and academic skills required to succeed at postgraduate level.

Further information can be found on our English language requirements page.

Equivalent qualifications

Country-specific information, including details of when UCL representatives are visiting your part of the world, can be obtained from the International Students website.

International applicants can find out the equivalent qualification for their country by selecting from the list below. Please note that the equivalency will correspond to the broad UK degree classification stated on this page (e.g. upper second-class). Where a specific overall percentage is required in the UK qualification, the international equivalency will be higher than that stated below. Please contact Graduate Admissions should you require further advice.

About this degree


You will undertake rigorous research methods training, discipline-based and area studies training and intensive language tuition. You will develop cultural and linguistic knowledge of Eastern and Western Europe, and acquire the skills to identify and critically analyse key factors shaping the economies, states and societies of the SSEES region. 

Further details on the structure are outlined in the Programme Handbook.

Who this course is for

Our programme is designed to attract and challenge the brightest students, as well as professionals wishing to retrain to acquire European expertise, and meet the challenges of the changing global environment.

Read about what it takes to study for a Master's at UCL

What this course will give you

Our International Master's in Economy, State and Society offers you a unique opportunity to study the economies, states and societies of the wider European region in both London and the SSEES region.

You will benefit from an integrated study programme, with the first year spent at UCL SSEES and the second at one of our partner universities in the Czech Republic (Prague), Finland (Helsinki), Poland (Kraków) and Serbia (Belgrade).

You will have access to our specialist library, which is unrivalled in the UK, and our central London location provides an ideal environment for research. 

Our close contacts with employers, policymakers and alumni provides you with excellent opportunities for networking and career development. Links with local embassies and institutions such as the Ukrainian Institute and Czech Cultural Centre open up a range of external events and speakers outside of the classroom. 

Read about what you'll get out of a graduate programme

The foundation of your career

Our graduates progress to careers in governmental or international organisations, and many specialise in finance, commerce, analysis or consultancy. Others begin careers in diplomacy, journalism, or in non-governmental organisations. Some have continued to further study with many students undertaking PhDs.

Popular career paths for IMESS graduates include Policy & Goverment; Banking & Investment; Charities, NGOs and International Development; Consultancy; IT and Technology; Academic Research, Accountancy and Financial Services and Law. 

Employers of our graduates include the Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office; Credit Agrcole; European Commission; European Policy Centre; EY; Facebook;  Ministry of Defence; OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development); Polish Development Bank; UK Government. 

*Graduate Outcomes survey carried out by the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA), looking at the destinations of UK and EU graduates in the 2017-2022 cohorts.

Employability

With an international outlook and experience, our graduates are well-placed to work across global markets and organisation. You acquire transferable skills such as critical reasoning independent thinking and application of theoretical concepts which strongly place you to find employment in international organisations, and particularly careers which cross international boundaries and value linguistic and cultural knowledge. Scholarships, internship opportunities and excellent links with other universities in the region provide further benefits.

Networking

Our London location and links with cultural institutions, such as the Ukrainian Institute and Pushkin House; think-tanks such as Chatham House and proximity to Embassies of the region, mean we attract a wide range of external and influential speakers at our events. The SSEES Employers Evening hosts a range of employers with relevant job opportunities for SSEES students, enabling networking with key organisations to help further your career.

Teaching and learning

You will be taught via a combination of lectures, seminars, tutorials and research supervision.

You will be assessed by written examination, coursework and dissertation; language courses involve an oral examination.

For a full-time postgraduate course at UCL, we recommend around 20-25 hours of independent study per week. Contact hours may vary depending on module choices, but full-time students will have approximately 8-10 contact hours each week during term time, spent in lectures and seminars.

Those undertaking language modules may have additional contact hours. There is minimal teaching during Term 3, as students focus on the dissertation and assessments.

Contact hours at partners may differ-please contact us for further information.

Modules

You will undertake modules to a total value of 300 UCL credits/120 ECTS, with 150 UCL credits/60 ECTS taken in Year 1 at UCL and 60 ECTS taken in Year 2 at your chosen institution.

Further details on the structure are outlined in the Programme Handbook

Year 1 comprises compulsory modules (60 UCL credits/24 ECTS), and optional modules (90 UCL credits/36 ECTS).

Year 2 includes a dissertation (30 or 40 ECTS) and optional modules (20 or 30 ECTS).

A note on ECTS credit conversion for the IMESS programme

Since 2015-16 UCL has moved to the ECTS credit system practiced by other UK Higher Education Institutions, where 2 UCL credits = 1 ECTS.  This differs from the approach to teaching and awarding qualifications in the rest of Europe. As partner universities have different credit systems, the IMESS Consortium continues to operate based on the ECTS credit system practiced in the rest of Europe, ie 2.5 UCL credits = 1 ECTS.  To reflect these differences, the UCL transcript includes two additional columns showing ECTS-converted credits, one using a UK/UCL conversion rate and one using an EU/IMESS conversion rate, with an explanatory note.

Compulsory modules



Optional modules


























Please note that the list of modules given here is indicative. This information is published a long time in advance of enrolment and module content and availability are subject to change. Modules that are in use for the current academic year are linked for further information. Where no link is present, further information is not yet available.

You will take modules to a total value of 120 ECTS, with 60 ECTS taken in year one at UCL and 60 ECTS taken in year two at your chosen institution. Upon successful completion of 120 credits, you will be awarded an MA (International) in Economy, State and Society: History and Society.

Accessibility

The department will endeavour to make reasonable adjustments for students with disabilities, including those with long-term health conditions, neurodivergence, learning differences and mental health conditions. This list is not exhaustive. If you're unsure of your eligibility for reasonable adjustments at UCL, please contact Student Support and Wellbeing Services.

Reasonable adjustments are implemented on a case-by-case basis. With the student's consent, reasonable adjustments are considered by UCL Student Support and Wellbeing Services, and where required, in collaboration with the respective department.

Details of the accessibility of UCL buildings can be obtained from AccessAble. Further information about support available can be obtained from UCL Student Support and Wellbeing Services.

For more information about the department and accessibility arrangements for your course, please contact the department.

Visit us

All open days and events

Online - Open day

Graduate Open Events: SSEES Economics and Business (AM)

We are excited to announce the return of the School of Slavonic & East European Studies (SSEES) Graduate Open Series, with a focussed session on each of our subject areas: Economics and Business; Politics and Sociology; Languages, Literature and Culture; History; and IMESS. Our virtual Zoom event series promises an invaluable experience for prospective Master’s students as they explore a diverse range of postgraduate master's opportunities.

Watch on demand event

Online - Open day

Graduate Open Events: SSEES Economics and Business (PM)

We are excited to announce the return of the SSEES Graduate Open Series, with a focussed session on each of our subject areas: Economics and Business; Politics and Sociology; Languages, Literature and Culture; History; and IMESS. Our virtual Zoom event series promises an invaluable experience for prospective Master’s students as they explore a diverse range of postgraduate master's opportunities.

Watch on demand event

Online - Open day

Graduate Open Events: SSEES History

We are excited to announce the return of the SSEES Graduate Open Series, commencing on Monday 27th October for two weeks, with a focussed session on each of our subject areas: Economics and Business; Politics and Sociology; Languages, Literature and Culture; History; and IMESS. Our virtual Zoom event series promises an invaluable experience for prospective Master’s students as they explore a diverse range of postgraduate master's opportunities.

Watch on demand event

Fees and funding

Fees for this course

UK students International students
Fee description Full-time
Tuition fees (2026/27) £15,400
Tuition fees (2026/27) £27,400

Fees set by agreement with IMESS Management Board and excluded from being fixed at the point of entry. Also excluded from the Study Abroad 15% fee rules.

Postgraduate Taught students benefit from a cohort guarantee, meaning that their tuition fees will not increase during the course of the programme, but UCL reserves the right to increase tuition fees to reflect any sums (including levies, taxes, or similar financial charges) that UCL is required to pay any governmental authority in connection with tuition fees.

The tuition fees shown are for the year indicated above. Where the course is offered on a flexible/modular basis, fees are charged pro-rata to the appropriate full-time Master's fee taken in an academic session. Further information on fee status, fee increases and the fee schedule can be viewed on the UCL Students website: ucl.ac.uk/students/fees.

Additional costs

You will need to budget for living costs for both your first year at UCL and the second year abroad, which may vary depending on which country you study in. Visa costs should be factored if applicable. If you need any guidance please email ssees-intma@ucl.ac.uk.

Studying abroad may cost between £200–£1,000 per month depending on where you choose to study. The cost of studying abroad can be difficult to predict as it will depend on your priorities and choices. There is more information available on the UCL Study Abroad website.

For in-person teaching, UCL’s main teaching locations are in zones 1 (Bloomsbury) and zones 2/3 (UCL East). The cost of a monthly 18+ Oyster travel card for zones 1-2 is £119.90. This price was published by TfL in 2025. For more information on additional costs for prospective students and the cost of living in London, please view our estimated cost of essential expenditure at UCL's cost of living guide.

Funding your studies


We offer a number of IMESS scholarships, available to Home and International students. All applicants who apply by the end of March are automatically considered. Further details can be found on the IMESS Fees and Funding webpages.

For a comprehensive list of the funding opportunities available at UCL, including funding relevant to your nationality, please visit the Scholarships and Funding website.

See all the ways you can fund your studies

Next steps

Students are advised to apply as early as possible due to competition for places. Those applying for scholarship funding (particularly overseas applicants) should take note of application deadlines.

There is no application fee for this course.

When we assess your application we would like to learn:

  • why you want to study Economy, State and Society at graduate level
  • why you want to study Economy, State and Society at UCL
  • what particularly attracts you to this programme
  • how your personal, academic and professional background meets the demands of a challenging and truly international academic environment
  • where you would like to go professionally with your degree.

All applicants are required to complete the IMESS Supplementary Questionnaire in place of the personal statement. This can be downloaded from the IMESS website.

Please note that you may submit applications for a maximum of two graduate courses (or one application for the Law LLM) in any application cycle.

Choose your programme

Please read the Application Guidance before proceeding with your application.

Year of entry: 2026-2027

Apply for this course

Got questions? Get in touch

School of Slavonic and East European Studies
School of Slavonic and East European Studies

maadmissions@ssees.ucl.ac.uk

UCL is regulated by the Office for Students. University of Belgrade, Serbia is regulated by Serbian Ministry of Education; Helsinki University, Finland is regulated by the Finnish Ministry of Education and Culture; Jagiellonian University, Krakow, Poland is regulated by the Polish Ministry of Science & Higher Education; Charles University, Czech Republic is regulated by Czech Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport; University of Tartu, Estonia is regulated by the Estonian Ministry of Education and Research.