Motivation letter requirements for International Relations and Regional Studies
An important part of the application procedure is the motivation letter. Please prepare it with great care! The motivation letter must be submitted with your online application by 15 March at the latest.
Please write a motivation letter (in English, 5000-7500 characters with spaces) focusing on the following points:
- Explain your motivation for applying to the programme (Why are you interested in international relations and regional studies? What are your plans for the future and how would this study programme help you achieve your goals?);
- Explain how your educational and professional background relates to the programme you are applying to (What makes you a good candidate for this programme? What have you accomplished in the past? What knowledge, skills, and experiences do you have that are relevant to this programme?);
- Please tell us about your specific research interests within the field of international relations and regional studies (What subfields or issues are you most interested in?);
- What problems or issues would you like to examine in more depth? What would be a possible topic for your MA thesis?).
Evaluation criteria:
- Relevance of previous educational and professional experience for the programme (25%);
- Motivation and ambition (25%);
- Identification of specific research interests compatible with the substantive content of the programme; ability to formulate a research problem/topic (25%);
- Writing skills and command of the English language (25%).
The maximum score for the motivation letter is 100 points. Only those applicants who score 66 points or higher will be considered for admission.