Bachelor of Arts with Honours
The Bachelor of Arts with Honours in European and European Union Studies degree is the only one offered in New Zealand. It aims to foster the interdisciplinary study of Europe in its diversity and to initiate research in all manner of areas related to Europe.
Our Honours degree offers an opportunity to study contemporary European issues from a range of disciplinary perspectives. Courses focus on the European Union and its individual member states, as well wider Europe (including Russia). They examine questions of economic and political integration, European geography, government, foreign policy, post-war history and European culture and identity. Students are encouraged to enrol for a wide range of courses from competing disciplines and to consider developing some European language competence.
The BA(Hons) is also a stepping stone to post-graduate research at the Masters and PhD level. The National Centre for Research on Europe offers many opportunities for ongoing Honours students, including scholarships, research and travel opportunities.
Students from all undergraduate backgrounds are encouraged to apply.
- Find out more about UC's BA(Hons) degree
- Find out more about European and European Union Studies
Courses offered
EURO Honours students can choose courses from a range of courses.
The BA (Hons) degree in European Studies consists of four papers, including two compulsory core courses.
The core paper EURO 401 'The Idea of Europe' is multidisciplinary and designed to be thematic and conceptually define "The Idea of Europe". It is taught by members of staff throughout the University of Canterbury as well as by visiting lecturers to the NCRE.
In EURO480 'Research Paper' students undertake training in research methods and techniques (in the first semester) and write a 9000-word research paper (in the second semester). The paper is publicly defended (viva voce style) after submission.
Other courses are contributed from a range of disciplines - Political Science, History, Geography, Economics, and European Languages and Cultures. Typically, the European Union Studies Honours programme enrols between 8-10 students a year.
The prerequisites for entry to the BA (Honours) programme are:
- A major in European Union Studies, with a B average or better; or
- A B+ average or better in approved subject majors
There are no language prerequisites, bar those that may be required for individual courses taught as part of the programme.
The NCRE Postgraduate Coordinator will liaise with all contributing staff, negotiate workload expectations so as to ensure comparability of the various courses, and plan appropriate overall programmes of study with intending European Studies Honours students.
All the contributing departments have their own, properly vetted, assessment procedures for level 400 courses, including external assessment. Assessment of EURO 401 and EURO 480 will be by contributing lecturers with external assessment.
Find out more
Please contact Prof Martin Holland in the first instance.
