University of Kent, Brussels School of International Studies (BSIS)

The University of Kent’s Brussels School of International Studies (BSIS) offers a flexible, interdisciplinary curriculum in Europe’s capital city.

The school’s atmosphere and programs are international, with a European flavor. BSIS is based in Brussels, where students benefit from exposure to NATO and other international organizations, the European Commission, the European Parliament, a variety of NGOs, think tanks, and more. The location gives students a unique opportunity to engage in internships with some of the world’s leading organizations. The school’s flexible approach to learning also makes it feasible for students to pursue an internship alongside their studies.

Flexibility is a hallmark of BSIS: Programs may be tailored to suit individual needs, and courses span such disciplines as political science, law, sociology, history, and economics. Students may enroll beginning in either September or January. The MA program requires a year of study, with extended options available.

In addition to choosing among seven different MA programs and two LLM programs, BSIS students may select a secondary area of focus. For example, a student might combine international law and international migration, or pursue a degree in international development with a secondary focus on international conflict and security. BSIS also offers three PhD programs.

BSIS is international, interconnected with Brussels, interdisciplinary, and interactive in its approach to learning.Tom Casier, academic director, University of Kent, Brussels School of International StudiesBSIS is a multidisciplinary graduate school (termed “postgraduate” in Europe) of the University of Kent in the U.K. Tom Casier, academic director, associates the school with four “I’s”: “BSIS is international, interconnected with Brussels, interdisciplinary, and interactive in its approach to learning.”

In addition to offering a wide range of program choices, BSIS is known as a friendly, diverse, and cohesive community of approximately 250 students from about 65 different countries. Students benefit from close access to professors, a research-active environment, and exposure to practitioners from Brussels-based organizations.

Students are encouraged to take advantage of the many tours, conferences, seminars, and receptions taking place in Brussels during their graduate studies at BSIS to meet and network with contacts in their field. These can provide excellent opportunities for students to develop their research or get a foot in the door with organizations in their area of interest.

Another opportunity is the University of Kent’s Two Capitals program, in which students may spend their first year in Brussels and then broaden their international perspective by spending their second year in Washington, D.C., working toward an additional master’s degree. In Washington, D.C., students have an option to pursue a Master’s in Public and International Affairs at Virginia Tech’s National Capital Region campus in Alexandria, Va., or a Master of Public Policy at George Mason University’s School of Public Policy in Arlington, Va.