This programme combines a strong research orientation with practical engagement to prepare students for independent scientific work. It focuses on developing and communicating workable responses to social and labour policy challenges that arise from globalisation. Teaching and research are embedded in an international, interdisciplinary setting, encouraging students to approach problems from multiple scholarly perspectives and to work across national contexts.
You will gain a critical understanding of major theoretical approaches as well as the key actors and processes that shape the global political economy. The curriculum places special emphasis on how workers’ interests are represented and the role of social movements in shaping policy and practice. Coursework and seminars are theory-driven but deliberately integrated with practice-based elements so that theory informs real-world solutions.
Graduates leave with skills to carry out independent research, analyse labour and social policy issues, and communicate policy-relevant findings to both academic and practitioner audiences. The international frame of the programme makes it suitable for students from diverse academic backgrounds who want to engage with global governance, labour rights and social justice in comparative and transnational contexts.
Admission requirements (typical expectations)
This one-year Master's programme begins in the winter semester and combines a strong theoretical grounding in the political economy of work with applied research training. The first semester takes place at the University of Kassel and focuses on core modules that examine the drivers and governance of globalisation as well as research methods. The second semester is taught at the Berlin School of Economics and Law, where students engage with the specific challenges facing labour in global value chains, legal and economic policy responses, and an elective that allows for focused study. Students complete a Master’s thesis during the summer semester.
In the winter semester, Module 1 (Process of Globalisation) includes the One World Seminar, Trade Union Strategies in a Global Economy, Governance of Globalisation, and The Role of Labour in the Global Political Economy. These courses develop students’ abilities to critically analyse how global economic integration reshapes labour relations, institutions, and policy debates, and to assess strategies used by labour actors at transnational and national levels. Module 2 (Research Methods), delivered through lectures and seminars, trains students in research design and empirical techniques needed to study labour and globalisation-related questions.
During the summer semester, Module 3 (Global Challenges to Labour) covers Global Workers’ Rights and Decent Work in Global Value Chains, helping students evaluate human rights, standards and working conditions across international supply chains. Module 4 (Economics and Legal Responses to Globalisation) addresses Economic Policy and the Role of Trade Unions and includes an Elective to deepen a chosen topic; outcomes include the capacity to analyse economic and legal policy tools, and to propose evidence-based interventions for labour protection in a globalised economy. The programme concludes with an independently researched Master’s thesis synthesising theoretical knowledge and empirical skills.
Admission overview
Applicants should hold a bachelor's degree (or equivalent) in economics, law, pedagogy or another social science field and meet both academic credit and practical-experience expectations. The programme requires a total of 240 ECTS credits; applicants with fewer than 240 ECTS may still be admitted on a conditional basis, provided they complete the outstanding credits during their master’s studies (through additional courses or by extending their study period by one or two semesters). In addition to academic preparation, candidates must demonstrate advanced knowledge of labour relations and at least one year of hands-on experience representing workers’ interests.
You will need to provide documentation for your work experience (references or letters of recommendation from the organisation where you gained that experience) and submit a motivation letter of up to three pages that addresses specific questions about your background, goals and a short research proposal. Any exceptions to these entry rules are evaluated and decided by the Audit Committee.
Admission requirements (bullet points)
Winter Semester (International)
31 December 2026
Winter Semester (EU/EEA)
1 September 2026
The programme qualifies graduates for independent scientific work and for applying research-driven insights to practical labour and social policy contexts. Through its research focus and compulsory internship, students gain experience suited to roles in labour research, policy analysis, advocacy and organisational development.
Typical career paths include positions with global union federations and national trade unions, labour-related research foundations, international organisations (e.g. ILO), NGOs, consultancy firms working on labour standards and global value chains, works councils or corporate labour relations departments, and academic or training roles focused on labour and social justice. The GLU network and practical placements also support careers in capacity building, policy advising and trade-union education globally.