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Double Degree | A.A. 2026-2027

Economics and International Policies - MEPIN

XXII edition

Classes start: September 2027

 

 

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How to enrol
Book your One-to-One meeting
Language Italian-English
Location Lugano
Course location Lugano and Milan
Duration 2 Years
Delivery Mode Face-to-face
Frequency Full time
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Overview

An international Master's degree, between Lugano and Milan, to understand and analyze international relations in their complexity.

 

The Master in Economics and International Policies, Master Double Degree between the Università della Svizzera Internazionale (USI, Lugano, Switzerland) and ASERI, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore (Milan), offers advanced training to understand global phenomena through an integrated economic and political perspective. The programme provides students with interdisciplinary tools and an overall view of international dynamics, preparing professionals capable of operating in globalised and complex contexts.

The Master's Degree in Economics and International Policies, Master Double Degree, is designed for:

 

-          Recent graduates, first or second level, with a strong interest in deepening contemporary international dynamics, and acquiring tools for political and economic analysis.

FIVE REASONS TO CHOOSE MEPIN

  • An interdisciplinary training course, which combines economic and political studies in a global and innovative perspective;
  • In-depth knowledge of contemporary international dynamics, with the ability to critically analyze fundamental current issues, in their global dimension;
  • An international Faculty of excellence, with prominent professors and experts of the contemporary international reality, in its many facets;
  • A double degree: a Master of Science in Economics from Università della Svizzera Italiana, and a first-level Master's degree from Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore;
  • An internship experience of at least three months, in Italy, or in the world, in order to apply the knowledge acquired.
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Program

The Master's Degree in Economics and International Policies includes two years (four semesters) of training and study, divided between the Università della Svizzera Italiana (Lugano) and ASERI – Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore (Milan).

 

Specifically, the first two semesters will be held at USI in Lugano, and will be dedicated to courses; the third semester will be carried out at ASERI, in Milan, while the fourth semester will be dedicated to the internship experience and the drafting of the final paper for the Master.

 

Classroom training will consist mainly of lectures, seminars and practical workshops. The aim of the course is to provide MEPIN students with the knowledge and tools of Economics and Political Science so that they can analyze and understand international phenomena from multiple points of view and in their complexity.

The Master's Degree in Economics and International Policies is characterized by a multidimensional, interdisciplinary and integrated approach, which accompanies the Master's training and international experience throughout the course, both at Università della Svizzera Italiana and at ASERI.

 

During the first semester of the Master's course, carried out entirely at the Università della Svizzera Italiana in Lugano, an introduction to the topics of the Master's course, and the methodological and economic bases will be provided. During the second semester, on the other hand, issues of sustainable development and analysis of public policies will be explored, together with a further methodological study and an introduction to international subjects.

 

The third semester of the Master in ASERI, on the other hand, will be dedicated to the study of International Relations, through specific courses by geographical area and for the international reality of specific countries, together with an in-depth study of the analysis of international markets, the study of risk models on countries and a look at institutional issues and International and Humanitarian Law.

-          Skills and knowledge in the field of Economics, Political Science and International Relations;

 

-          A global understanding of contemporary international dynamics, in order to analyze international phenomena in their complexity from multiple points of view and perspectives;

 

-          An international education, with the economic skills of Università della Svizzera Italiana, and the tradition in International Relations of ASERI and Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore 

The calendar for the Master's Degree in Economics and International Policies, a.y. 2025/26, is currently being defined. However, the four semesters of the Master will be organized in the following periods:

 

- Start and first semester: September 2026, Lugano

- Second semester: February 2027, Lugano

- Third semester: September 2027, Milan

- Fourth semester: February 2028, Internship and Master's Thesis

Career Opportunities

MEPIN offers its graduates the analytical tools to be able to understand and study international phenomena in their complexity, both from a political and economic point of view.

These skills can be used in a wide range of international careers, including:

 

       · International institutions

       · Research Centres and Think Tanks

       · Public administration and local government

       · NGOs

       · Private and multinational companies

       · Banks and financial institutions

Below is a short, non-exhaustive list of organizations and institutions that have hosted MEPIN students in recent years for their internship:            

  • PricewaterhouseCoopers (Milan)
  • Coopération Bancaire pour l'Europe (Brussels, Belgium)
  • Intesa Sanpaolo S.p.A. (Milan)
  • United States Consulate General (Milan)
  • International Committee of the Red Cross (Brescia)
  • Fincantieri (Brussels)
  • Rud Pedersen Public Affairs (Brussels)

 

  • Mediobanca (Milan)
  • Banca Popolare di Sondrio (Como)
  • Canton of Ticino – Section of Local Authorities (SEL) (Bellinzona, Switzerland)
  • Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation (Rome, Italy)
  • European Parliament (Brussels, Belgium)
  • Deloitte (Milan)
  • Emergency (Milan)
  • Italian Chamber of Commerce in Munich-Stuttgart (Munich, Germany)
Faculty

Scientific Direction

 

Prof. Vittorio Emanuele PARSI, Full Professor of International Relations, Catholic University of the Sacred Heart

Prof. Fabrizio MAZZONNA, Full Professor of Economics, USI

 

 

Didactic coordination

 

Dr. Ludovica D'ALESSANDRO, Program Assistant for the Master's Degree in Economics and International Policies, ASERI, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore

 

 

ASERI Teaching Staff

 

Prof. Damiano PALANO, Director of ASERI, Full Professor of Political Philosophy, Catholic University of the Sacred Heart

Prof. Emilio COLOMBO, Full Professor of Economic Policy, Catholic University of the Sacred Heart

Prof. Kateryna PISHCHIKOVA, Associate Professor of International Relations, ECampus University

Prof. Nicola PASINI, Associate Professor of Political Science, University of Milan

Dr. Alessandro TERZULLI, Chief Economist, SACE

Prof. Raul CARUSO, Full Professor of Economic Policy, Catholic University of the Sacred Heart

Prof. Marco LOSSANI, Full Professor of Economic Policy, Catholic University of the Sacred Heart

Prof. Michael MASTANDUNO, Nelson A. Rockefeller Professor of Government, Dartmouth University

Prof. G.J. IKENBERRY, Albert G. Milbank Professor of Politics, Princeton University

Prof. Marina CALCULLI, Assistant Professor of International Relations, University of Leiden

Prof. Enrico FASSI, Assistant Professor of International Relations, Catholic University of the Sacred Heart

Prof. Rocco RONZA, Catholic University of the Sacred Heart

Prof. Andrés MALAMUD, Senior Research Fellow Instituto de Ciências Sociais da Universidade de Lisboa

Prof. Guido MERZONI, Full Professor of Political Economy, Catholic University of the Sacred Heart

Prof. Luca GALANTINI, Catholic University of the Sacred Heart

Prof. Joseph GRIECO, Professor Emeritus of Political Science, Duke University

Prof. Fabio ARMAO, Full Professor of International Relations, Catholic University of the Sacred Heart

Dr. Deborah RUSSETTI, Catholic University of the Sacred Heart

Dr. Ignacio LARA, Asuntos del Sur

Dr. Valeria RESTA, University of Milan

Dr. Raimondo Fassa, former Member of the European Parliament

Prof. Estella CARPI, Associate Professor of Humanitarian Studies, University College London

Dr. Andrew SPANNAUS, Radio24

Dr. Deborah GRBAC, Library, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore

Dr. Claudio MARCONI, actor and director

Prof. Andrea GILLI, Lecturer, University of Saint Andrews

 

For more information on USI professors, you can find any reference on the USI portal.

Registration and useful info

Applications can be submitted on the USI portal.

 

The deadline for submitting your application is 30 June 2026. Applications will be evaluated in order of arrival and, in case of eligibility, candidates will receive a confirmation of admission on the email indicated.

Applications will be evaluated progressively. The applications that arrive first will be more likely to be accepted.

  • copy of qualifications (undergraduate/master's degree, high school diploma);
  • certificate of Bachelor's/degree examinations (transcript);
  • certified translation of diplomas not drawn up in Italian, German, French, English or Spanish;
  • curriculum vitae;
  • letter of motivation drawn up by the candidate;
  • copy of an identity document;
  • copy of the residence permit for foreign candidates already resident in Switzerland.

The participation fee for the Master MEPIN is CHF 14000, to be paid in four installments (CHF 4000 for the first three semesters, CHF 2000 for the last semester).

 

For students domiciled in Switzerland or Liechtenstein at the time of graduation (or Campione d'Italia, under certain conditions), the participation fee for the MEPIN Master is CHF 8000 for the entire two-year period.

 

Scholarship opportunities are available on the USI portal.

To learn more about the Master's degree:

Book your One-to-One meeting

Visa support: international students enrolled in the Master and who need to obtain a visa will receive a letter of admission to the Master that will be useful for the visa procedure.

 

Declaration of Value/Diploma Supplement: undergraduate and graduate degrees obtained abroad (from non-Italian universities) must be accompanied by a Declaration of Value for non-EU qualifications, or by a Diploma Supplement for qualifications obtained within the European Union.

 

For more information on these documents, please read the frequently asked questions and refer to the International Admissions Office: international.enquiry@unicatt.it

Are you a non Italian applicant? Do you still have doubts regarding your status and what you have to do? 

Check out the FAQ