It is designed, therefore, for students with degrees in those areas who want to develop multidisciplinary post-graduate studies. The Master will prepare its graduates for careers in international organizations, NGOs, business and international management, social media, policy-making, public administration, teaching and research.

The programme is structured around a common core of mandatory courses, some of which deal with the study of institutions, governance and international relations; others related to the major societal and developmental challenges, human rights and citizenship; and still others focusing on the dynamics of economics and international business. 

The Master in International Studies allows its students to develop the knowledge and skills they acquired during their first cycle of education in a multidisciplinary approach in the discipline of International Studies. The course's design also strengthens the link between education and the increasingly internationalized research developed at the Center for International Studies of Iscte, since during the preparation of the dissertation and project work, students are preferably integrated into ongoing projects at the Centre.

Courses will be taught in English, for which reason the programme's target audience consists not only of Portuguese students, but also of natives from other countries in and outside of Europe. This course seeks to address the increase in demand for advanced training at Iscte by international students, who already make up about 10% of the student population.