The European Joint Master’s in Strategic Border Management (EJMSBM)

EJMSBM offers a unique opportunity to explore new ways of facing challenges of border security, to create pan-European solutions for the common needs of EU border management and to test them in a safe environment under the guidance of the best professors, mentors, specialists and policy makers from across the EU. The core of the programme’s ethos is enhancing interoperability at EU borders and harmonising learning and professional standards whilst respecting diversity, in line with the Bologna process. The programme is student-centered and ensures learning requirements are relevant for operational competence. 

The EJMSBM is financed by Frontex and delivered by a consortium of Europe’s leading universities and academies: 

Upon graduation, students are awarded a European Joint Master’s in Strategic Border Management, a joint diploma signed by all the academic partners and recognised internationally as a master’s degree. 

The European Joint Master’s in Strategic Border Management reflects and supports Frontex’s strategic approach to advance and promote highest standards in cooperation and interoperability at EU borders and the harmonisation of professional standards while respecting diversity of Member States’ Border Guard organisations. This programme also protects and promotes fundamental rights within border management and border control activities. It aims to empower European Border Guard Managers to rely on and apply professional judgment by equipping them with knowledge and skills that are benchmarked and evidence-based, providing a stimulating and innovative environment for teaching, learning and research. 

The EJMSBM is designed to enable mid- to high-level border guard managers across the EU to advance the practice and theory of European border management, to encourage further developments in the field and to enrich the learning experience for all participants. The underlying rationale for the programme includes the strong demand for higher standards of education in the border management sector, in particular for education which is focused on skills and competences acquired through problem-solving in an applied professional context, as well as evidence-based knowledge developed in formal academic and disciplinary structures. It prepares participants to collaborate with other professionals in an interdisciplinary and international context within the 

border management sector. The Master’s Programme is completely learner-centred focusing on the relevance of the learning requirements for operational competence. 

The structure of the EJMSBM is well suited to achieve important outcomes for the learners, the teaching institutions and the agencies involved in this programme. It brings academic credibility to the expertise that exists in BG organisations, foster and enhance collaboration and cooperation across the EU and address challenges faced by BG organisations with a European solution, a flexible learning paradigm that aligns with each MS’s training system and creates a standard for collaborative learning. The learners are offered an opportunity to learn in a context that reflects the operational reality, to advance best practice in Border Guarding by studying together and to reinforce the European dimension of the border guard job whilst contributing to the creation of a European border guard cultures at higher levels. 

A programme design working group coordinated by Frontex and consisting of representatives of the academic institutions and experts in border guard education and training, as well as operational experts from over 20 Member States and Partner Organisations were working collaboratively to develop the programme, since early 2012. 

The Programme development benefits of a rich and extensive experience (over 80 academic and border guard experts from: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Greece, Germany, Hungary, Ireland, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Netherlands, Romania, Spain, Slovakia, Slovenia, Switzerland, UK, and DCAF, EASO, FRA, INTERPOL, OSCE, UNHCR, IOM). 

Draft programme outcomes were developed from the European Sectoral Qualifications Framework for Border Guarding level 7 (master’s level) and these outcomes are driving the award structure and module structure. The SQF competence profiles, validated by MS / SAC are an exceptional foundation framework to build a JDSP relevant to organisational learning requirements as they were validated across EU by more than 30 organisations with border guard responsibilities and other partner organisations. The SQF was endorsed by the Management Board of Frontex on the 28th of November 2012. As an overarching European reference framework for all border guard learning, the SQF for Border Guarding is aligned with the European Qualifications Framework for Lifelong Leaning (EQF) at levels 4 – 7. 

The objective of using this framework in designing the EJMSBM was to facilitate the integration of common standards in the field of mid- to high-level management training; to ensure that the learning is authentic to the operational realities and addressing the job competences and to promote European good practice in training design and development, according to the highest standards of higher education in the European Higher Education Area (EHEA). The global programme learning outcomes are derived from the SQF (mostly level 7) and the learning outcomes for each of the 10 modules are derived from the programme learning outcomes. 

The EJMSBM is financed by Frontex and delivered by a consortium of Europe’s leading universities and academies. Composition of the Consortium: 

The duration of the European Joint Master’s in Strategic Border Management programme is 18 months (not including summer and winter season breaks). The programme constitutes 90 European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System (ECTS) credits, where one ECTS credit reflects 28 hours of student learning activity directly related to the programme outcomes. 

The programme is delivered over three stages. Each stage represents one semester of full-time study, carrying 30 ECTS credits. 

Stages 1 and 2 contain the taught component of the programme and comprise a total of 10 modules. Each module comprises a contact period of 1 week (modules 1 to 8) or 2 weeks (modules 9 and 10), delivered by an institution from the consortium. Five out of 10 contact sessions are conducted in person, and five are delivered online. To ensure that students entering this phase of the programme are all at the same level, students are requested to read the preparatory material listed in the description of each module. The programme also incorporates an experiential learning element which is applied in the operational context and takes place after intensive contact sessions. 

The dissertation, which is planned during stage 3, is meant to be the keystone experience which requires students to synthesise the depth of learning from the programme. 

Upon graduation, the students are awarded the diploma of the European Joint Master’s in Strategic Border Management that is signed by all the academic partners and recognised internationally as a master’s degree. 

Stage 1 

Recognising that a joint degree programme is a highly complex, coordinated activity of partners, cooperation and coordination is hence crucial for the realisation of any joint degree programme. The Degree Programme is embedded in a ‘culture of jointness’ that highlights the fact that the whole is more than the sum of its parts and that the quality of the whole, rather than simply the individual parts, must be considered. The notion of quality culture is thus not restricted to one institution, but functions across institutional and national borders (‘European guidelines for quality enhancement in EU joint master’s programmes’, the European University Association, 2006). 

Originating from the border guard community and developed in collaboration, the European Joint Master’s was designed as a programme where learning has practical application for the Member State (MS)/Schengen Associated Countries (SAC) border guard organisations which are the ultimate beneficiary. The Master’s Programme is completely student centred, focusing on the relevance of the learning requirements for operational competence. The Joint Master’s has the opportunity to draw from the best expertise across the EU, valuing academic cooperation and student / teacher exchanges, but also development of expertise in the border guard field through Degree Programme delivery and development of teachers. 

The ethos of the programme has at its core the enhancement of interoperability at EU borders and harmonisation of learning and professional standards while respecting diversity, in line with the Bologna principles. The Master’s is inclusive of international expertise for delivery of the programme and accessible to all of the EU organisations with a border guard function. 

The structure of a Joint Degree is well suited to achieving important outcomes for the students, the teaching institutions and the agencies involved in this programme. It will bring academic credibility to the expertise that exists in border guard (BG) organisations, foster and enhance collaboration and cooperation across the EU and address challenges faced by BG organisations with a European solution, a flexible learning paradigm that aligns with the training system of each MS and creates a standard for collaborative learning. 

Students are exposed to management practices in Border Security across Europe as each class has students from every MS / SAC and the programme content is designed and delivered by international experts. The academic institutions that form the Consortium for programme delivery will benefit from mutual exchange processes that will enhance theory and practice in the field of border management. The organisations and agencies responsible for border security / border guarding in each MS / SAC will benefit through enhanced capacity for operational cooperation / interoperability at EU borders, which is also one of the key goals for Frontex. The students are offered an opportunity to learn in a context that reflects operational reality, to advance best practice in border guarding by studying together and to reinforce the European dimension of the border-guard job while contributing to the creation of a European border-guard culture at higher levels. 

The Consortium values the distributed nature of the Degree Programme and recognises that defined procedures must be in place to ensure a coherent approach to the quality assurance of the programme, and the interoperability of the different quality assurance structures of each Partner. It is acknowledged that no single institution has the expertise to deliver this entire programme and it is intended that the Partners will share the programme delivery. The Degree Programme is intended to demonstrate ‘unity’, not ‘multiplicity’, so the Consortium in essence creates a ‘mini university’ structure for the programme that draws on each Partner, with shared responsibility between all partners as defined in the Consortium Agreement. 

Regular internal review of the programme contributes to the procedures for the periodic review of the Programme. The review is started after the end of each iteration of the programme. The conduct of the regular review will normally be as follows: 

a) The Programme Administrator compiles the input and completes the programme evaluation form with qualitative and quantitative data. 

b) The QAC reviews and evaluates the material, consulting the relevant Module Convenors where appropriate. 

c) The QAC can also ask for follow up actions and/or seek further clarification on any issue prior to finalising the evaluation. 

d) Quality Assurance Officer considers the review, confirms the final rating and sets the date of the next review and reports to the Governing Board and informs the Programme Board. 

e) Immediate action is taken when a module or any other element of the programme is rated as Poor. 

f) The outcomes of this process are reported to the Governing Board, all students and other stakeholders involved. 

External review of the programme is conducted at least one year before the expiry of the accreditation term of EJMSBM in any Consortium Partner country. External reviews of the programme are based on European approach for Quality Assurance of Joint Programmes (2015) in accordance of the national legislation of each Consortium Partner country. 

External review of the programme is performed by European Quality Assurance Agency registered in European Quality Assurance Register for Higher Education (EQAR) and approved by Governing Board. External review of the programme is made in accordance with the assessment methodology of European Quality Assurance Agency registered in EQAR. The outcomes of this process are reported to the Governing Board, all students and other stakeholders involved. 

Decision of the Quality Assurance Agency on the external review of the programme is communicated to national Quality Assurance Agency of each Consortium Partner in accordance to European approach for Quality Assurance of Joint Programmes (2015). The process of EJMSBM accreditation in all Consortium Partner countries is handled by QAC. 

Initial accreditation of EJMSBM was done by European Consortium for Accreditation (ECA) in 2015 in coordination with Accreditation Organisation of the Netherlands and Flanders (NVAO) and an accreditation for the 6 years was issued. The assesment report can be found here. 

Re-accreditation of EJMSBM was made by Accreditation Organisation of the Netherlands and Flanders (NVAO) in 2021 and an accreditation for the 6 years was issued. The assesment report can be found here. 

The external evaluation methods are comprised of: 

• External international evaluation and accreditation of EJMSBM (in the mid of the 2nd iteration) made by the Quality Assurance Agency (registered in European Quality Assurance Register for Higher Education (EQAR)) in accordance with the Standards for Quality Assurance of Joint Programmes in the European Higher Education Area (2015). 

• External company assessing the prospective students’ English language skills necessary to study and accomplish EJMSBM. 

• External Examiners selected from institutions other than the Consortium partners, compare and contrast the EJMSBM learning outcomes and the actual attainment of students with the relevant awards standards, with the relevant Qualifications Frameworks, and with corresponding data from other programmes in the same or similar disciplines in other universities and HEIs in Europe; confirm whether or not the applied procedures for assessment are valid, reliable, fair and consistent and that the assessments are in line with the stated learning outcomes; review intended assessment tasks prior to their assignment to students, in the context of module assessment strategies and pre-requisite prior learning; attend contact weeks (online or in person). 

• Invitation to the QAC and / or boards an external advisor (-s), a stakeholder representative such as a Frontex or a high-level decision maker in the field of training of a border and coast guard organisation at national level to evaluate the performance of students, alumni, and management of EJMSBM. 

• Dissertation Examination Boards chaired by external academic experts from European universities and academies which do not belong to the Consortium, who will have to provide an independent assessment of the achievements of each student. 

EJMSBM 3rd Iteration - coming soon 

Syllabus: https://stdb.mruni.eu/studiju_programu_katalogas.php?l=en 

phone: +370 5 271 4726 

Estonian Academy of Security Sciences 

Link to the Library’s website and Link to the catalogue (e-catalogue and digital versions of books. Those books are mainly in Estonian and only few are available in English.) 

Digiriiul provides access to the electronic materials of Estonian Academy of Security Sciences. 

If students have problems logging into Digiriiul, they can contact the library staff raamatukogu@sisekaitse.ee 

Students who would like to receive the login data to the library site should fill in an application form: 

Request for access to the Library and send it to Diana Lüütsepp, diana.lyytsepp@sisekaitse.ee 

RTU Rezekne library 

Link to the Library’s site and Link to the catalogue, Link to the e-resources. The entire collection of RTU library is found in online catalogue. 

The Library should be contacted via this biblioteka.rezekne@rtu.lv 

NLDA Library 

The Library’s site is in Dutch. If students have any problem in finding materials that they need, they can contact:  

Tessa op den Buijs (TP.od.buijs@mindef.nl) 

USAL Library 

The link to USAL Libary 

The English version of the site does not contain all necessary information. Students can access the Library catalogue via this link. The list of databases is available here. 

When Students  register at the University, they get an automatic e-mail with  information about the use of the email account. This e-mail account allows full access to USAL resources. 

If Students do not receive the email, it can be activated via this link (in Spanish).  

The contact person is Elsa Fernando: elsafergon@usal.es 

The consortium is committed to providing a supportive and positive environment for all students. However, there might be times in everybody’s life when things do not go as well as you wish. In times like these, there is a comprehensive support available to help with various challenges. 

Module conveners, mentors, national programme coordinators and programme administrators are available to: 

• provide general academic advice in case of concerns 

• about academic ability/study problems; 

• give help and advice on non-academic matters and 

• refer you for further assistance, if required; 

• assist you with the orientation in the programme; 

• offer support on questions related to finance, travel 

• and accommodation. 

Students have direct contact with the programme administrator, an MRU representative, as well as with national programme coordinators, who are responsible for the administration of the programme and will provide guidance to students from the submission of their application right through to the graduation stage. In addition to the programme administrator, students can also contact their mentor, module convener or national programme coordinator in case of any questions or concerns. 

Mentoring encompasses more than serving as a role model. The Consortium has outlined the following mentoring roles to guide the relationship between faculty, alumni of European Joint Master’s in Strategic Border Management and students. Teaching Staff, alumni and students must realise that, while the Module Convenor will be the primary Mentor throughout the duration of the programme, many of the mentoring ‘functions’ defined below may be performed by the programme teaching staff other than the Module Convenor and alumni. An important consequence to this recognition is that teaching staff and alumni must realise that much of their interaction with all students has an important mentoring component to it. Students also have responsibilities to ensure successful mentoring and these are also indicated below. 

Mentoring has been defined as: 

a) guiding students through Degree Programme requirements; 

b) providing a clear map of the Degree Programme requirements from the beginning, making clear the nature of the requirements and assessments, and defining a timeline for their completion; 

c) providing clear guidelines for starting and finishing dissertation work, including encouraging the timely initiation of the dissertation, as well as exploring a wide range of possible fields of research throughout the programme when choosing a topic for the dissertation; 

d) encouraging an open exchange of ideas, including pursuit of the student’s ideas; 

e) checking regularly on the student’s progress; 

f) evaluating clearly the strengths and weaknesses of the student’s academic performance and research competences; 

g) providing and discussing clear criteria for authorship of collaborative research and project work; 

h) being aware of the student’s learning and research needs and helping in obtaining required resources.; 

i) providing constructive feedback and advice on the student’s performance; 

j) guiding the students through professional development; 

k) providing guidance and serving as a role model for upholding the highest ethical standards; 

l) advising students on the fair and equitable distribution of tasks and a workload within a team; 

m) encouraging peer learning, cooperation, team work and a stimulating learning atmosphere within the student group; 

n) encouraging students to keep in contact with each other throughout the programme, meet online, provide mutual support, seek and provide constructive feedback, consult on their group and individual work; 

o) facilitating interactions with other students, the faculty and the wider professional community; 

p) advising students in all matters related to the Degree Programme; 

q) providing support and advice to students on non-academic matters and referring them to further assistance if required. 

Lifelong learning experience also continues after the students graduates the Programme. The EJMSBM Alumni Network creates a springboard for various opportunities, enabling alumni to interact with each other, assume the role of mentors for new generations of the EJMSBM students, act as the EJMSBM ambassadors, and contribute to pursuing excellence in border and coast guard education and training. 

Mission 

Contact 

ejmsbm@mruni.eu 

Project manager 

Inga Juknytė-Petreikienė ingajp@mruni.eu 

Programme administrator 

Laima Paulauskytė laima_paula@mruni.eu