UBADBSESTFT-2024-5-O - L-Università ta' Malta

Course Title

Bachelor of Arts in Disability Studies and European Studies

MQF Level

Duration and Credits

3 Years

180 ECTS

Mode of Study

Full-time

Information for International applicants

Refer to the list of country-specific qualifications

Disability Studies

Applicants considered as "Adult Learners" (mature applicants) in terms of paragraph (c) of regulation 6 of the Admissions Regulations must be in possession of those qualifications and/or experience that would satisfy the Faculty Admissions Committee that they have reached the academic standard required to follow the Course with profit. Such applicants shall be required to submit with their application a letter written in English giving their motivation for applying for the Course together with a copy of their Curriculum Vitae (C.V.). The eligibility of applicants referred to in this paragraph shall be decided by the Faculty Admissions Committee, following an interview conducted by an interviewing board appointed for the purpose.

European Studies

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You can submit your application online. The deadlines for submission of applications vary according to the intake and courses. We encourage all international applicants to submit their applications as soon as possible. This is especially important if you require a visa to travel and eventually stay in Malta.

You can compare your national qualifications to the local requirements by visiting our qualifications comparability webpage. Access more information about our admission process and English language requirements.

The University of Malta has student accommodation on campus called Campus Hub. Campus Hub is just a 2-minute walk from the main campus. For more information, visit the accommodation website.

Our dedicated team at the student recruitment office is here to support you every step of the way. From the moment you start your application to the moment when you receive your decision letter, we're here to assist you. If you have any questions or need further information, don't hesitate to reach out to us. You can contact us at info@um.edu.mt, and our team will be more than happy to help.

After you receive an offer from us, our International Office will assist you with visas, accommodation and other related issues.

Disability Studies

The introduction of the course stems from the need to offer you the possibility to engage in studies related to disability at undergraduate level. The programme of studies offers a diversity of topics related to disability, from empowerment, to rights, to policies to art and cultural representation. It has been devised with the aim of exposing you as a student and future professional to the challenges that disabled people face in all walks of life. This is done from both a theoretical and experiential perspective through the involvement of disabled people in the delivery of the lectures. The course is targeted to reach all students who have an interest in disability issues and want to engage with and learn more about this field.

European Studies

This programme is offered as an interfaculty programme of the Faculty for Social Wellbeing and the Institute for European Studies.

You shall be required to register and obtain credits for study-units to which a total of not less than 80 ECTS credits are assigned as indicated in the programmes of study. The programme of studies aims to provide you with a solid and comprehensive knowledge of the European Union from a multi-disciplinary angle, involving the politics, economics, law and history of European Integration. The degree aims to develop your analytical skills and to deepen your critical appraisal of EU policies and EU affairs in general. Special emphasis is also laid, where appropriate, on the deepening of knowledge of the theories and theoretical frameworks employed by the various disciplines in assessing EU policies.

Communication and Academic Skills Programme

The communication and academic skills programme complements students’ main course of study. It introduces them to writing and presenting as situated within academic contexts sensitive to specific disciplines and develops their competences for future careers.

Disability Studies

In addition to the compulsory study-units, students are required to choose study-units to the value of 8 ECTS credits from the elective study-units on offer during the year.


Semester 1

Compulsory Units (All students must register for this/these unit/s)

DBS1003	Building a Maltese Disabled People’s History	6 ECTS
DBS1004	Disability Issues in Practice	4 ECTS


Semester 2

Compulsory Units (All students must register for this/these unit/s)

DBS1006	Services for an Independent Life	4 ECTS
PHI1018	Ethics for Social Wellbeing	4 ECTS

Elective Units (Elective units are offered subject to availability, a minimum number of student registrations and time-table constraints)

DBS1005	Exploring Disabled People’s Expressions through the Arts	4 ECTS
SOC1058	Health, Illness and Society	4 ECTS
YTH1011	Young People with Minority Experiences	4 ECTS

Requirement for regular progression to Year 2:
26 ECTS credits in Disability Studies
26 ECTS credits in the other area
8 ECTS credits in optional study-units

Total credits for this year: 60 ECTS credits

In addition to the compulsory study-units, students are required to choose study-units to the value of 18 ECTS credits from the elective study-units on offer during the year. Only one 6 ECTS credits study-unit may be chosen.


Semester 1

Compulsory Units (All students must register for this/these unit/s)

DBS2004	Sexuality and Disability	4 ECTS

Elective Units (Elective units are offered subject to availability, a minimum number of student registrations and time-table constraints)

DBS2201	Campaigning for Rights on an Equal Basis with Others	4 ECTS
DBS2202	From Dependence to Autonomy: Empowerment in Everyday Life	4 ECTS
DBS2203	Developing Disability Arts	6 ECTS
DBS2208	Disabled People's Impairment-Related Issues	4 ECTS


Semester 2

Compulsory Units (All students must register for this/these unit/s)

DBS2216	Disability Policy	4 ECTS

Elective Units (Elective units are offered subject to availability, a minimum number of student registrations and time-table constraints)

DBS2206	Building Inclusive Communities	4 ECTS
DBS2211	Providing Equal Access to Disabled People	6 ECTS
DBS2217	Education, Employment and Health Access to Related Services	4 ECTS

Requirement for regular progression to Year 3:
26 ECTS credits in Disability Studies
26 ECTS credits in the other area
8 ECTS credits optional study-units

Total credits for this year: 60 ECTS credits

In addition to the compulsory study-units, students are required to choose study-units to the value of 8 ECTS credits from the elective study-units on offer during the year.


Semester 1

Elective Units (Elective units are offered subject to availability, a minimum number of student registrations and time-table constraints)

DBS3010	Representation of Disabled People	4 ECTS
DBS3011	Disability Issues and Pastoral Ministry	4 ECTS
DBS3030	Hidden Impairments: Private or Public?	4 ECTS


Semester 2

Compulsory Units (All students must register for this/these unit/s)

DBS3001	Universal Design: Access for All	2 ECTS
DBS3100	Directed Literature Review	10 ECTS
DBS3110	Disability Access Project	8 ECTS

Elective Units (Elective units are offered subject to availability, a minimum number of student registrations and time-table constraints)

DBS3009	Living with the Label ‘Intellectual Disability’	4 ECTS

Requirement for successful completion of Year 3: 60 ECTS credits, of which:
28 ECTS credits in Disability Studies
28 ECTS credits in the other area
4 ECTS credits optional study-units

Requirement for award of B.A. Disability Studies and in another area of study: 180 ECTS credits, of which:
80 ECTS credits in Disability Studies
80 ECTS credits in the other area
20 ECTS credits optional study-units

European Studies


Year (This/these unit/s start/s in Semester 1 and continue/s in Semester 2)

Compulsory Units (All students must register for this/these unit/s)

EST1020	The Legal Order of the European Union	8 ECTS	(NC)
EST1042	European Integration Theories, Paradigms and Key Documents	6 ECTS	(NC)


Semester 1

Compulsory Units (All students must register for this/these unit/s)

EST1030	Introduction to Comparative Politics of Europe	4 ECTS	(NC)
EST1036	A Historical Perspective on EU Integration	4 ECTS	(NC)
EST1040	Introductory Micro Economics for European Studies	4 ECTS	(NC)

Requirement for regular progression to Year 2:
26 ECTS credits in European Studies
26 ECTS credits in the other area
8 ECTS credits in optional study-units

Total credits for this year: 60 ECTS credits

In addition to the compulsory study-units, students are required to choose study-units to the value of 22 ECTS credits from the elective study-units on offer during the year.


Semester 1

Compulsory Units (All students must register for this/these unit/s)

EST2140	Politics of the European Union	4 ECTS	(NC)

Elective Units (Elective units are offered subject to availability, a minimum number of student registrations and time-table constraints)

EST2060	The Law of the Internal Market of the European Union	4 ECTS
EST2210	Development Studies and the European Union	4 ECTS
EST3010	The Economics of European Integration	4 ECTS


Semester 2

Elective Units (Elective units are offered subject to availability, a minimum number of student registrations and time-table constraints)

EST2020	Small States and the European Union	4 ECTS
EST2230	Social Policy and the European Union	4 ECTS
EST2233	Contemporary Migration Issues Across the Mediterranean (History, Policy and International Law)	6 ECTS
EST2234	Malta in the European Union	6 ECTS
EST2235	EU Cohesion Policy Implementation and Management	6 ECTS
EST2236	European Union Simulation Unit	4 ECTS

Requirement for regular progression to Year 3:
26 ECTS credits in European Studies
26 ECTS credits in the other area
8 ECTS credits optional study-units

Total credits for this year: 60 ECTS credits

Students are required to choose study-units to the value of 28 ECTS credits from the elective study-units on offer during the year.


Year (This/these unit/s start/s in Semester 1 and continue/s in Semester 2)

Elective Units (Elective units are offered subject to availability, a minimum number of student registrations and time-table constraints)

EST3212	EU Competition Law	8 ECTS


Semester 1

Elective Units (Elective units are offered subject to availability, a minimum number of student registrations and time-table constraints)

EST3180	Human Rights in the EU	4 ECTS
EST3190	European Environmental Law and Policy	4 ECTS
EST3200	The EU's External Policy and the CFSP	4 ECTS
EST3207	Agenda-Setting in the European Union	4 ECTS
EST3208	The Economics of EU Policies	4 ECTS
EST3214	Political Parties in Europe	6 ECTS


Semester 2

Elective Units (Elective units are offered subject to availability, a minimum number of student registrations and time-table constraints)

EST3090	Euro-Mediterranean Relations	4 ECTS
EST3191	The Role of SMEs and Competitiveness in the European Union	4 ECTS
EST3192	European Union Economic and Monetary Union	4 ECTS
EST3193	European Union Trade Policy	4 ECTS
EST3197	Comparative Federalism and the EU	4 ECTS
EST3201	Sustainable Development and the EU	4 ECTS
EST3210	European Security	4 ECTS
EST3211	The Future of the European Union	4 ECTS
EST3213	Identity and Culture in Europe	4 ECTS

Requirement for successful completion of Year 3: 60 ECTS credits, of which:
28 ECTS credits in European Studies
28 ECTS credits in the other area
4 ECTS credits optional study-units

Requirement for award of B.A. European Studies and the other area: 180 ECTS credits, of which:
80 ECTS credits in European Studies
80 ECTS credits in the other area
20 ECTS credits optional study-units

This programme of study is governed by the General Regulations for University Undergraduate Awards, 2019 and by the Bye-Laws for the award of the Degree of Bachelor of Arts - B.A. - under the auspices of the Faculty for Social Wellbeing.

Disability Studies

By the end of the course, you will be able to:

Communicate clearly and critically your direct or indirect personal experiences of disability.
Identify the main challenges encountered by persons with disability in relation to sexuality and understanding their origin.
Research and read around a chosen topic on an independent basis.

European Studies

By the end of the course, you will be able to:

Research and read around a chosen topic on an independent basis.
Interpret and discuss related EU secondary legislation and European Commission Guidelines.
Analyse cases involving competition law and determine how the competition rules apply to a particular set of facts.

Non EU Applicants:

Fee per academic year: Eur 8,500

You are viewing the fees for non EU nationals. Switch to EU nationals if you are a national of any country from within the EU/EEA.

Disability Studies

Disability intersects in numerous fields of study. As an eventual professional, you will gain knowledge about a topic that you are very likely to experience in your future professional setting. This course will offer opportunities for employment in social and/or community services in governmental settings and non-governmental service providing entities.

The ability to explain disability to others is a useful skill in the job market, especially in the context of increased numbers of disabled people. As a graduate of this course, you will sensitise and help work settings comply with relevant legislation in this field.

As a holder of this degree, you can further your studies by reading a range of Master programmes, such as the Masters in Disability Studies, Masters in Social Work, Masters in Youth and Community Studies, Masters in Community Action and Development, Masters in Youth Justice, Masters in Health, Medicine and Society, Masters in Gender, Society and Culture, Masters in Gender Studies, Masters in Ageing and Dementia Studies and Masters in Gerontology and Geriatrics, among others.

European Studies

Graduates in European Studies have found jobs in the EU institutions, in international organizations, government ministries (where they have been detailed to work on EU related projects or units working on EU initiatives), in the diplomatic service, the media and some have also gone into teaching. A number of graduates have also found jobs in private enterprise and business organizations. Graduates in European Studies have also been admitted to read for a higher degree, usually at Masters Level in European Studies or closely related areas requiring a strong knowledge of European Studies.

As European Studies graduate, you may gain admission to Universities overseas, or enrol in a local postgraduate course at the University of Malta.