The Master in Anti-Corruption and Diplomacy (MACD) is a modular postgraduate academic degree programme delivered over 18 months, in a mixture of campus-based and online (live interaction) classes, jointly by UNITAR and the International Anti-Corruption Academy (IACA). Designed as an in-career programme, MACD has a compact structure and covers two disciplines, namely, anti-corruption and diplomacy. The programme offers a series of interdisciplinary modules which concentrate on concepts and practical tools for preventing and countering corruption, and diplomacy.

The MACD programme offers a rigorous, diverse, and innovative anti-corruption and diplomacy curriculum. It reflects a variety of academic disciplines necessary for providing comprehensive insight into corruption, anti-corruption, compliance systems, and diplomacy. Students and their employers benefit from both the academic and practitioner focus of the programme.

Participants will acquire a total of 90 ECTS in subjects and cross–cutting themes relating to economics, behavioural science, ethics, law, compliance, diplomacy, international law, digital and cyber diplomacy, as well as essential skills for an international career such as negotiations, leadership, effective writing, public speaking and stakeholder coordination and engagement. Programme delivery is campus-based and virtual live interaction, with the first module taking place at the UNITAR Headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland, ensuring effective knowledge transfer and the immediate applicability of the knowledge and skills acquired. The programme is completed with the successful submission and defence of a master’s thesis for which a supporting course in research methods is incorporated into the modules. The master’s thesis defence in this programme will take place online. Upon successful completion of the master’s thesis defence, the graduates will visit IACA’s campus, in Laxenburg, Austria, and attend their graduation ceremony, organized by IACA.

• Research & Writing
• Skills for an International Career in Diplomacy
• Introduction to Studies of Anti-Corruption and Diplomacy
• Politics, Sociology, Criminology and Economics of Corruption
• Anti-Corruption Legal and Ethical Frameworks in Public and Private Sector
• Corruption, Cybercrime and Compliance
• Digital and Cyber Diplomacy: Diplomacy in the 21st Century
• Anti-Corruption Tools: Prevention, Criminalization, and Law Enforcement

The programme offers a unique, blended learning experience with remote and face-to-face learning methods. The programme utilizes a variety of learning approaches including lectures, case studies, interactive sessions, group work, and stakeholder discussions to identify best practices in anti-corruption and diplomacy. In addition, MACD modules are complemented by expert talks on anti-corruption and diplomacy topics.

The MACD programme is designed for those holding an undergraduate degree who intend to avail an opportunity to study under some of the world’s most renowned experts in anti-corruption and diplomacy, in a participatory and unique international environment, and within a group of motivated and committed individuals in order to deepen their understanding of anti-corruption and diplomacy, and hence adding greater value to their respective careers, organizations and societies.