eulaw.academy - certificate program for Ukrainian students

Certificate Program: EU Law and Ukraine’s Path to Accession

Preparing Ukraine’s Next Generation for Membership in the European Union

Ukraine’s accession to the European Union is no longer a distant vision – it is a political and legal process that is already reshaping the country’s institutions, economy and legal order. The eulaw.academy Certificate Program prepares Ukrainian students for precisely this historic transformation. Developed and delivered jointly by leading European and Ukrainian partner universities, the program provides a rigorous academic foundation in the institutions of the European Union, EU law, EU economic law, the European Single Market and the approximation of Ukrainian legislation to the EU acquis.

Over two semesters, participants can earn a total of 24 ECTS credits in a structured, English-language curriculum taught by international faculty. The program equips students with the knowledge and skills that Ukraine’s EU accession process will demand – and allows them to lay the foundations for a future EU-related career, whether in EU institutions, the European or Ukrainian public service, politics, public administration, business, international organisations, or EU-related fields of law and policy.
 

Shaping Ukraine's Future Leaders

Ukraine’s integration into the European Union will require a generation of professionals who understand how the Union works – legally, institutionally and economically. The Certificate Program is designed to build exactly this expertise. Graduates will be prepared to contribute, competently and responsibly, to Ukraine’s European integration: in accession negotiations, in the implementation of the EU acquis, in public administration and policy-making, in legal and institutional reform, and in European and international cooperation.
 

About the Certificate Program

The Certificate Program is a joint academic initiative of the University for Continuing Education Krems (Austria) and its European and Ukrainian partner universities. It is delivered in English, primarily online, and is organised so that it can be completed alongside regular university studies.

• Program start: End of October 2026
• Program end: May 2027
• Duration: Two semesters
• Total: 24 ECTS credits
   

Program Aims – Why Apply?

The program prepares students for professional activities connected with:

• Ukraine’s EU accession process and EU accession negotiations,
• the implementation of the EU acquis,
• public administration and policy-making,
• legal and institutional reforms,
• European and international cooperation,
• EU-related legal and economic matters.

Upon completion, participants will hold a solid, internationally recognised academic foundation in EU law and European integration – a qualification of growing importance as Ukraine moves closer to EU membership.
 

Curriculum and Course Modules

The curriculum consists of four consecutive modules of 6 ECTS credits each. The modules build on one another: from the historical and institutional foundations of the Union, through its legal order and the Single Market, to the practical challenges of aligning Ukrainian law with the EU acquis. Together, they provide a coherent path from understanding the EU to actively working within its legal and political framework.

Module 1: History of European Integration and the Development of EU Law – 6 ECTS

The opening module traces the foundational treaties and key milestones of European integration, examines the EU’s successive enlargement processes, and explains the development of EU law as well as the structure and functions of the EU institutions. It establishes the historical and institutional framework on which all subsequent modules build.

Module 2: Fundamentals of EU Law – 6 ECTS

The second module turns to the EU legal order itself: EU competences, the sources of EU law, primary and secondary legislation, and the place of international law within the EU legal order. Students study the Court of Justice of the European Union and the EU court system, and actively acquire the legal terminology and language of EU law – an indispensable working tool for any EU-related career.

Module 3: The European Single Market – 6 ECTS

The third module explores the economic heart of the Union: the free movement of goods, the free movement of persons, the freedom to provide services and the free movement of capital, together with Economic and Monetary Union and the broader dynamics of economic integration within the European Union.

Module 4: The EU Law Approximation Process – 6 ECTS

The concluding module applies the preceding foundations to Ukraine’s accession path. It addresses the alignment of Ukrainian legislation with the EU acquis, legal drafting, implementation and enforcement, administrative and institutional requirements, compliance mechanisms, anti-corruption policies, and the practical challenges arising during the approximation process.
 

Academic Partners

The Certificate Program is jointly supported by the following partner universities:

• University for Continuing Education Krems, Austria – Project Lead
• IE University, Spain (TBC) – Legal Excellence
• Jagiellonian University, Poland (TBC) – Regional Expertise
• Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv, Ukraine – Local Leadership
• Kyiv National Economic University, Ukraine – Economic Expertise
   

Eligibility

Applications are open to students who meet the following requirements:

• Applicants must be currently enrolled at Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv or Kyiv National Economic University.
• Applicants should be in an advanced stage of their studies: third- or fourth-year Bachelor’s students or first-year Master’s students.
• Applicants must demonstrate English-language proficiency at B2 level.
• Applicants must be Ukrainian citizens and currently reside in Ukraine.
• Applicants should have a strong interest in European integration and Ukraine’s future in the European Union.

Priority may be given to applicants from families affected by the war, provided that they meet all other eligibility requirements.
 

Key Information

• Participation is free of charge (the tuition fee is covered by sponsors).
• The language of instruction is English.
• Courses are primarily delivered online; in-person sessions in Kyiv may be offered where feasible.
• The program starts at the end of October 2026 and ends in May 2027.
• The program runs for two semesters.
• Successful participants receive 24 ECTS credits and a certificate.
   

Application Documents and Deadline

Please submit the following documents for the pre-selection process by 15 September 2026:

• Motivation Letter
• Proof of English Skills at B2 level
• Curriculum Vitae, preferably in Europass format
• Most recent university transcript or academic record (this document does not need to be translated)

Please send all documents as PDF files to: EU-Academy@donau-uni.ac.at
 

Apply Now!

Take the next step towards a European future. Submit your application by 15 September 2026 and become part of the generation that will shape Ukraine’s path into the European Union.