Program Overview

Program Overview

The Political Science - Sciences Sociales (B.A.) program is a double bachelor's degree offered in collaboration with the Otto Suhr Institute for Political Science and the German-French European Campus of Sciences Po.

Program Structure

The program consists of various study modules, including:

• Introduction to the methods of scientific work
• Introduction to qualitative methods
• Modern political theory
• Political systems and comparison
• Theory, empiricism and history of international relations
• Political theory
• Political systems and comparison
• European integration
• International Relations
• Regional policy analysis
• Peace and conflict research
• Policy field analysis, especially environmental policy
• International political economy
• Legal and philosophical foundations of politics
• Political sociology
• Study area General Vocational Preparation (ABV)

Study Modules

Example study modules at the Freie Universität include:

• Introduction to the methods of scientific work
• Introduction to qualitative methods
• Modern political theory
• Political systems and comparison
• Theory, empiricism and history of international relations
• Political theory
• Political systems and comparison
• European integration
• International Relations
• Regional policy analysis
• Peace and conflict research
• Policy field analysis, especially environmental policy
• International political economy
• Legal and philosophical foundations of politics
• Political sociology

Example Study Areas at Sciences Po

Example study areas at Sciences Po include:

• Politics
• Economy
• Right
• History
• Sociology
• Languages
• International Relations
• Economy
• International law
• Sociology and politics
• Literature and philosophy
• Languages
• Many associative

Career Prospects

Graduates of the program can pursue careers in various fields, including:

• IOs and NGOs
• National administration
• Private sector
• Politics, interest representation, and policy consulting
• Science and media

Specialization and Deepening Module: Political Systems and Comparison

This module focuses on the analysis of structures and functions of different political systems. Students compare government systems, including their intermediate structures and cultural characteristics. They examine how political decisions are made, implemented, and affect individual policy areas, such as environmental policy. Additionally, students learn different theoretical and methodological approaches to analyzing political systems, social scientific comparatistics, and policy field analysis.

Typical Questions

Typical questions addressed in this module include:

• How do political institutions, such as government, electoral, and party systems, influence national legislation?
• What are the prerequisites and restrictions for successful environmental policy regulation?
• Do national policies become more similar over time? What are the reasons for this inter-state policy convergence?

Examples of Courses

Examples of courses in this module include:

• Proseminar (Specialization): Tax system and financial policy in Germany
• Proseminar (Specialization): The German states: Parliaments, governments, and administrations in the multi-level system
• Proseminar (Specialization): The People Index. Comparison of political system indices
• Advanced seminar (Deepening): Introduction to network analysis. Networks between members of parliament and interest groups in Germany
• Advanced seminar (Deepening): Political systems in Africa between economic growth, informal sectors, and migration
• Advanced seminar (Deepening): Environmental and climate policy in the European Union