This English-taught Master's programme focuses on applied, empirical research in political science. The department is internationally recognised for its empirical-analytical strengths and ranks among the leading institutions, placing at the top in Germany and across Europe. The programme is embedded in an active research environment—including close ties to MZES and GESIS—which creates strong opportunities for hands-on research training, potential funding during your studies, and preparation for doctoral work.
Over four semesters you will gain advanced skills in quantitative methods and develop an in-depth understanding of the political system of the European Union. The curriculum mirrors the department’s main research fields, and you will be able to specialise when writing your Master’s thesis. Core research areas represented in the programme include International Relations, International Political Economy, International Comparative Social Research, Comparative Political Behaviour, Political Sociology, and Quantitative Methods.
The Comparative Politics strand covers topics such as political institutions of European democracies, national legislation and electoral systems, political communication and participation, electoral analysis, and coalition theory in Europe. The International Politics strand explores European integration and governance, African politics and conflict studies, and issues in political economy.
The programme begins by strengthening the quantitative foundation students bring from their bachelor’s studies. In the first semester you will take advanced modules in Quantitative Methods, Game Theory and Research Design that focus on empirical social-science methods, applied statistics and formal model-building. These units are designed to give you rigorous, hands-on training in the tools needed for systematic analysis and hypothesis testing in political science.
In the second and third semesters you move into core substantive fields: International Politics, International Political Economy, Comparative Political Behaviour and Comparative Government. These modules combine intellectually demanding lectures with intensive reading and seminar discussions to deepen your substantive knowledge and analytical reading skills. At the same time you will specialise by selecting one of three Research Modules, each delivered as three intensive seminars across the second and third semesters; these seminars add specific methodological techniques and strengthen your analytical toolkit.
The programme concludes with a final research module in which you write your MA thesis — an original research paper that both consolidates your training and can serve as a springboard into doctoral study or research-oriented careers. Overall learning outcomes include advanced competence in quantitative and formal methods, substantive expertise in major subfields of political science, improved seminar-style research and writing skills, and the ability to design and carry out independent empirical research.
Admission requirements
You must hold a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science or a closely related subject, completed with at least a "good" grade (equivalent to 2.5 or better on the German grading scale). If you have not yet finished your Bachelor’s, submit your current transcript of records — this will be used as the basis for the admission decision.
In addition, you need to have completed at least one university-level course in statistical analysis and/or research methods, also with a grade of "good" (2.5) or better. Make sure your transcript clearly shows the course title(s) and the achieved grade(s); if the information is not explicit, be prepared to provide additional documentation upon request.
For full application details, deadlines and document requirements, consult the program’s official application page.
Concise requirements (bullet points)
Winter Semester (International)
15 May 2026
Winter Semester (EU/EEA)
15 May 2026
Graduates are prepared for research careers in political science, including direct progression to PhD programmes, due to the programme's strong empirical and quantitative focus. Many alumni pursue roles in academia, research institutes and think tanks, leveraging the department's methodological training.
Outside academia, the quantitative and analytical skills acquired make graduates competitive for positions in public policy, government agencies, international organisations, NGOs, and consulting/data analysis roles related to political risk, public affairs, and policy evaluation.
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