Study Political Science in Mannheim

Possible master’s programs
Graduates of the bachelor’s program can take up a master’s program in Political Science or other fields in Germany or abroad. Due to the thorough instruction in methods given during the program, you may also have the opportunity to directly move on to a doctoral program. 

• Master’s program in Political Science (M.A., taught in English)
• Master’s program in Sociology (M.A., taught in English)
• Mannheim Master in Social Data Science (M.Sc., taught in English)

Political Science deals with questions of power. Here in Mannheim, we focus on empirical questions regarding the distribution of power between groups or individuals. This means that we analyze the role of institutions, organizations, and the public in preparing, agreeing, and implementing political decisions within democratic and non-democratic regimes. Institutions are, for example, governments, parliaments, and courts. Organizations include parties and interest groups, while the public is everyone who lives in a certain country, region, or city. 

The questions we deal with include, for example:

• How do different groups evaluate their opportunities for political participation?
• Why do politicians not always implement the most popular decisions?
• To what extent are surveys considered in political decision-making?

The subject is divided into basic and advanced modules focusing on four areas of study: 

• International Relations
• Comparative Politics
• Political Sociology
• Methods and Statistics

The supplementary modules include a career development module (including a mandatory internship), a social skills module (where students can choose from courses on media practice, IT, presentation and communication, and foreign languages), and a minor.

Distribution of ECTS credits
You will complete approximately 125 ECTS in your core subject and approximately 60 ECTS in your combination major. 

Social relevance
You will deal with topics and issues relevant to society in a research-oriented, world-acclaimed program of study with an international focus. 

Top positions in rankings
For years, the Department of Political Science has achieved top positions in international rankings such as the QS Ranking, Times Higher Education Ranking, Shanghai Ranking, or CHE Ranking. The overall study situation, reputation of researchers, international orientation, support for stays abroad, and offers for career orientation have received particularly good scores.

Excellent prospects for bachelor’s graduates
Graduates are perfectly prepared for pursuing a master’s degree in Political Science or other fields in Germany or abroad. Having completed a career development module and social skills courses, students are also fully equipped to begin their professional career right after completing their studies.

The expertise of political scientists is in demand in various fields. For example, our graduates pursue careers

• as members of the Bundestag,
• at the European Commission in Brussels,
• in non-governmental organizations such as “Terre des Femmes,”
• in public relations,
• in interest groups,
• at local and national media outlets,
• and in business (for example at companies such as SAP or Google).

Internships
In the career development module, you will get to know potential career paths for political scientists. In a twelve-week internship during a semester break, you will deepen this knowledge. In an exercise course in the following semester, you will discuss your experiences and further career opportunities.

If you wish to study Political Science, you should 

• be interested in political topics,
• be curious about the scientific community as well as academic writing and research,
• have a very good level of English proficiency,
• be interested in working with numbers and in the field of logic,
• enjoy working with critical texts and different points of view as well as finding new approaches.

The bachelor’s program in Political Science is currently selective. The following selection criteria are taken into account:

• grade average achieved in your university entrance qualification
• the grades achieved in Mathematics and English
• other achievements relevant to your application (such as experience in a federal, state, or local public administration, public relations work for a political party, journalistic activities for the press or the media, work in trade unions, social organizations, or church associations)