In your specialisation’s core course you will focus on a theme that is both current and challenging.

Deepen your understanding of theories and methods related to research on your specific subfield of Political Science. Apply them to your specific topic as part of your master thesis.

Read seminal Political Science texts and familiarise yourself with the—often opposing—views of leading scholars. Discover how their ideas and approaches have inspired other researchers and discuss these with your fellow students and lecturer.

Develop compelling research questions, devise sound schemes for conducting the research necessary to answer those questions, and, ultimately, follow through with the research itself.

... such as Crisis Management, Governance of Human Security, Political Communication and Media Effects, States, Citizens and Migrants, Contestation of International Authority, Elections in Emerging Democracies, Peaceful and Violent Strategies to Secession and Independent Statehood, Human Rights Challenges posed by Global Transformations, Russia and the World, Civilians in Conflict, Violence and Peace in the Age of Social Media, or Algorithmic Security Politics.

The structure of the programme allows for an internship in the period early January to the end of March, followed up by taking part in the Internship Research Project Seminar. In this seminar, you will complete your thesis based on the research you conducted during your internship. The institute’s internship coordinator will facilitate placement, but the responsibility to find an organisation lies with the individual student. The organisation must allow and facilitate the student to implement a research project relevant to the organisation or its activities.

Please note that a fixed number of students will be allowed to conduct research on the basis of an internship. This is because the Institute of Political Science wants to offer students full support and guidance during and after the internship. The internship is subject to approval by the Institute. Among several other criteria, the academic level of the internship will play a key role in the decision process.

2 semesters, 4 blocks

• The academic year runs from September to July and is divided into two semesters.
• Each semester has two blocks, so there are four blocks in total.
• Each block has 8 weeks.
• There are no holidays within a semester.

Breaks

• After the first semester, during the month of January, there is a ‘Winter break’, during which there are no programme activities.
• The same goes for the ‘Summer break’, which is after the second semester, from July to September.

Programme structure of the MSc Political Science specialisations

• International Politics

• Nationalism, Ethnic Conflict and Development

• Dutch Politics

• Democracy and Representation

• Political Theory: Legitimacy and Justice

starting in September (the first semester of the academic year)

Programme structure of the MSc Political Science specialisations

• International Politics

• Nationalism, Ethnic Conflict and Development

• Dutch Politics

• Democracy and Representation

• Political Theory: Legitimacy and Justice

starting in February (the second semester of the academic year)

Online methodology catch-up course, for September starters.

Online methodology catch-up course, for February starters.

Examine how norms, rules and international organisations at the regional and supranational level affect relations between states, contacts across state borders, and global governance, and vice-versa. Why and how states and other transnational actors seek to organise world politics, under what conditions particular forms of international organisation (formal and informal) are most likely to emerge, and how international organization affects the preferences and behavior of states and the management of economic, security, humanitarian and environmental challenges.

How is public policy made? What political and instutional forces shape the policy process? What is the role of state actors, as well as interest groups, advocacy campaigns, public opinion, and experts in issue-framing, bargaining, and governance?

How to interpret and measure the effect of policies? What are the interests and pressures involved? How to assess policy needs, assumptions, constraints, implementation, impact, and efficiency? Distinct assignments and workgroups for students in the specialisation International Organisation.

Read seminal Political Science texts and familiarise yourself with the—often opposing—views of leading scholars. Discover how their ideas and approaches have inspired other researchers and discuss these with your fellow students and lecturer.

Develop compelling research questions, devise sound schemes for conducting the research necessary to answer those questions, and, ultimately, follow through with the research itself.

Deepen your understanding of theories and methods related to research on a specific subfield of Political Science. Apply them to a specific topic related to international organisation as part of your master thesis.

The structure of the programme allows for an internship in the period early January to the end of March, followed up by taking part in the Internship Research Project Seminar. In this seminar, you will complete your thesis based on the research you conducted during your internship. The institute’s internship coordinator will facilitate placement, but the responsibility to find an organisation lies with the individual student. The organisation must allow and facilitate the student to implement a research project relevant to the organisation or its activities.

Please note that a fixed number of students will be allowed to conduct research on the basis of an internship. This is because the Institute of Political Science wants to offer students full support and guidance during and after the internship. The internship is subject to approval by the Institute. Among several other criteria, the academic level of the internship will play a key role in the decision process.

2 semesters, 4 blocks

• The academic year runs from September to July and is divided into two semesters.
• Each semester has two blocks, so there are four blocks in total.
• Each block has 8 weeks.
• There are no holidays within a semester.

Breaks

• After the first semester, during the month of January, there is a ‘Winter break’, during which there are no programme activities.
• The same goes for the ‘Summer break’, which is after the second semester, from July to September.

Programme structure of the MSc Political Science specialisation

• International Organisation

starting in September (the first semester of the academic year)

Programme structure of the MSc Political Science specialisation

• International Organisation

starting in February (the second semester of the academic year)

Online methodology catch-up course, for September starters.

Online methodology catch-up course, for February starters.