BA Political Science
General Information
The bachelor’s program comprises 6 semesters of study and requires 180 ECTS credits for completion – one ECTS credit equals 25 hours of academic work. The degree program consists of 126 ECTS credits of mandatory courses, 12 ECTS credits of internship work, 6 ECTS credits are apportioned to the bachelor’s thesis and 36 ECTS credits to free electives. The program commences with a legally mandated introduction and orientation phase (“STEOP”) the successful completion of which determines whether students may proceed in the program. It is comprised of two lectures, Introduction to Political Science and Politics viewed from a Scientific Perspective (3 and 2 ECTS respectively).
The BA curriculum is divided into five core areas: Political Theory (political ideas), Comparative Politics, Austrian Politics in Comparative Perspective , International Relations, and Politics of the European Union. In each core area, students must take foundational courses (introductory lecture and a more in-depth pro-seminar). In four of the five core areas, students will then attend thematically focused seminars and write research papers. This is to be followed by a fifth seminar in one of the four selected core areas. To complete the BA program, students will need to take coursework in four neighboring disciplines (Constitutional and Administrative Law, Macroeconomics, History, and Sociology), working techniques in Political Science as well as quantitative and qualitative research methods (to be taken prior to attending seminars), free electives, and an internship. Training in empirical research methods is a particular priority in the BA program. As such, methods’ training begins in the winter semester with a lecture on research design to be followed by a pro-seminar on qualitative research methods and continues in the summer semester with a lecture on quantitative methods and a corresponding pro-seminar.
Students are also encouraged to complement their BA studies with coursework in any of the following areas for which graduates may receive additional certification: European Union Studies, Gender Studies, Geography and Regional Planning, Communication, Law, Regional Studies, Sociology, Foreign Languages, Sustainability Studies, Economics, and Contemporary History.
What will I learn?
In the BA degree course in Political Science, you will deal with political players, institutions and processes, the political culture of various countries and selected fields of politics. You will examine how political players understand their roles and the motives by which they are driven, how their actions are restricted by political institutions and how political power is exerted. Moreover, you will develop empirical and analytical, professional and methodical skills. These skills enable you to develop innovative research questions and to compose written works, which are theoretically and methodically profound. Students acquire the ability to grasp political and social problems, to work out practical solution strategies, to present them convincingly and to advocate them argumentatively.
Which career opportunities do I have?
Through this BA degree course, you are qualified for responsible tasks in public administration, lobbying and non-government organizations (NGOs), in the field of PR and foreign ministries.
Why Salzburg?
There are several good reasons to enrol for a BA degree course in Political Science at the University of Salzburg, such as the high quality and international orientation of teaching and research, the flexible and individual organisation of the courses, small seminar groups, close supervision, the cooperation with the Salzburg Centre for European Union Studies (SCEUS), and the appeal of the course locations.
Important: The teaching language of our bachelor’s program is German! For additional information about our BA Politikwissenschaft please take a look at our German website.
