Zulassungsverfahren für den MA Political Science

Am 14. März 2025 wurde für den MA Political Science ein neues Zulassungsverfahren eingeführt (siehe die Veröffentlichung im Mitteilungsblatt der Universität Salzburg). Das Verfahren gilt für alle Studierenden, die sich ab diesem Datum für das Studium beworben haben. Ausgenommen sind Studierende, die an der Universität Salzburg den BA Politikwissenschaft oder den BA Philosophie, Politik und Ökonomie abgeschlossen haben – Studierende dieser beiden Studien können direkt, ohne weitere Auflagen und ohne das Zulassungsverfahren durchlaufen zu müssen, in den MA Political Science aufgenommen werden.

Bitte folgen Sie den im Folgenden beschriebenen Verfahrenschritten, wenn Sie sich für den MA Political Science bewerben wollen.

 

How to apply for the MA program in Political Science

General information

The application process involves three steps:

  • First, the Department of Political Science’s admissions panel will review your application. This qualitative selection process may take up to three weeks.
  • Secondly, those applicants who successfully pass the department’s selection process will be recommended for admission to the university’s Admissions Office, which administers the formal admission process. To complete this process, you will need to have all your documents legalised. Please inform yourself in a timely manner about how long this may take in your home country.
  • Thirdly, once you have been admitted to the university, you must enroll in our master’s program.

 

Deadlines

The following deadlines apply to the formal admissions process, conducted by the Admissions Office:

  • Applicants from EU/EEA countries may be admitted until 31 October for the winter semester and until 31 March for the summer semester. However, please note that it is no longer possible to enroll in courses at the end of October or March, as the winter and summer semesters already start at the beginning of these months.Therefore, it is crucial that you are formally admitted before the courses begin.
  • Even stricter deadlines apply to applicants from non-EU/EEA countries. If you are planning to start your studies in the winter semester, the Admissions Office requires all your legalised documents by the beginning of August. For the winter semester of 2025/26, this deadline is 10 August 2025. If you are planning to start in the summer semester, the Admissions Office requires all your legalised documents by the beginning of January. For the summer semester of 2026, this deadline is 10 January 2026.

Please also bear in mind that, in addition, you must allow up to three weeks for the qualitative admission process, which takes place before the formal admission process.

 

The application process step by step

Step 1: Qualitative selection process

In order to apply for the MA program in Political Science, students have to send the following documents by email to the Department of Political Science (email address: ):

  • Application form (please use the German/English form available under this link)
  • Bachelor’s diploma, diploma supplement (including course length, course description, and credits) and/or transcript of records including course titles, credit hours, and grades
  • Copy of passport (picture page)
  • Proof of English language proficiency at the C1 level
  • Short curriculum vitae (CV) or resume detailing the applicant’s education and work experience
  • Letter of motivation describing the applicant’s motivation, qualification for the intended master’s program, objectives, and expectations (max 1,000 words, in English)

All documents (except the letter of motivation) must be submitted in the order listed above in a single PDF file with a title in the following format „LastName_FirstName_Application.pdf“. Electronic copies of all documents must be clearly legible for the application to be considered. Applications that are not submitted in the correct format or that contain illegible copies or inappropriate language may be rejected without further review.

The letter of motivation must be submitted in an extra PDF file with a title in the following format: „LastName_FirstName_Motivation.pdf“. The letter should contain the following statement of authorship: „I hereby declare that this letter of motivation is entirely my own work and that any additional sources of information, including text-generating tools, have been duly cited. I understand that a failure to declare any sources of information or aids may have the consequence that I have to withdraw from the MA program.“

An admissions panel of the Department of Political Science determines whether an applicant will be recommended for admission. Criteria for the selection include:

  • Key competencies necessary for the intended master’s program
  • Academic English and communications skills
  • The applicant’s motivation, objectives, and expectations for the master’s program
  • Previous academic achievements or relevant work experience

If the documents submitted do not allow for a conclusive decision regarding the applicant’s qualifications, the admissions panel may conduct an additional (online) interview with the applicant. Its format, content and date will be arranged in personal communication with the applicant.

When the qualitative selection process in the Department of Political Science has concluded, you will be notified.

 

Step 2: Formal admission process

The recommendation by the admissions panel of the Department of Political Science will be forwarded to the Admissions Office of the University of Salzburg, which makes the final decision on admission.

Students who are recommended for admission will be contacted by the Admissions Office regarding any additional documents that may be required. In general, all foreign documents submitted, including all certificates and confirmations, must be verified by the country of origin and recognized by the Austrian consular authorities in that country. Documents issued by EU authorities are not considered foreign documents and thus do not need to be verified. The Admissions Office will inform you of the steps you need to take.

While you can formally apply online by submitting electronic copies of all relevant documents, you must submit hard copies of your documents to the Admissions Office upon arrival in Salzburg. Only then will you receive your student number and ID card and be able to complete the enrollment process. Further details, including application deadlines, can be found on the Admissions Office website.

The Admissions Office will review your submitted documents and contact you if additional information is needed (e.g., high school transcripts). If your documents are complete and meet the requirements, you will receive a „Letter of Acceptance“ confirming your eligibility to begin the master’s program.

 

Step 3: Enrolling in the MA program in Political Science

For final enrollment in the master’s program in Political Science, you must complete the registration steps described in the following link from the Admissions Office.

Online pre-registration for the winter semester begins at the beginning of July, and online pre-registration for the summer semester begins at the beginning of January.

 

Contact

If you have general questions regarding the application procedure, e. g., concerning necessary documents, legalisation or language requirements, please contact Nikolina Sokic.

If you would like to ask about the current status of your application, please contact Franz Fallend.