This course concentrates on the role and function of political parties in modern (European) democracies. We will pay attention to the historical development of political parties, their role during democratic transitions, and their contribution to democratic legitimacy. For that purpose, we will look into the causes and consequences of the changing societal structures underpinning contemporary party systems, the emergence of populist anti-establishment parties, as well as the development of alternative forms of political mobilisation.

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.