Specializations

The object of the programme is International Politics and their many facets. It deals with classical topics of Political Science and International Relations such as research in the fields of Peace- and Conflict, International Political Economy and Foreign Policy Analysis. Besides, this program focuses on the qualification of students in analyzing the different kinds of cooperation in International Organizations like the UN and Supranational Confederations of states such as the European Union.

To get a short insight of what kind of courses students are able to take, see the list below:

Foreign Policy Analysis:

• Experimental Analysis of Decision Behaviour in Groups
• Foreign Policy of the German Laender
• Foreign Cultural and Educational Policy

International Political Economy:

• Political Economy of Financial Markets
• Pressure Groups and International Organizations
• Foreign Trade Liberalism in Developing and Post-communist Countries

International Organizations:

• Credit Policy of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank
• Theory and Practice of Negotiation
• External Influences on the Process of Democratization

Aim of this programme is to enable students to theoretically analyze the driving power and the logic of development of international conflicts and supranational cooperation. Special emphasis is placed on the provision of knowledge in the field of advanced socio-scientific methods.

The programme qualifies, in particular, for an employment at institutions of the European Union and other International Organizations, international departments or political directorates of Public Authorities, nongovernmental organizations or companies. A substantial number of students will also use the MA as a solid preparation for a doctoral degree in international relations or comparative politics.

The focus of the MA programme Management and Public Administration is on the analysis of individual and group behaviour in organisations as well as on the organisational structures and processes which influence them. The guiding question underlying research and teaching of this MA programme is which consequences and managerial implications result from the attributes and processes of individuals, groups or organisations with regard to desired outcomes (e.g., achievement, innovation, creativity). Relevant dimensions are, besides individual as well as group characteristics and processes (e.g., motivation, commitment, human resource management, diversity management), attributes of organisations in the private, public, and non-profit sector (e.g., structure, strategy, organizational structure, interorganizational networks).

By combining Management studies and Administrative science, the MA programme Management and Public Administration takes an outstanding position among German universities and is characterized by a close interconnection of research and teaching. Besides conveying up-to-date scientific findings on managing organisations, students gain insight into quantitative and qualitative methods of organisational research (e.g., field studies, experimental analysis, network analyses, case studies).

In the course of their daily lives people are affected, directly or indirectly, by an extensive array of public policies. These policies may have important consequences for society. Some actors will benefit, while others face disadvantages; some policies will effectively contribute to resolving political problems (such as environmental pollution or unemployment) while others fail to achieve their intended objectives. At the same time, we observe a broad variety of different forms of governance which are applied in order to address political problems. Both the instruments used and the patterns of interaction between public and private actors during the process of policy formulation and implementation vary across countries and policy sectors. To understand these patterns, however, it is not sufficient to exclusively focus on the national level. Instead, national governance, to an increasing extent, is interacting with the development of public policies and governance approaches within supranational and international organizations.

The programme "Comparative Politics and Public Policy" focuses on the comparative analysis of both the patterns of governance and their conditions for success. What political, institutional, organizational and socio-economic conditions affect the problem-solving capacity of political-administrative systems at the national, supranational and international level? Special focus is placed not only to the analysis of policy formulation and decision-making, but also the implementation and evaluation of these decisions and the subsequent evaluation of their outcomes. The programme provides a systematic, scientifically well-grounded study of the origins, development, implementation and evaluation of public policies and governance patterns. Why did a government cease to be concerned with a certain problem? Why do the implementation and effectiveness of European Union policies vary across countries? What is the impact of different institutional structures on policy formulation and implementation?

Particular emphasis is placed on the following fields:

• the comparative analysis of the imopact of globalization and European integration on domestic policy-making
• phenomena of international policy convergence and policy diffusion
• the implementation and evaluation of subnational, national and supranational policies
• public sector reforms and their consequences for the problem-solving capacity of political systems

Semniars might, for instance, include the following courses

• policy implementation
• theories and methods of evaluation research
• public sector reforms in international comparison
• comparative environmental politics
• policy-making in the European Union
• theories and methods of comparative policy analysis

The programme provides the intellectual and pragmatic capabilities to pursue high-level tasks in the field of political planning and political management in the public and private sector at the national, supranational and international level.

You have the opportunity to deepen your knowledge of quantitative - empirical - and qualitative methods. The expertise in methods training and research is exceptionally good at the department. The skills acquired represent a useful preparation for a future academic career or an activity in the field of analysis or consulting. Examples of courses offered include:

• Introductory courses in statistical software such as R or Stata
• Recent theories and methods of election research
• Mathematics for Political Science
• Introduction to Computational Social Sciences
• Designing and implementing online survey experiments
• Applied Bayesian Statistics

Political economy is analysed in its various areas: international political economy, comparative political economy, social policy, education policy, as well as climate protection and energy policies. The wide range of courses in this area is placed on a broad basis through the cooperation with the Cluster of Excellence "The Politics of Inerquality". Examples of courses are:

• Political Economy of Financial Markets
• Pressure Groups and International Organizations
• Foreign Trade Liberalism in Developing and Post-Communist Countries

In this area, courses in conflict and peace research are offered, which place them in a broad political science context. Topics in this area are, for example:

• Economic causes and consequences of wars
• Unilateral violence in civil wars
• Political economy of terrorism

The important topic of European Integration represents a useful addition to the different fields of specialisation offered. Both students who want to specialize in the field of international politics and students of comparative politics or public administration will find points of contact here. Subject areas are:

• Decision-making processes in the EU
• Ratification of international treaties
• Interest groups in the EU