M.Sc. Political Science
Radboud University Nijmegen
| Application deadline: | May 1; Non EU: March 1 |
| Tuition fee: |
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| Start date: | September 2013 |
| Credits: | 60 ECTS |
| Duration full-time: | 12 months |
| Languages: |
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| Location: |
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| Delivery mode: | On Campus |
| Educational variant: | Full-time |
Description
Political scientists analyse political behaviour, ideas, events and institutions. At the heart of politics lies power. Power relations shape the design and effectiveness of political institutions, structure patterns of cooperation and govern conflict in global politics.
Three specialisations
The Master's programme in Political Science offers a choice of three specialisations:
- International Relations
- Comparative and European Politics
- Political Theory: Recognition, Justice and Power
All specialisations are flexible allowing students to specialise in their chosen field of study.
Political Science in Nijmegen
The Master's programme at Radboud University has been ranked as the Netherlands' best Master's programme in Political Science by the Dutch-Flemish Accreditation Association and by students in Elsevier's Higher Education Supplement. The key to this success is our emphasis on small, interactive classes, our challenging programme, the expertise and effectiveness of our internationally oriented staff, and our location in a lively, student-friendly, cosmopolitan city.
Contents
Before the programme starts you will choose a specialisation:
International Relations
Why are there violent conflicts within and between states? How can these conflicts be resolved? What is the role of international organisations, corporations and NGOs in a rapidly changing world order? What are the political consequences of trade and finance? What explains regional integration in Europe, Latin America, Africa, and Asia? And how do we account for the growing influence of Brazil, Russia, India and China?
The courses in this specialisation focus on these questions. The courses are designed to sharpen your analytical reasoning and prepare you for a career in international affairs and diplomacy. You learn to analyse conflict over resources, the changing nature of war, EU politics, processes of globalisation, socio-economic inequality, and questions of identity
Comparative and European Politics
Democracies currently face unprecedented challenges. Are immigrants a threat to democracy? Is Europe currently witnessing a surge in populist sentiment? How can governments reform their welfare states to deal with the growing costs of an aging population? Do parliaments and political parties have a future? And, what role will radical right-wing parties play in these socio-political developments?
This specialisation focuses on these and other challenges to contemporary democracies. It includes courses on representative and deliberative democracy, political parties, democratic reform, the welfare state, gender and immigration policy. The analytical skills and knowledge you learn in this specialisation prepare you for positions in policy and program development in national, EU, and international public and private sector organisations, as well as a wide range of academic research opportunities.
Political Theory: Recognition, Justice and Power
Political theorists do not ask what is, but what is sensible. Is there a moral foundation for national sovereignty or self-determination? What can and should be our ambitions for local community building? When does a political theory become a weapon, a form of power? Can authority ever be legitimate? Do we owe anything to future generations, animals, the global poor, and minorities?
This specialization offers students an unprecedented opportunity to learn to assess political values, aspirations and dreams in terms of their desirability and reasonability, rather than in terms of hard (or soft) facts only. You will also discover how political theoretical work can be introduced fruitfully in other relevant contexts, enabling you to help civil and governmental institutions, not to mention the public at large, to imagine and design policies and ambitions that are both viable and defensible.
Requirements
There are two specific admission requirements for admission to any of the specialisations to make sure that you have a background to successfully follow and complete this programme:
1. A completed Bachelor's degree in Political Science
A Bachelor's degree in Political Science from a Dutch university or an equivalent from a university outside the Netherlands. Additional conditions may apply.
2. A proficiency in English
The language requirements for Master's programme in Political Science differ from the general language requirements!International students who are non-native speakers of English, need a proof of fluency in both written and spoken English. Therefore you need one to provide of the following test scores:
- TOEFL score of >575 (paper based) or >232 (computer based) or >90 (internet based)
- IELTS score of > 6.5
- Cambridge Certificate of Advanced English (CAE) or Proficiency in English (CPE), with a mark of C or higher
The programme is based on small, interactive classes. The Board of Examiners therefore may limit the number of foreign applicants.
English Language Requirements
| IELTS band: | 6.5 |
| CAE score: | 60(Grade A) |
| TOEFL paper-based test score: | 575 |
| TOEFL computer-based test score: | 232 |
| TOEFL internet-based test score: | 90 |
Funding
There are various scholarships available for studying at Radboud University Nijmegen. Please check which scholarship is applicable in your case.
- Radboud Scholarship Programme
- Erasmus Mundus ERANET
- Erasmus Mundus SAPIENT
- Erasmus Mundus Scholarship for Master in System Dynamics
- Erasmus Mundus Scholarship for Master PLANET Europe
- Programmes under the auspices of the Dutch Ministry of Education, Culture and Science
- National scholarships
- Nuffic Grantfinder
- Grant finder EU scholarships
Radboud Scholarship Programme
Radboud University Nijmegen has its own Radboud Scholarship Programme. This programme offers a selected number of talented prospective non-EEA students the opportunity to receive a scholarship to pursue an English-taught Masters degree programme at Radboud University Nijmegen.
Erasmus Mundus ERANET
The ERANET - Mundus project offers a selected number of talented prospective Russian students the opportunity to receive a scholarship to pursue an English-taught Master's degree programme at Radboud University Nijmegen.
Erasmus Mundus SAPIENT
The Erasmus Mundus programme (2009-2013) is an EU cooperation and mobility programme in the field of higher education. SAPIENT provides all South African students the possibility to study at one of the top universities of the International Research Universities Network (IRUN).
Erasmus Mundus Scholarship for Master in System Dynamics
The Erasmus Mundus is a scholarship of the European Union offered for the talented students from within and outside the EU that can be obtained for the Joint European Master's programme in System Dynamics, a two year full-time master programme coordinated by Radboud University. The Erasmus Mundus scholarship covers students' tuition fees, travel and installation costs, insurance, and living expenses.
Erasmus Mundus Scholarship fo Master PLANET Europe
The Erasmus Mundus is a scholarship of the European Union offered for the talented students from within and outside the EU that can be obtained for the Joint Master's Programme PLANET Europe, a two-year full-time integrated European Masters programme on European spatial planning, environmental policies and regional development. The Erasmus Mundus scholarship covers travel, participation, and subsistence costs.
NetherlandsFellowship Programme
This Fellowship Programme offers scholarships for selected NFP programmes including selected programmes of Radboud University Nijmegen.
Dutch study grant system
EU/EEA students who wish to take a degree programme in the Netherlands can sometimes be eligible for a Dutch student grant.
STUNED
The Stuned programme is applicable to midcareer professionals from Indonesia.
National scholarships
Please also check if there are scholarships or grants available in your own country for studying in the Netherlands. Below we have listed a number of scholarships that are available from specific countries.
Fulbright scholarships
Fulbright Scholarships are available for American graduate students and researchers.
Ford Foundation
Sometimes private foundations may be willing to fund your study period abroad. The international Fellowship Programme from the Ford Foundation is one example.
Soros Foundations
Grants, scholarships and fellowships are available for students and researchers coming from 23 countries, especially in Central and Eastern Europe.
HEC
The Higher Education Commission was set up by the Government of Pakistan and has created a scholarship programme for students from Pakistan.
Colfuturo
This programme is available for students from Colombia.
Grantfinder Nuffic
Please check also the grantfinder of the Netherlands Organisation for International Cooperation in Higher Education (NUFFIC). This grantfinder enables you to find scholarships applicable to students from particular countries.
Grant Finder EU scholarships
A centralised European platform providing information on all scholarships offered for study in Europe. The database contains over 700 programmes and in total there is an estimated EUR 15.6 billion of scholarship funds available annually. Students, including PhD candidates, can now find and compare relevant programmes based on their nationality, background, and where and what they want to study, among other search criteria.
Accreditation
NVAO is entrusted by law (the Higher Education and Scientific Research Act) to accredit all existing Bachelors and Masters degree courses and to validate new study programmes at government-funded institutions of higher education and at institutions approved (but not funded) by the Dutch government. Institutions that have neither government funding nor approval can apply for accreditation of post-initial Masters degree courses.
With regard to the nature of accreditation in higher education, the Netherlands and Flanders (Flemish-speaking Belgium) have opted for accreditation at the level of study programmes. NVAO has laid down accreditation frameworks for this purpose for Flanders and the Netherlands.
In the Netherlands and in Flanders, accreditation is a precondition for government funding of a Bachelors or Masters degree programme, for the right to award recognised diplomas and, in the Netherlands, to grant financial assistance to students. In the context of the internationalisation of education and the labour market, accreditation provides for an equivalence of quality assurance in higher education.
You are normally required to take an English Proficiency Test if you come from a non-English speaking country.
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More information on IELTSContact
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