International Degree Programme in Political Management B.A.

Career prospects

A degree in Political Management opens up a wide range of possible careers in policy-related areas, for example:

• Political consultancy in local, national, supra-, trans- and international government agencies, public institutions and non-governmental organisations as well as for members of parliament, political parties and associations
• Staff positions in political communication and public relations, such as press office
• Organisational and personnel management in politically active organisations and companies

The degree programme also qualifies students for entry to a Master's degree at any other university of applied sciences or university. Many graduates go on to take their Master's degree at internationally renowned universities, for example in Berlin, Brussels or London.

Programme structure

The degree programme comprises a total of seven semesters. In the first three, you acquire a broad knowledge of political science and social science methods, foundation knowledge of law and business administration as well as advanced English language skills. In addition, practical soft skills are taught and tested.

In the fourth semester, the practical phase (13.5 weeks) takes place as a compulsory placement in an institution typical of the occupational field. The practical semester is an integral part of the degree programme and the choice of placements is diverse. The HSB maintains good contacts to potential placement providers such as civil authorities or administrations, public institutions and political parties, non-governmental organisations as well as companies, trade unions and consultancies.

The fifth semester is taken up by the compulsory semester abroad, which you spend at a foreign partner university (see Internationality).

In the final phase, the sixth and seventh semesters, you will deepen your knowledge of political science and gain practical political expertise. The focus is on topics such as social cohesion, sustainability, participation and regional development. A central learning objective is to understand political processes at and across different levels – from the municipal to the global level. In addition, courses are offered in the sixth and seventh semesters that enable project-based learning and the integration of experiences made during the practical semester.

Orientation to practice

For many years, politicians, administrators, academic organisations and professional associations have been calling for more practice-oriented political science degree programmes. Evaluations of political science programmes as well as exit studies of graduates of political science degree programmes repeatedly stress the need for a stronger practical orientation in the education of political science students in order to facilitate their transition into the labour market.

The International Degree Programme in Political Management contributes to remedying the structural deficit in the training of political scientists.

The practical study semester of at least 16 weeks is a compulsory part of the degree programme. It is firmly integrated into the curriculum and takes place in the 4^th semester, and is intended to specifically establish intensive contact with political science practice. It is intended to give students the opportunity to apply the knowledge and skills acquired in the previous studies in an in-depth practice-related training, to reflect on and evaluate the experiences made in the process and to prepare the students for their future professional activities.

Possible internship positions are political institutions, authorities or administrations, public institutions, non-governmental organisations as well as companies and consultancies with fields of activity such as practical or scientific policy advice, public relations, organisational and personnel management.