Goals and career prospects

Goals and competencies
At the end of the degree programme, students are capable of:

• Theory: within their own specialisation, explaining the most important trends, approaches, recent focus areas and scientific debates, and explaining, applying and critically assessing the substantive methodological and normative aspects in their specialised field.
• Application: Analysing political phenomena at national, subnational, regional and international levels and interpreting them in the light of empirical and normative theories in political science by:
  • applying the comparative method to and commenting on the development of modern democratic systems and the political participation of citizens (CP); or
  • conducting an analysis of the interaction between political (and economic) phenomena at the international, regional, European, national and subnational levels (IR); or
  • conducting an analysis based on philosophical perspectives that are compiled into a coherent vision of fundamental concepts of political theory and translating this vision into the establishment of a political community (PT); or
  • conducting an analysis of conflict and (post) conflict resolution (CoPoPo); or
  • using approaches from economics and political science to analyse contemporary social and political problems (IPE); or
  • conducting an analysis which addresses fundamental questions in international, European, national or subnational politics from a gender and diversity perspective (GEP).
  • conducting an analysis of the politics, governance, and legitimacy of EU policy-making and the EU’s impact on domestic and global power dynamics (EUPG)
• Research: autonomously designing an empirical (quantitative and/or qualitative) study or political-theoretical study, implementing and assessing the study, and in this way contributing to the growth of scientific knowledge.
• Reflection: reflecting on the role of power, influence, actors, institutions and scientific research in a national and international scientific context and in modern and classical approaches to the state.
• Communication: in a scientifically credible fashion, communicating and reporting on analyses and research, and adequately accounting for this analysis and research, in writing and orally, in both academia and in a professional environment.

Career prospects 
The career prospects for the Master’s programme in Political Science differ depending on which Master’s specialisation you choose: Comparative Politics, International Relations, Political Theory, International Political Economy, Conflict, Power, and Politics, Gender Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion in Politics and European Union Politics and Governance.

Radboud Career Service
Radboud Career Service helps students with finding internships, gives career advice and can offer tips and guidance when applying for jobs.