The Political Science PhD programme has been offered since 1999 and aims to supervise and prepare candidates to carry out original research in the scientific subfields of the discipline: Political Theory, International Relations, Comparative Politics and European Union. The programme choses the PhD candidates through rigorous evaluation procedures and then prepares them to independently contribute to the international literature of the field, both on an empirical and a theoretical level. This is achieved through study of, and familiarisation with, the broader literature of the field and, later on, with the specialised literature of their chosen area of focus. Their contribution is accomplished through a PhD thesis that will highlight their clear theoretical and empirical contribution to their scientific field.

Key Learning Outcomes

• Students will demonstrate familiarity with the general literature in three of the four subfields of Political Science (Political Theory, International Relations, Comparative Politics and European Union) by succeeding at the comprehensive exam.
• Students will familiarise themselves with the specialised theoretical and empirical literature in their specific research field.
• Students will develop specific research questions.
• Students will master the necessary research methods and then apply them to answer their specific research questions.
• Students will be prepared to carry out independent research through substantive guidance.
• Students will write a PhD thesis that contributes to international scientific knowledge (both theoretical and empirical) in that specific topic.