Program Overview
The Comparative Politics at Radboud University is a MSc programme in Humanities over 12 months, delivered On-campus. This programme equips graduates with advanced knowledge and practical skills for professional and academic careers in the field.
Students gain a rigorous grounding in both the theoretical foundations and applied dimensions of humanities. The programme combines coursework, research components, and practical projects that develop critical thinking, problem-solving, and specialist expertise relevant to industry and research needs.
Graduates of the Comparative Politics programme are well-prepared for careers in academia, industry, government, and the private sector across Netherlands and internationally. The programme provides an internationally recognised qualification within the Bologna higher education framework.
Key Program Features
- Duration: 12 months
- Language of instruction: English
- Study mode: On-campus
- English requirement: IELTS 6.5
- Tuition: EUR 9,432 (Tuition (Year)) — International students; EUR 2,006 (Tuition (Year)) — EU/EEA students
- Location: Nijmegen, Netherlands
Career Opportunities
Graduates of the Comparative Politics programme are prepared for diverse careers in humanities:
- Researcher / Academic
- Cultural Programme Manager
- Editor / Writer
- Translator / Interpreter
- Museum Curator
- Communications Specialist
Program Curriculum
Course Structure
- [\'Contested (non)Democracies: Fragmentation, Conflict and Consensus in Contemporary Politics.This course focuses on some of the most important issues within comparative politics today (in Europe and abroad). Themes discussed range from populism, nationalism, immigration, clientelism, ethnic conflict, and protest movements. We examine the causes and consequences of these themes, focusing on, for example, new cleavages, new social tensions, and/or broad international developments such as globalisation.\', "Challenges to 21st Century Representative Democracy. In this course, students learn to apply relevant theories of representation and democracy to current debates. Important changes such as the growing dissatisfaction of citizens with politics, technological innovations, increasing levels of education among citizens have had a large impact on the legitimacy and the performance of political institutions. We discuss matters such as party system change, politics in the media, personalisation, and different channels of citizens\' political influence.", \'The Politics of Reform: Welfare, Immigration and Inequality. This course analyses the politics of public policy by focusing on the welfare state, inequality, gender, and migration. The course compares a broad range of countries, also from outside the EU, and examines the political processes behind policy making.\', \'Power and Persuasion in Politics: Deliberative Democracy. This courses focuses on the ethical dimensions of comparative politics. Course topics are updated annually, but the core theme is always the question of how to legitimise political choices.\', \'Sociology, Philosophy and Ethics of Research\', \'Advanced Research Methods\', \'Changes in World Politics: The Rise of the BRICs\', \'Gender, Power, and Equality\']
Admission Requirements
Academic Requirements
1. A Bachelor\'s degree in\nPolitical Science or a\nrelated discipline from a recognised, academic university with a fair number of\ncourses in Political Theory, Comparative Politics or Public\nAdministration.
\n2. Competency in Social\nScience Research Methodology (quantitative and qualitative).
\nDue to the strong academic nature of this programme,\nit is essential that students have the necessary basic research skills.\nApplicants with little or no Social Science Research Methodology in their\nprevious education may get admission, provided they first complete an (oral)\nexamination in research methodology. The oral exam can be held in person in Nijmegen\nor via Skype.
3. English proficiency. Students\ndo not require English language certification if they:
\n- \n
- Are a citizen of Australia,\nCanada (except Quebec), Ireland, New Zealand, UK, USA; \n
- Completed a three-year\nBachelor\'s programme at a Dutch university; \n
- Completed a Bachelor\'s\nprogramme taught in English in: EU/EEA-countries, Australia, Canada, New\nZealand, or USA; or \n
- Completed a Master\'s\nprogramme at a Dutch university of applied sciences (HBO). \n
All other students need one of\nthe following certificates (which may not be older than two years).
\n- \n
- A TOEFL score of >=90,\nwith subscores not lower than 18 \n
- An IELTS score of >=6.5,\nwith subscores not lower than 6.0 \n
- Cambridge Certificate of\nAdvanced English (CAE) or Certificate of Proficiency in English (CPE) with\na mark of C or higher \n
English Proficiency: IELTS 6.5 or equivalent.
Tuition & Financial Information
Tuition Fee
EUR 9,432 (Tuition (Year)) — International students; EUR 2,006 (Tuition (Year)) — EU/EEA students
Tuition fees: EUR 9,432 (Tuition (Year)) — International students; EUR 2,006 (Tuition (Year)) — EU/EEA students
IELTS requirement: 6.5
Financial Aid & Scholarships
Contact Radboud University directly for scholarship, grant, and financial aid information for this programme. Many European universities offer merit-based and need-based funding for international and domestic students.
About Radboud University
Radboud University
Nijmegen, Netherlands
Visit the university profile page to learn more about this institution.
University Profile- Language English
- Duration 12 months
