New Degree Program Examines Conflicts from Political Science Perspective
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From debates on climate change and social tensions to full-scale wars – various conflicts are having an impact on the political landscape both in Germany and worldwide. “To enable students to examine these complex interconnections scientifically and analyze political processes from a multidimensional approach, we have united four sub-disciplines in one degree program,” says Professor Christoph Schuck from the Institute of Philosophy and Political Science.
Alongside the theoretical and methodological principles of Comparative Politics, International Politics and Political Theory, students also become acquainted with the solution-oriented aspects of Conflict Studies. To date, the sub-discipline has only been offered at a few German universities as a minor subject or a specialization within a Master’s degree program. In Dortmund, it is an integral component of a Bachelor’s degree program for the first time. Professor Matthias Kortmann, co-director of the new degree program together with Schuck, adds: “Building on this multidisciplinary basis, students learn to gauge and analyze conflicts as well as day-to-day and global politics with the help of quantitative and qualitative methods.”
International career prospects
To contextualize the factors influencing conflict, the six-semester program also incorporates perspectives from professional practice and from other academic fields, such as the humanities and theology. “In this way, students gain a practice-based understanding of how politics is shaped and researched,” says Kortmann.
Aimed at prospective students from both Germany and abroad, Political Conflict Studies is the first Bachelor’s degree program at TU Dortmund University taught entirely in English. It is flanked by networking opportunities for students at various stages of their studies as well as language courses that enable students to improve either their German or their foreign language skills. Schuck says: “This international focus prepares students in the best possible way for a Master’s degree or for transitioning to a career, for example in political consulting, public relations, or political education.”
Program start in the forthcoming winter semester
Admission to the new Bachelor’s degree program is in the winter semester each year. Prospective students with a higher education entrance qualification acquired in Germany can enroll via the Campusportal up until 9 October. International applicants who are citizens of or have acquired a higher education entrance qualification in an EU/EEA member state should submit their documents to the International Office, also by 9 October. The application deadline for prospective students who are non-EU nationals and hold a higher education entrance qualification from a non-EU country was 15 May. For the program starting in the 2027/2028 winter semester, these applications may be submitted again from spring onward via uni-assist, the service point for international student applications.