MSc Politics
Duration: one year full time; two years part time
General Information
The School of Politics and International Relations offers an MSc in Political Science, which focuses on the two traditional pillars of the discipline: political theory and comparative politics (for more information, please see below). The MSc programme is research-oriented. Thus, in addition to the training in the subject-core of the discipline, students in also complete two core modules in qualitative and quantitative research methods.
Comparative politics looks at the European nation-states in a comparative perspective. It analyses regime types, political stability, change and crisis, electoral and party systems. Comparative politics also includes a focus on Irish politics, which has deep roots at UCD, extending back to the nineteenth century, and has been headed in the past by distinguished specialists in the area such as John Whyte and Tom Garvin.
Political theory—the reflection on the nature and morality of politics—is almost as old as politics itself. As part of a human being’s appreciation of their condition, it has always been understood as valuable in its own right. More recently, changes in contemporary societies have made such thinking indispensable to participating in the life of one’s own state and a increasingly global world. Political theory combines a rigorous approach to analysing problems with an imaginative search for solutions. Thus government, media and other groups with immediate practical concerns increasingly look to theory to find new ways forward in situations of conflict, inequality and global change. SPIRe has a tradition of strength in political theory, addressing issues such as democracy, justice, human rights, citizenship, multiculturalism and immigration, security and terror, freedom and inequality, which call for reflection on the moral implications of politics and knowledge of the history of political thought.
Structure
The MSc Political Science is a 90-credit programme. Full-time students must take three 10-credit modules and a shorter 5-credit dissertation design sequence in the first semester, and three 10-credit modules in the second semester. Students must also submit a thesis worth 25 credits that will be written during the summer term. Part-time students take a total of 90 credits over two years.
Students in the MSc programme participate in the two-course core subject modules in political science. Core subject modules are “Political Theory” dealing with normative theory, fundamental and applied (first semester) and “Comparative European Politics” (second semester). In addition, students can choose four electives from the wide range of courses offered in the School. Over the summer, students complete a thesis of approximately 10,000 words. Students are assigned an academic supervisor to help them choose their topic and guide their research.
Admission requirements
Each application is considered on its individual merits. The applicants should have earned an undergraduate degree in a relevant subject such as political science, international relations, social science, sociology, history, geography, economics, global studies, public policy, development studies, EU studies, law/international law etc. with at least Upper Second Class Honours, or its equivalent (an overall GPA of 3.0 (B) or higher in the American system). Relevant professional experience will also be taken into account.
Note that meet the requirements do not guarantee admission. Applicants in their final year of undergraduate study may be admitted conditional on satisfactory completion of their undergraduate degree.
Career Prospects
In addition to substantive knowledge on the theory and practice of politics, the programme provides students with the skills needed to conduct independent scientific research. It is thus designed for those who intend to pursue jobs in government, European or other transnational institutions, voluntary organisations/NGOs, and the media, as well as for students who are considering studying politics at the doctoral level.
