Doctoral studies in Political Science

The PhD programme in Political Science aims to provide broad theoretical and methodological schooling in the different fields and approaches of political science, as well as the other knowledge and skills necessary for a PhD student to be able to independently conduct scientific studies of politics.

The programme has been highly successful, having graduated 43 PhD candidates during the university's first twenty years (1999–2020).

The PhD programme in Political Science has a tradition of theoretical and methodological openness with a great diversity in terms of the research problems selected for study. A great deal of weight is placed on the ability to engage in independent analysis. Students take courses in political theory, analytical approaches to political science, and research methods. Doctoral students in the programme should be able to select the topic for and focus of their thesis based on a broad knowledge of the discipline’s various specialisations and research perspectives.

We primarily conduct research within two interrelated themes: Citizen participation, democracy and civic engagement and Governance, public policy and political institutions.