The Politics Concentration

Studying politics at Bard College Berlin involves the acquisition of a comprehensive knowledge of quantitative methods in the social sciences, as well as familiarity with the central concepts and questions of political studies and political theory. At the foundational level students complete a combined sequence of essential modules in both economics and politics. At the advanced level in politics, courses encompass the examination of pressing contemporary issues and challenges, such as globalization, income inequality, labor policy, migration, and public health. Quantitative methods and their application continue to be an important feature of the program at this stage. Students of politics can also deepen their awareness of influential figures and movements in political philosophy. The advanced modules further civic engagement through courses focused on project organization, leadership, and activism within communities and in society as a whole. Politics students may take advantage of a wide network of opportunities for relevant study abroad in the third year, and of the option to pursue a period of practical training. All politics students undertake a thesis project in the final year, and complete the core program in intellectual history, which provides a thorough cultural and philosophical background for work in this concentration.

Students in the Politics concentration begin their studies with a foundation in political thought, international relations, and policy analysis. As they advance through their degree program, they take on coursework in public policy, philosophy, and social justice. For any given module listed in the overview above, several courses may be offered that allow students to fulfill the requirement.

Sample Foundational Courses	Sample Advanced Courses
Nation-States and Democracy Introduction to Comparative Politics Globalization and International Relations City, State and Justice in Turkey Introduction to Policy Analysis Truth and Power	Urbanization and the Nation State Global Public Policies and Their Impact on the Global South The European Union: Its Institutions, Laws, and Citizens Germany after Covid-19 and Chancellor Angela Merkel Critical Human Rights and Humanitarian Advocacy/ Scholars At Risk Cultures of Migration

Study Abroad Opportunities

Politics students can choose to enhance their study of the field by spending a semester or year abroad at an institution with a specialized program in their area of interest. Of special appeal to politics students is the combined internship and political studies framework of the Bard Globalization and International Affairs program in New York City, or the social sciences programs of Sciences Po Paris and other Sciences Po campuses in France. Also of particular interest is the politics program of the University of Malmö in Sweden, and the study of political science at all of BCB’s other partner universities: Bard College in Annandale-on-Hudson, New York; Lingnan University, Hong Kong; and the University Colleges in Amsterdam, Utrecht, and Leiden.