Information for International and ERASMUS-Students
If you are an international or ERASMUS student and would like to study comparative politics, you may consult our course overview for bachelor and master students below.
If you would like to know more about course requirements, please contact the lecturer of the course directly (see /comparpol/lehrstuhlteam for a list of our team members.)
For further questions, you may contact the university's international office of the university (http://www.uni-bamberg.de/auslandsamt/).
Bamberg international Office (Akademisches Auslandsamt)
Course Overview:
Introductory Courses (1st and 2nd year of undergraduate studies)
(Bachelor in Political Science)
Introduction to Comparative Politics
PWB-VP-V: Einführung in die Vergleichende Politikwissenschaft
This lecture-based module offers a first introduction to political regimes, constitutions, executives, legislatures, parliamentary vs. presidential systems, federalism, political parties and party systems, veto players and the use of comparative methods in Political Science.
- Language: German
- Semester: Winter semester
- Teaching Method: Lecture-based introductory module (weekly two-hour lectures) for undergraduate students without prior knowledge of Comparative Politics
- ECTS: 5
Introduction to Study Skills in Political Science
PWB-VP-PS: Grundlagen politikwissenschaftlichen Arbeitens
This module is based on a series of seminars in which students improve a number of study skills that are essential for them to complete their first degree in Political Science. The emphasis will be on basic orientation and research skills. Students learn how to identify important social science research problems, find relevant sources for empirical work, develop strategies to solve research problems and probe causal arguments concerning such research problems. They learn basic techniques of efficient academic work and standards of good academic practice. In addition, they familiarize themselves with key concepts of Political Science and learn more about the educational opportunities in Political Science at the University of Bamberg.
- Language: German
- Semester: Winter and summer semester
- Teaching Method: Seminar-based introductory module (weekly two-hour lectures) for undergraduate students
- ECTS: 4
Introduction to Issues and Methods in Comparative Politics
PWB-VP-PS: Proseminar Vergleichende Politikwissenschaft
This type of module is based on weekly seminars where learners deepen their understanding of selected topics in Comparative Politics and improve their knowledge of relevant research methods. The seminar plan will mirror the topics covered in the lecture-based Introduction to Comparative Politics (above). Teaching will be based on readings that allow students to deepen their understanding of the topics covered in the lecture-based module. For up-to-date information and seminar times, please refer to https://www.uni-bamberg.de/comparpol/studium/lehrveranstaltungen/.
- Language: German or English
- Semester: Winter and summer semester
- Teaching Method: Seminar-based introductory module (Proseminar) for undergraduate students (weekly two-hour seminars)
- ECTS: 5
Selected Topics in Comparative Politics (for BA Students)
PWB-VP-S: Seminar Vergleichende Politikwissenschaft
This type of seminar-based module is designed for the in-depth study of specific topics in Comparative Politics. Familiarity with basic concepts, theories and methods of Political Science and Comparative Politics is strongly recommended (e.g. by attending the lecture-based course Introduction to Comparative Politics and an “Introduction to Issues and Methods in Political Science”, “Proseminar Vergleichende Politikwissenschaft”). Topics vary each semester, but generally focus on specific questions covered in the lecture-based module above (e.g. the government and politics of particular states [in particular, Germany, United Kingdom, USA or cross-cutting topics such as parliaments, governments, coalitions or electoral systems]). For up-to-date information, please refer to https://www.uni-bamberg.de/comparpol/studium/lehrveranstaltungen/.
- Language: German or English
- Semester: Winter and summer semester
- Teaching Method: Seminar-based module (Seminar) for undergraduate students (weekly two-hour seminars)
- ECTS: 6
Advanced Undergraduate Studies (3rd year)
(Bachelor in Political Science)
Advanced Topics in Comparative Politics
PWB-VP-S: Vertiefungsseminar Vergleichende Politikwissenschaft
This type of seminar-based module is designed to provide an in-depth introduction to specific topics of Comparative Politics. Compared to introductory seminar-based modules, there is a stronger emphasis on independent research. Prior knowledge of the subject matters covered in the first two years of study is required, as is familiarity with qualitative and quantitative research methods. Topics vary by semester (e.g., the politics of coalition government; Westminster democracies; specific topics relating to the government and politics of liberal democracies). For up-to-date information, please refer to https://www.uni-bamberg.de/comparpol/studium/lehrveranstaltungen/.
- Language: German or English
- Semester: Winter and summer semester
- Teaching Method: Seminar-based module (Seminar) for advanced undergraduate students (weekly two-hour seminars)
- ECTS: 8
Advanced Studies
(Master in Political Science)
Comparative Politics I
PWM-VP-V: Vergleichende Politikwissenschaft I
This lecture-based module, entitled ‘Comparative Political Institutions’, provides an introduction to the ‘New Institutionalism’ in Political Science, covering political, economic, sociological, historical and interpretive approaches to the study of political and social institutions in the first half of the course. The second part will focus on principal-agent theory, theories of transaction-cost politics, bargaining theory and veto player theory, i.e., key approaches within the rational-choice (or economic) institutionalist research programme. This advanced module should only be attended if the student has a good grounding in Political Science. It is not recommended for exchange students from other academic disciplines. For up-to-date information on the current programme please refer to https://www.uni-bamberg.de/comparpol/studium/lehrveranstaltungen/.
- Language: German or English
- Semester: Summer semester
- Teaching Method: Lecture-based module (Vorlesung) for graduate students (weekly two-hour lectures)
- ECTS: 6
Comparative Politics II
PWM-VP-S: Vergleichende Politikwissenschaft II
This seminar-based module for MA students is designed to deal with specific topics of the lecture course and the seminar-based module Comparative Politics II in greater depth, with a strong emphasis on cutting-edge research methods in the area. Topics vary by semester but generally focus on the application of particular research methods to the study of the subject (e.g., network analysis, survival analysis, qualitative or quantitative text analysis). For up-to-date information on the current program please refer to https://www.uni-bamberg.de/comparpol/studium/lehrveranstaltungen/.
- Language: German or English
- Semester: Winter and summer semester
- Teaching Method: Seminar-based module (Seminar) for graduate students (weekly two-hour seminars)
- ECTS: 8
Comparative Politics III
PWM-VP-S: Vergleichende Politikwissenschaft III
This seminar-based module for MA students is designed to deal with selected topics in comparative politics, including political parties and institutions (governments, parliaments, etc.) with a strong emphasis on cutting-edge research in the area. Topics vary by semester but generally focus on specific problems of political institutions (e.g., systems of government, parliaments or governments) collective action (e.g., e.g., political parties or interest groups). For up-to-date information on the current programme please refer to https://www.uni-bamberg.de/comparpol/studium/lehrveranstaltungen/.
- Language: German or English
- Semester: Winter and summer semester
- Teaching Method: Seminar-based module (Seminar) for graduate students (weekly two-hour seminars)
- ECTS: 8
Comparative Politics IV
PWM-VP-S: Vergleichende Politikwissenschaft IV
This seminar-based module for MA students covers selected topics in the study of German politics and government and has a strong emphasis on cutting-edge research in the area. Topics vary by semester but generally focus on specific problems of political institutions (e.g., systems of government, parliaments or governments) collective action (e.g., political parties or interest groups). For up-to-date information on the current programme please refer to https://www.uni-bamberg.de/comparpol/studium/lehrveranstaltungen/.
- Language: German or English
- Semester: Winter and summer semester
- Teaching Method: Seminar-based module (Seminar) for graduate students (weekly two-hour seminars)
- ECTS: 8