Political Science: Global Politics

What are the effects of Brexit on the EU? How does fake news influence the political debate? Is the USA still the leading world power, or is it ceding its position to China?

As a political scientist, you want to change the world and help others to understand society better. You closely follow shifting power relationships in Europe and the rest of the world and are interested in their underlying causes, such as technological developments and climate change.

Unlike at other universities, in your first year at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, you study a combination of public administration and national and international politics. This gives you not only a broad foundation but also ample freedom of choice. The programme has a small-scale setup, with highly engaged lecturers and a close-knit student community.

In the Global Politics programme, you are exposed to diverse viewpoints, experiences and cultures, giving you a broader field of vision. You learn to reflect on your own opinions, assumptions and the things you consider 'common sense'. As befits a future political scientist, you also pay attention to developing your debating and presentation skills. By working together with students and lecturers from programmes such as Sociology, Cultural Anthropology, and Governance & Organizational Sciences, you will become familiar with multiple perspectives.