Prospectus

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Political Science and Public Administration (Research)

Master

The Leiden Research Master’s Programme in Political Science and Public Administration aims at providing students with a thorough grounding in the literature on political institutions and a rigorous training in the methodological skills that are necessary to conduct research in this field. Students acquire this knowledge and these skills not only by being taught, but also by gaining hands-on experience with the way in which a broad research interest is transformed into a theoretically informed puzzle with concrete hypotheses, how a research method is chosen that is appropriate for the hypotheses that are to be tested, what problems can be encountered in data collection and analysis, how the data can be interpreted to test the hypotheses, and how the results can be presented effectively.

Preliminary Info

Important first year first semester track information for all students

Students from the Political Science track

In addition to the mandatory courses students from the Political Science track attend 2 elective seminars in the first semester.

Please send an e-mail with your choice for 2 seminars to onderwijspol@fsw.leidenuniv.nl as of Tuesday 13 August 10.00 a.m. and ultimately before Monday 26 August 4.00 p.m. E-mails received before 13 August 10.00 a.m. will not be handled.

Notice that: 1. Seminars have a maximum of 20 students (if fewer than 5 students register for a seminar, we cannot guarantee that it will take place). Assignment to a seminar is on a first come first served basis. 2. The time at which your e-mail is received by the secretariat is crucial. (In case you cannot be assigned to your preference(s) due to capacity considerations, we will contact you.)

In the week of 26 August you will be informed about your placement in the seminars. Ultimately on Thursday 29 August you will receive an email about this.

Students from the Public Administration track

Students from the Public Administration track attend five mandatory courses in the first semester.

First Year

This information for cohort 2013-2015 is subject to change. Check the e-guide pages regularly.

Welcome meeting

The welcome meeting for all research master students is Tuesday 3 September, 11.30-12.30 in the Bestuurskamer (on the first floor next to the servicedesk)

The alternative course for the Public Administration Track is shown indented below the corresponding course for the Political Science Track

Course EC Semester 1 Semester 2

Semester 1
Conflict and Cooperation: Classics 5
Public Institutions* 5
Advanced Academic & Professional Skills 5
Report and Presentation-bl2* 5

Students in the Public Administration Track follow the three courses below
States, Markets and Politics* 5
Bureaucracy, democracy and public choice 5
Politics and the Policy Process* 10

Students in the Political Science Track choose two seminars from the list below
Multiculturalism and Democracy 10
Decision making in the EU 10
Conflict and Cooperation in Multination Democracies 10
Distributive Justice: from local to global issues 10
Nederland in de Wereld 10
Conflict and Cooperation: Applying Game Theory in IR 10
Governance and Diversity in Developing countries 10
Political Parties and Democracy: Conflict and Cooperation 10

Semester 2
Institutions and Institutionalism I: Organizational Perspectives 5
Qualitative Data Collection and Analysis 5
Institutions and Institutionalism II: Political Perspectives 5
Quantitative Data Collection and Analysis 5
Cabinet Government 10

second Year

Transitional program for cohort that started in 2012-13

Course EC Semester 1 Semester 2

Semester 1
Networks and Governance 5
Proposal Lab 5
Advanced Academic & Professional Skills 5
Report and Presentation-bl2* 5
Advanced Methodology 5
Federalism in Post-conflict Societies 10
Decision Making and Policy Implementation in the EU 10

Semester 2
Philosophy of Science 5
Replication Workshop 5
Political Science and Public Administration RM Thesis Lab 5
Political Science and Public Administration RM Thesis 15

More info

The Research Master programme totals 120 ECTS (European Credit Transfer System) points. Students are expected to earn approximately 30 ECTS points per semester and 15 ECTS per block. All courses take 5 ECTS, the thesis 15 ECTS. One credit point equals 28 hours of study, including lectures, reading, writing papers, and preparing for tests and examinations.

Examinatoren:
De bij de vakken vermelde docenten zijn door de Examencommissie aangewezen als examinatoren.

The Department expects the highest scholarly effort and achievement from students. Students’ academic work will be evaluated per assignment and per course. This includes both oral and written assignments. Timely completion of degree requirements is expected.