Franco-German double degree program in Political Science

Requirements
Bachelor
Selection procedure: see examination regulations
Language requirements
DSH 2
Application period winter
Apr 01 - Jun 01
Admission restriction
Yes
Selection procedure
Yes

With the Master's degree program in Eichstätt and Rennes in the French Brittany, the world is open to you. Political Science is the main focus of the program; other details can be chosen individually. Studying political Science means activating political thinking: How do political systems work? What conflicts are there in the world? What can a good political order look like? Interdisciplinary thinking is also required: The program gives you the opportunity to analyze the big issues in business, culture, media or contemporary history.

The program in detail

Contents

The Franco-German integrated degree program in Political Science is offered jointly by the KU and the renowned political institute Sciences Po Rennes (also Institut d'Etudes Politiques, IEP) in Brittany in France. The Franco-German University provides financial support for students and guarantees the high quality of the program.

"Three plus two" leads to a double degree: The KU awards a Bachelor's degree after three years of study (180 ECTS credits) and a Master's degree after two more years of Master's studies (120 ECTS credits). On the basis of five-year studies, Sciences Po Rennes awards its prestigious Diploma.

Studying abroad – yes, but with preparation and a scholarship

In the course of five years of Bachelor’s and Master’s studies, you will spend the first, third and fourth year of studies in Eichstätt at the KU. This means that you do not have to pack your bags every year. You will study in France in the second year of the Bachelor’s and Master’s program.

In the first year, specific modules will prepare you for your stay abroad in Rennes. From the second year onwards, you will meet your French fellow students in Rennes and study in a joint class group. During the course of your studies you will develop your own individual study profile. In the third year of your Bachelor's degree and the first year of your Master's degree in Eichstätt, you choose one of eleven profiles in addition to the Political Science modules. In the second year of the Master's program, you can then specialize in France and prepare for your career start.

The Franco-German University and the European program Erasmus+ will support you financially during your stay abroad with a total of approximately 600 euros per month. You can therefore concentrate fully on your studies without having any financial worries.

Political Science as a guiding thread through your studies

Political science is the central theme of the program. Our goal: Train your ability to judge. In each academic year at the KU, you will earn at least one third of your ECTS credits in the field of Political Science and deal with political systems, political theories and international relations. In the French understanding of sciences politiques, political sciences (in the plural) also include various related disciplines such as economics, history or law.

Sharpen your profile and choose from 11 study profiles

While interdisciplinarity is already included in the term sciences politiques in France, it becomes possible at the KU by choosing one of the eleven study profiles: How do modern societies function (sociology)? How are politics and economics related (business administration or economics)? What are the cultural similarities and differences in Europe (culture and Europe)? Who are the great authors in literature, which epochs and genres of art exist (literature and art)? What remains of the great thinkers (philosophy and ethics)? Do you see your future in journalism (communication and media) or are you interested in the relationship between humans and the environment (human geography and/or sustainable development)? Do you like to look back in history in order to understand today better (recent history and contemporary history)? Are you particularly interested in Latin America (Latin American Studies)? Last but not least you can improve your foreign language skills during your studies and choose free modules.

Profile_DFS
(available in german)

Goal-oriented path to the double degree with the Master’s year in France

In the course of your studies, you have acquired solid political science knowledge, sharpened your profile and demonstrated your academic skills in your Bachelor's and Master's thesis. In France, you will choose a so-called "Master 2 Program". It is usually a one-year program that is either research- or career-oriented. Popular programs include "Europe et affaires mondiales (EAM)" or "Multi-Level Governance and international relations" (MUGIR) or "Management des organisations et des projets" (MOP) in Sciences Po Rennes. In research-oriented programs, students pursue a scientific project and write a longer scientific paper. In the career-oriented programs, students complete a long internship.

The program in awards and rankings

Political Science at the KU has already been voted into the top group by students several times in the ranking of the Center for Higher Education Development (CHE). In the past, students have given top marks to the range of courses in Political Science, the support they receive during their studies, their career prospects and the well-stocked University Library in Eichstätt. The overall impression of the study situation as well as the social climate was also very positive (see e.g. press release of the KU in 2018 “KU degree programs Geography and Political Science lead in CHE ranking”).

Rankings and assessments

StudyCheck2024

KU students and alumni have voted for their University to be Germany's most popular university in the 2024 ranking of the online portal StudyCheck. This is the third time in a row, as KU was also voted the most popular university in 2021 and 2022. The ranking was based on over 78,000 evaluations for more than 500 higher education institutions and universities. 97 percent of students questioned for the ranking would recommend studying at the KU to others. 

"There is no better praise for a university than almost 100 percent of students and alumni agreeing: I can only recommend studying at the KU! That is why we are very pleased with the ranking’s outcome, because it expresses the high level of satisfaction of our students," says KU President Prof. Dr. Gabriele Gien.

More ranking results

Studying abroad

The political institute in Rennes is one of France's elite schools. Anyone with an IEP Diploma does not have to explain much at a job interview in France: The IEP stands for excellent education, which only the best of the best can complete. The entrance examination is tough and selective. What you learn at the IEP: To argue pointedly, to approach a problem from different perspectives and to build up a network.

What is important: When you start studying in the DFS – the German-French degree program – you do not assume a dog-eat-dog mentality. Quite the contrary: It is a study program in a friendly informal atmosphere. The year groups are German-French, students know each other and also maintain close ties with the graduates.

The studies in Eichstätt and Rennes provide great variety. Rennes is a young, dynamic metropolis in the west of France with more than 200,000 inhabitants and a metro. In Eichstätt, you simply go by bike. The 60,000 students make Rennes a popular student city with a colorful cultural life. Eichstätt with its 5,000 students, on the other hand, seems directly contemplative, but the short distances and the close ties make studying here special. In Rennes, you get on the train and arrive in Saint Malo by the sea in an hour or reach Paris in less than two. Eichstätt is well connected to Nuremberg in the north or Munich in the south.

DFS_Aufbruch_zum_Erfolg

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Practical connection

Internships play an important role in your studies. One internship is mandatory for the IEP Diploma and is supervised by Rennes. Further internships are recommended, as they not only facilitate the start into your professional career, but also help to develop your individual profile.

If students choose a career-oriented ‘Master 2 Program’ in France, another longer internship is planned. The strong practical relevance is the big advantage of the French ‘Master 2 Programs’: In addition to the internship, lecturers from the practice teach in the program and the contents are strongly application-oriented.

Bild1 DFS-Studierende
© Das Foto Eichstätt
Bild2 DFS-Studierende
© Das Foto Eichstätt

Career possibilities and professional fields

Career prospects

We attach great importance to international cooperation. Not only during your studies, but also afterwards. International cooperation means, for example: Political consulting in Brussels, development aid on site, Caritas International... or the Foreign Office in Berlin or the United Nations in New York. But our alumni are also active in other areas: in the cultural sector, journalism, education, management or research. Who works where...this depends on the individual study profile and the choice of internships.

Alumni testimonials

Foto Elfi Klabunde

“The flexibility of the program enabled me to specialize. In combination with the internships I completed during my studies and the intercultural skills I developed, the advanced theoretical knowledge that I acquired played a key role in the successful start to my career with the United Nations in Somalia.“

“The flexibility of the program enabled me to specialize. In combination with the internships I completed during my studies and the intercultural skills I developed, the advanced theoretical knowledge that I acquired played a key role in the successful start to my career with the United Nations in Somalia.“

- Elfi Klabunde (year group 2012) (Political Affairs Officer in the Office of the Assistant Secretary General for Europe, Central Asia and the Americas, UN Secretariat New York)
Alumnus Christian Kleinert
DFS_Christian_Kleinert

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Alumna Morgane Javaudin
DFS_Morgane_Javaudin

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Alumna Theresa Grabinger
DFS_Theresa Grabinger

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What students say about the program

Foto Axel Honsdorf

"Excellent professional and administrative support, two exciting university towns and two high-quality degrees at the end of the program – the Integrated degree program German and French Political Science is a real jewel in the Bavarian-French university relations."

"Excellent professional and administrative support, two exciting university towns and two high-quality degrees at the end of the program – the Integrated degree program German and French Political Science is a real jewel in the Bavarian-French university relations."

- Axel Honsdorf (Managing Director BayFrance (Bavarian-French University Center))
Alban Sadorge, student of the MA program German and French Political Science
Alban Sadorge

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The KU

Students on our Eichstätt campus

The KU has two campuses: Eichstätt and Ingolstadt. Seven faculties are located in Eichstätt. The Ingolstadt School of Management (WFI) and MIDS (Institute of Applied Mathematics, Machine Learning and Data Science) are located on our Ingolstadt campus.

This degree program is taught on our Eichstätt campus.

Studying in Eichstätt

arrow right iconStudy location

The district of Eichstätt and the city of Ingolstadt are located in the heart of Bavaria. This central location also means that the KU is easy to reach. Eichstätt impresses with its unique combination of baroque architecture, modern amenities and the picturesque nature of the Altmühltal natural park.

arrow right iconCampus

Short distances and lavish green spaces characterize the KU campus in Eichstätt. The KU is a campus University with modern facilities. The buildings on campus are located close to the Eichstätt old town.

arrow right iconMore than just a degree

Studying at the KU not only provides you with the specialist knowledge you need, but also aims to open up real future prospects for its students. We want to support our students in finding their own personal path to their individual dream future! The question is not "What career do I want to pursue?", but rather "Who do I want to be?"

Advisory Service

Some offers and study conditions are different for international students – our International Office is happy to provide help and support. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact our team. We are happy to accompany you on your way to the KU and hope that we can welcome you in person soon!

International Office
Building Domplatz 8  |  Room: DP8-203 | Campus Eichstätt

Subject Advisor

Dr. Christina Rüther
Research Assistant / Coordination DFS

Application

Requirements
Bachelor
Selection procedure: see examination regulations
Language requirements
DSH 2
Application period winter
Apr 01 - Jun 01
Admission restriction
Yes
Selection procedure
Yes

The German-French Master's program in cooperation with the Institut d'Etudes Politiques de Rennes leads to a double diploma with the Bachelor's program of the same name. Our French partner awards its "Diplôme Sciences Po" only after a total of five years of Bachelor and Master studies. The two-year Franco-German master's program at the KU alone cannot lead to a double degree. We will be happy to advise you on the options available and the requirements that must be met.

Admission requirements for the Master's program are in any case a Bachelor's degree or an equivalent first university degree certifying at least three years of study and the acquisition of 180 ECTS credits, one year of which must have been successfully completed at a French Institut d'Etudes Politiques or at a comparable university abroad.

Study places

Total of available study places for the Franco-German integrated Master's degree program in Political Science:

arrow right iconWinter semester: 20
 

Please note, that the selection process is highly competitive.