About the Program

The B.A. Political Conflict Studies (PCS) is a Political Science degree program with a particular emphasis on social and political conflicts, their causes, developments, and solutions. As such, the program goes beyond the narrower focus on peace and conflict studies by including systems, comparative, international relations, and political theory perspectives on conflict. Exemplary questions that are addressed by the program include: How do democracies manage political conflict and contestations? How does populism affect political processes? What does justice mean and how can it be implemented? What causes civil and international wars and how can such violent conflicts be ended? In what ways can regional integration help to navigate conflict? Which challenges do identity, religion, and culture raise in different political and social settings? What role does sustainability play in politics?

PCS will provide a foundation in the different disciplines of Political Science, especially in Comparative Politics, International Politics, and Political Theory, train students in quantitative and qualitative methodology, and offer insights into how politics are made and researched. Building on this basis, PCS explores conflicts in multidimensional perspectives from the varying disciplines, highlighting special interest topics, and giving students the opportunity to explore the complexity of the present-day political world with a solution-oriented outlook. PCS also incorporates the opportunity to include other fields of study beyond Political Science in students’ curriculum and incorporates a perspective for practical application – not just in class-settings studying implementation of political solutions, but also in a module focusing on professional perspectives. PCS is built to offer a smooth transition into the professional world as well as an excellent basis to continue education in a Master’s degree.

The program is scheduled to begin with the fall/winter semester of 2026/27 – in October 2026. PCS is built as a three-year program, always starting with the winter term and students will earn a total of 180 CP.

Students will experience studying a dynamic and highly topical field, embedded in the Faculty of Humanities and Theology, more precisely the Department of Philosophy and Political Science. This study environment offers interdisciplinary angles at pressing questions at a lively campus with active international student communities.

The Faculty of Humanities and Theology comprises the Departments of Philosophy and Political Science, as well as Protestant Theology, and Catholic Theology. There is close cooperation between the disciplines in various areas.

The research profile of the faculty is characterized by, on the one hand, a broad spectrum of thematic specializations within the departments. On the other hand, it demonstrates a strong interest in interdisciplinary research as well as pursuing activities at the interface of philosophy, political science, and the theologies, such as joint research projects ("Cohesion in Europe", Graduate School on Political Cohesion), conferences ("Religion and Populism"), international research and study trips ("Open Spaces: Religion and Democracy in Indonesia and Beyond"), as well as frequent student and staff exchange activities (Erasmus fellowships, Gambrinus fellowships, etc.).

Furthermore, the Faculty of Humanities and Theology attaches importance to international cooperation and maintains strategic partnerships with Parahyangan University (UNPAR) in Bandung, Indonesia, as well as Charles University in Prague, Czech Republic. Within the field of Political Science, we have also established Erasmus-partnerships with universities in Norway and Italy.