Department of Political Science

As a community of students, faculty and staff, the Department of Political Science is committed to academic freedom, equal access to education and collegial self-governance. Our ultimate aim is to enable our diverse student body to become successful and influential professionals in the future social, political and academic life of their home countries.

We offer a one-year Master of Arts (MA) and Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) programs in Political Science registered by the Board of Regents of the University of the State of New York (US) for and on behalf of the New York State Education Department. Our two-year MA program is accredited by the Hungarian Accreditation Committee of the Ministry of Education since October 2007.

The Department of Political Science provides a comprehensive program of instruction and research in the fundamental areas of the discipline: political institutions and processes; the origins, development and transformation of theory and concepts; understanding different approaches to political analysis; political philosophy; social theory; political economy; public policy; political and economic sociology; constitutionalism and the legal contexts necessary for understanding politics and debates about it.

The cognitive skills the department seeks to impart include the employment of different methods of analysis and critical thinking. Use of these will enable students to deepen and broaden their knowledge of politics and to articulate their own ethical stance on issues studied. The department strives to develop and nurture a scholarly community of faculty and students who engage in a common process of education and research, with emphasis on understanding the problems and challenges contemporary political communities and their citizens face.

Our Department among the Top European Universities The Die Zeit published the European ranking of universities in seven disciplines, including political science. The results are public at www.zeit.de/excellenceranking. 52 Universities have been selected into this “excellence” group and besides our department, only three other departments from the region made it onto the list. The departments were evaluated on ten dimensions and the best ones received “stars”. Our department received five stars, toping 41 universities. This publication sends the message that CEU is one of the best in Europe in Political Science.

Zsolt Enyedi - President of the Hungarian Political Science Association Zsolt Enyedi, Associate Professor and Head of the Department at the Department of Political Science was elected President of the Hungarian Political Science Association. The President serves for three years and can be reelected once. Two other members of the Department, Andras Bozoki and Gabor Toka, were elected into the Presidium. CEU has never had such a strong representation in the Presidium of the Association. For more information about the Hungarian Political Science Association click here.

Roxana Radu - Special Prize for Academic Excellence The League of Romanian Students Studying Abroad awarded a Special Prize for Academic Excellence to Roxana Radu (the only award given for social sciences). The most important criteria of selection were: the ranking of the university, distinctions and prizes received in international competitions, academic publications. For more info, click here.

Welcome!