Universität Fribourg Course offerings

Profile of the study programme

The programme provides knowledge of general and current politological issues. It combines analyses of political sociology with critical appraisal of regional political systems in Eastern and Western Europe.

Fribourg Profile
The language of tuition for the programme in Fribourg is German, a number of lectures may be offered in English.
While the introductory module «Fundamentals of Social Sciences» gives an overview of some classical works on the history of the subject and presents selected theoretical approaches and central concepts, the Bachelor's programme in political science is chiefly based on three pillars:

1. Democracies and autocracies
In various regions of the world, democracies are being challenged by autocratic tendencies. Such developments are also observable in Central and Eastern Europe. After the common experience of totalitarianism, different political systems have evolved in this region. The states also differ from each other depending on the accomplishment of the post-communist system transformation. How can this discrepancy be explained? The module approaches this question on the one hand by examining different factors influencing the development of political systems in Central and Eastern Europe. On the other hand, it compares democracies and autocratic political regimes with regard to their stability, efficiency and learning capacity.

2. State and governance
States are subject to constant change and have been challenged by a wide range of developments, e.g. globalisation, economic crises and conflicts. In several areas of the state's activity (economy, health, science), the state has become part of multiple forms of cooperation with other governmental as well as private actors. Although the state is still the action centre of the political system, it can no longer consider itself capable of controlling or steering society. This is also expressed in the increased use of the word governance rather than rule these days. It can also be seen that the state is no longer a uniform centre of action, but has rather become a non-uniform or even fragmented actor which is active on a number of levels. The lectures in this module focus on issues concerning state capacities, crisis, (good) governance and leadership from a theoretical, conceptual and methodological point of view.

3. Political sociology
This module deals with selected topics of political sociology, which is an integral part of political science. This involves taking a close look at the societal conditions of power, politics, political stability and democracy in modern society. The focus lies on the analysis of political systems, actors such as political parties, social, economic and political elites, and topics such as political protest, mobilisation, forms of populism, trust, clientelism and informal relationships.

Learning outcomes and career openings
The Bachelor's programme «Politics and Society» qualifies students to analyse political systems and their actors in the relevant social context. In addition to this, students should be able to give a critical review and comment on scholarly literature, and conduct targeted literature research. The programme provides a solid foundation for the pursuit of a career in areas such as research, diplomatic service, international organisations, journalism, non-governmental organisations and development cooperation.