Information for Students and Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Do you have questions about your studies? You can find some answers and important contact points below. But before you do, we recommend that all students read the respective curriculum carefully (see the complete version of the curriculum in the section "General"):

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

General Information about the Study Programmes (Registration, Curriculum, Recognition, etc.)

You are interested in legal aspects of the study programme (admission to a study programme at the University of Innsbruck, deadlines, fees, funding, etc.)?

Please refer to the Admission Department of the University of Innsbruck.

Determination of equivalence for admission to the MA or PhD Political Science

Please refer to the Admission Department of the University of Innsbruck.

You want to register for/cancel a registration for a course or exam?

Please contact the course instructor.

Admission to the third and fourth repetition of a course examination?

Download and fill out the form "Application for Admission to the third and fourth repetition of a course examination", see here (under "Forms"): BA Political Science (2007W) | MA Political Science (2024W) | MA Political Science: European and International Politics (2014W)
Get in touch with the examiners (please note: the examiners must be internal lecturers of the Department of Political Science - not external lecturers; at least one member must have the venia docendi/habilitation)

Contact for further questions: Examination Office

You didn't get a grade or you got the wrong grade?

Please contact the course instructor.

You want some of your former courses to be recognised by the University of Innsbruck?

Complete the following application forms "Recognition of exams" AND "Supplementary Sheet" (under "Forms"):
BA Political Science | MA Political Science (2024W) | MA Political Science: European and International Politics (2014W) | PhD Political Science
Submit the forms (Examination Office)
Subsequently, either the Dean of Studies of the Faculty of Social and Political Sciences or the Teaching Coordinator of the Department of Political Science will decide on the application.

You would like to have an internship recognised as an elective module (BA Political Science)?

BA Political Science (2007W)

(https://www.uibk.ac.at/en/political-science/studies/faq/#ba-practice-2007w)

Preliminary Note

Students enrolled in the Bachelor's program in Political Science must complete 30 out of a total of 180 ECTS credits through elective modules.¹ Of these, 15 ECTS credits can be fulfilled by completing an internship. The purpose of such an internship is to apply and test the knowledge and skills acquired during the studies in a future professional field, as well as to gain insight into potential career paths. The studies and the internship placement must be directly related. Possible institutions for completing the "political science practice" include parliaments, governments and administrations, public bodies, political parties, NGOs and interest groups, international organizations, media, educational institutions, or companies where political science skills are needed (such as political consulting). The "political science practice" must be completed at one institution and encompass at least 350 working hours.

Application

To enroll in the elective module "Political Science Practice," an agreement must be made before starting an internship. The necessary form can be found on the University of Innsbruck's website under "Forms" – "Internship Agreement": https://www.uibk.ac.at/en/programmes/ba-political-science/2007w/

You should submit the fully and correctly completed form in advance to the email address: politikwissenschaft@uibk.ac.at

Your application will be forwarded to the responsible person for approval.

Additionally, include a brief written justification in your email, explaining how the internship placement is related to your Bachelor's studies in Political Science.

You will receive a response to your application within a few days.

Internship Report

After completing your internship, you must write a report reflecting on your activities in the context of your studies. This involves:

Describing the environment or institution where you completed the internship.
Detailing your specific tasks and responsibilities.
Critically discussing the added value of your studies for the internship.
Analyzing whether and how the internship changed your perspective on the field of Political Science.
Evaluating the internship placement as a potential future career field for you and other graduates of the Bachelor's program in Political Science.

The report should be between twelve and fifteen pages long (Garamond font, size 11, 1.5 line spacing, justified alignment, standard MS Word margins). It should be submitted as a PDF, including confirmation of at least 350 working hours, to the following email address: politikwissenschaft@uibk.ac.at

Grade

Your report will be forwarded to the responsible person for grading. If the report meets the requirements, the completion of the "political science in practice" will be graded as "successfully participated." If the report does not meet the requirements, you will be asked to make improvements. Otherwise, this performance must be graded as "unsuccessfully participated."

¹ For details, see § 5, paragraph (2) in the consolidated version of the curriculum: https://www.uibk.ac.at/en/programmes/ba-political-science/2007w/

You would like to have an internship recognised as an elective module (MA Political Science)?

MA Political Science (2024W)

MA Political Science: European and International Politics (2014W)

MA Political Science (2024W)

(https://www.uibk.ac.at/en/political-science/studies/faq/#ma-practice-2024w)

Preliminary Note

Students in the Master's program in Political Science must complete additional elective modules totaling 30 ECTS credits during their studies.¹ These elective modules can partially be fulfilled through one or two internships. The purpose of such an internship is to apply and test the knowledge and skills acquired during the studies in a future professional field, as well as to gain insight into potential career fields. The studies and the internship placement must therefore be directly related. Possible institutions for completing the "practical experience" include parliaments, governments and administrations, public bodies, political parties, NGOs and interest groups, media, educational institutions, international organizations, or companies where political science skills are needed (such as political consulting). An internship can be completed at an institution for a total of 225 hours (i.e. 10 ECTS, covering the elective module Practice I), at an institution for a total of 450 hours (i.e. 20 ECTS, covering elective modules Practice I and II), or at two different institutions for 225 hours each (i.e. 10 ECTS, also covering elective modules Practice I and II).

Application

To complete the "practical experience," an agreement must be made BEFORE starting an internship. The corresponding form can be found here (under "Forms"): https://www.uibk.ac.at/en/programmes/ma-political-science/2024w/

Submit the fully and correctly completed form in good time before starting to the following email address: politikwissenschaft@uibk.ac.at. Your application will be forwarded to the responsible person for approval.

Include a brief written justification in your email explaining how the relevant internship placement is related to your MA studies in Political Science.

You will receive a response to your application within a few days.

Internship Report

After completing your internship, you must write an internship report reflecting on your activities in the context of your studies. This means you should:

Describe the environment or institution where you completed your internship.
Present your specific tasks and responsibilities.
Critically discuss the added value of your studies for the internship.
Analyze whether and how the internship changed your perspective on the field of Political Science.
Evaluate the internship placement as a potential future career field for you and other graduates of the MA program in Political Science.

The report should be between twelve and fifteen pages long (Garamond font; font size 11; 1.5 line spacing; justified alignment; standard MS Word margins) and submitted as a PDF, including confirmation of working hours totaling 225 or 450 hours, to the following email address: politikwissenschaft@uibk.ac.at

Grade

Your report will be forwarded to the responsible person for grading. If the report meets the requirements, the completion of the "political science practice" will be graded as "successfully participated." If the report does not meet the requirements, you will be asked to make improvements. Otherwise, this performance must be graded as "unsuccessfully participated."

¹ For details, see § 8, paragraph (4) in the consolidated version of the curriculum: https://www.uibk.ac.at/en/programmes/ma-political-science/2024w/

MA Political Science: European and International Politics (2014W)

(https://www.uibk.ac.at/en/political-science/studies/faq/#ma-practice-2014w)

Preliminary Note

Students in the Master's program "Political Science: European and International Politics" must complete 15 out of a total of 120 ECTS credits through elective modules during their studies. These elective modules can also be fulfilled through one or two internships. The purpose of such an internship is to apply and test the knowledge and skills acquired during the studies in a future professional field, as well as to gain insight into potential career fields. The studies and the internship placement must therefore be directly related. Possible institutions for completing the "practical experience" include parliaments, governments and administrations, public bodies, political parties, NGOs and interest groups, media, educational institutions, international organizations, or companies where political science skills are needed (such as political consulting). An internship can be completed at an institution for a total of 180 hours (covering elective module 1), at an institution for a total of 360 hours (covering elective modules 1 and 2), or at two different institutions for 180 hours each (also covering elective modules 1 and 2).

Application

Include a brief written justification in your email explaining how the relevant internship placement is related to your MA studies in Political Science.

You will receive a response to your application within a few days.

Internship Report

After completing your internship, you must write an internship report reflecting on your activities in the context of your studies. This means you should:

Describe the environment or institution where you completed your internship.
Present your specific tasks and responsibilities.
Critically discuss the added value of your studies for the internship.
Analyze whether and how the internship changed your perspective on the field of Political Science.
Evaluate the internship placement as a potential future career field for you and other graduates of the MA program in Political Science.

The report should be between twelve and fifteen pages long (Garamond font; font size 11; 1.5 line spacing; justified alignment; standard MS Word margins) and submitted as a PDF, including confirmation of working hours totaling 180 or 360 hours, to the following email address: politikwissenschaft@uibk.ac.at

Grade

¹ For details, see § 7, paragraph (2) in the consolidated version of the curriculum: https://www.uibk.ac.at/en/programmes/ma-political-science-european-and-international-studies/2014w/

You are interested in studying abroad or Erasmus+?

Here you can find information about Erasmus+ and other opportunities to study abroad:

Information page on Erasmus+ and stays abroad of the Department of Political Science
International Relations Office (IRO) of the University of Innsbruck

You want to do a minor in another study programme?

Have a look at the minors (complementary subject areas) at the University of Innsbruck.

You graduated from the Department of Political Science and need a certificate/transcript of records or similar?

Please get in touch with the Examination Office.

Final Thesis and Completion of Studies

Do you have questions regarding your BA thesis?

BA Political Science (2007W)

(https://www.uibk.ac.at/en/political-science/studies/faq/#ba-thesis-2007w)

Legal framework and grading

The curriculum of the Bachelor's degree programme in Political Science (from 1 October 2020) provides for a Bachelor's thesis worth 7.5 ECTS-Credits (see § 6 of the curriculum, https://www.uibk.ac.at/en/programmes/ba-political-science/2007w/ under "General" - "complete version of the curriculum"). This Bachelor's thesis must be written as part of a compulsory module in accordance with § 5 para. 1, lines 10 to 17. Specifically, this is one of the following courses:

VU European Integration - Enhanced Level
VU Political System of Austria - Enhanced Level
VU Comparative Politics - Enhanced Level
VU International Relations - Enhanced Level
VU Political Communication and Electoral Analysis - Enhanced Level
VU Political Theory - Enhanced Level
VU Applied Methods - Enhanced Level
VU Gender Research

The Bachelor's thesis is an integral part of the VU. This means that the Bachelor's thesis as such and the other work in the seminar cannot be graded separately. In the event of a negative assessment of the seminar or the Bachelor's thesis, all performances must be repeated. The VU is therefore only graded positively if both the Bachelor's thesis and the actual course have been successfully completed.

The Bachelor's thesis is assessed no later than four weeks after submission with the grades ‘Very good’ (1), ‘Good’ (2), ‘Satisfactory’ (3), ‘Sufficient’ (4) or ‘Not sufficient’ (5). The VU is graded independently of the Bachelor's thesis. The overall grade (VU and Bachelor's thesis) is calculated from the weighted average of both grades. In concrete terms, this means that both the grade for the VU and the grade for the Bachelor's thesis each contribute 50% to the overall grade. However, both partial grades must be positive for a positive assessment.

The Bachelor's thesis can be written in a foreign language if the course instructor agrees. The Bachelor's thesis must be submitted in written and electronic form (pdf) or, in agreement with the course instructor, only electronically.

Content requirements

Bachelor's theses are papers that must fulfil the standards of political science in terms of content and methodology. By completing a Bachelor's thesis, students must prove that they are able to independently apply the theoretical and methodological tools of political science to a limited research question within a limited period of time. Formally, the Bachelor's thesis must comply with the rules for academic work.

The Bachelor's thesis has a total of 7.5 ECTS-Credits. This corresponds to 187.5 working hours (1 ECTS-Credits corresponds to 25 working hours). These 7.5 ECTS-Credits are in addition to the normal workload of the relevant VU (7.5 or 5 ECTS-Credits). The Bachelor's thesis should therefore not be a continuation of the VU thesis - the VU thesis and the Bachelor's thesis must deal with two different issues.

The Bachelor's thesis should be 9,000-10,000 words long and formatted in the form of a scientific paper (Garamond font; font size 11; 1.5 line spacing; justified text; standard MS Word margins, same citation style throughout). The following elements should also be included:

Cover sheet with all relevant information (author, title of the thesis, course title, course number, semester),
Table of contents,
Introduction (with problem definition, state of research, epistemological question, theory and method, results, approach),
Main part (with detailed argumentation),
Conclusion (summarising the results) ,
Bibliography (with all sources used and therefore also cited),
Declaration of academic honesty (Eidesstattliche Erklärung, see https://www.uibk.ac.at/en/programmes/ba-political-science/2007w/ - ‘Forms’).

Time schedule

Registration for the Bachelor's thesis is done directly with the course instructor of the relevant VU. It must be officially submitted via email by the second course unit (registration with the examinations office is not required).

The Bachelor's thesis must be submitted by 31 March at the latest (for VUs from the winter semester) or by 31 October at the latest (for VUs from the summer semester).

Together with the Bachelor's thesis, you also hand in the completed proof of the Bachelor's thesis (see https://www.uibk.ac.at/en/programmes/ba-political-science/2007w/ - ‘Forms’) in accordance with the curriculum, which is confirmed by the course instructor and forwarded to the Examination Office. The grade for the VU including the Bachelor's thesis will only be issued after the Bachelor's thesis has been submitted and graded.

Do you have questions regarding your MA thesis?

MA Political Science (2024W)

MA Political Science: European and International Politics (2014W)

MA Political Science (2024W)

(https://www.uibk.ac.at/en/political-science/studies/faq/#ma-thesis-2024w)

Legal framework and grading

The curriculum of the Master's degree programme in Political Science provides for a Master's thesis worth 25 ECTS-Credits (see § 9 of the curriculum, https://www.uibk.ac.at/en/studien/ma-politikwissenschaft/2024w/ under ‘General’ - ‘complete version of the curriculum’). The Master's thesis is a piece of academic work that serves to demonstrate the ability to work on an academic topic independently and in a way that is acceptable in terms of content and methodology.

Students have the right to propose the topic of the Master's thesis or to choose from a number of proposals. In order to officially register the Master's thesis, a proposal for the Master's thesis must first be submitted to the supervisor, in which the topic, the research gap, the research interest, the research design and the approach of the thesis are presented in detail. Any member of staff at the Department of Political Science with a doctorate can be considered as a supervisor.

As soon as the supervisor agrees to this proposal, the compulsory module ‘Preparation of the Master's thesis’ will be assessed (please complete the relevant form: https://www.uibk.ac.at/en/programmes/ma-political-science/2024w/ - ‘Forms’ - ‘Assessment of the compulsory module: Preparation of Master's thesis"). When the assessment is submitted to the Examination Office, the Master's thesis can also be officially registered at the same time (see https://www.uibk.ac.at/en/college-service-center/news/elektronische-einreichung-dipl-ma_en/ - ‘registration of the Master's Thesis’).

The Master's thesis is assessed after two months at the latest. The grades range from ‘Very good’ (1), ‘Good’ (2), ‘Satisfactory’ (3), ‘Sufficient’ (4) to ‘Not sufficient’ (5).

The Master's thesis can be written in a foreign language if the supervisor agrees.

Content requirements

The Master's thesis is a piece of academic work that serves as proof of the ability to work on an academic topic independently and in a way that is acceptable in terms of content and methodology.

The Master's thesis should have a length of 25,000-30,000 words and be formatted in the form of a scientific paper (Garamond font; font size 11; 1.5 line spacing; justified text; standard MS Word margins, same citation style throughout).

The following elements should be included in any case:

Cover sheet with all relevant information (author, title of the thesis, supervisor, institute/university, date),
Table of contents,
Introduction (problem statement, epistemological question, discussion of the state of research, theoretical and methodological framework, results, approach),
Main part (with detailed argumentation),
Conclusion (summarising the results and any suggestions for further research),
Bibliography (with all sources used and therefore cited),
Declaration of Academic Honesty (Eidesstattliche Erklärung).

Submission

Here you will find information on submitting the completed Master's thesis:

New procedure for submitting Diploma and Master's Theses (valid from November 1st 2023): https://www.uibk.ac.at/en/fakultaeten-servicestelle/wichtige-informationen-und-termine/elektronische-einreichung-dipl-ma/
Submitting and publishing theses at the ULB Tirol: https://www.uibk.ac.at/en/university-and-state-library/publication-services/submitting-publishing-theses/

Time schedule

In order to successfully complete the Master's degree programme, students must successfully defend their Master's thesis before an examination senate.

After the student has completed the examination record in full and the grade for the Master's thesis has been submitted to the Examinations Office by the supervisor, students receive the form ‘Registration for the Master's thesis defence’ from the Examinations Office.

The examination date for the Master's thesis defence must be arranged independently by the student with the examination senate (chair and two examiners). The completed form (including all signatures of the members of the examination senate) must be submitted to the Examinations Office for approval before the date of the defence. The date will be confirmed at least two weeks before the defence/defensio.

Students must book a room for the defence at: politikwissenschaft@uibk.ac.at

MA Political Science: European and International Politics (2014W)

(https://www.uibk.ac.at/en/political-science/studies/faq/#ma-thesis-2014w)

Legal framework and grading

The curriculum of the Master's degree programme in Political Science: European and International Politics provides for a Master's thesis worth 20 ECTS-Credits (see § 8 of the curriculum, https://www.uibk.ac.at/en/programmes/ma-political-science-european-and-international-studies/2014w/). The Master's thesis is a piece of academic work that serves to demonstrate the student's ability to work on an academic topic independently and in a way that is acceptable in terms of content and methodology.

The topic of the Master's thesis must be taken from a compulsory module in accordance with § 7 Para. 1 Z 1 to 10. Specifically, this is one of the following modules:

Compulsory module 1: Political Science Research Methods
Compulsory module 2: Politics and Gender
Compulsory module 3: Governance and Political Leadership
Compulsory module 4: Federalism and Federal Politics
Compulsory module 5: European Integration I
Compulsory module 6: European Integration II
Compulsory module 7: Orders and Change in International Relations
Compulsory module 8: Actors and Agency in International Relations
Compulsory module 9: Electoral Analysis
Compulsory module 10: Political Communication

Students have the right to propose the topic of the Master's thesis or to choose from a number of proposals. The topic is only assigned after a positive assessment of the module from which the topic is taken. In order to officially register the Master's thesis, a proposal for the Master's thesis must first be submitted to the supervisor, in which the topic, the research gap, the research interest, the research design and the approach of the thesis are presented in detail. Any member of staff at the Department of Political Science with a doctorate can be considered as a supervisor.

As soon as the supervisor agrees to this proposal, the compulsory module ‘Preparation of the Master's thesis’ will be assessed (please complete the relevant form https://www.uibk.ac.at/en/programmes/ma-political-science-european-and-international-studies/2014w/ under ‘Forms’ - ‘Assessment of the compulsory module: Preparation of the Master’s Thesis’). When the assessment is submitted to the Examination Office, the Master's thesis can also be officially registered at the same time (see https://www.uibk.ac.at/en/college-service-center/news/elektronische-einreichung-dipl-ma_en/ - ‘registration of the Master's Thesis’).

The Master's thesis is assessed after two months at the latest. The grades range from ‘Very good’ (1), ‘Good’ (2), ‘Satisfactory’ (3), ‘Sufficient’ (4) to ‘Not sufficient’ (5).

The Master's thesis can be written in a foreign language if the supervisor agrees.

Content requirements

The Master's thesis is a piece of academic work that serves as proof of the ability to work on an academic topic independently and in a way that is acceptable in terms of content and methodology.

The following elements should be included in any case:

Cover sheet with all relevant information (author, title of the thesis, supervisor, institute/university, date),
Table of contents,
Introduction (problem statement, epistemological question, discussion of the state of research, theoretical and methodological framework, results, approach),
Main part (with detailed argumentation),
Conclusion (summarising the results and any suggestions for further research),
Bibliography (with all sources used and therefore cited),
Declaration of Academic Honesty (Eidesstattliche Erklärung).

Submission

Here you will find information on submitting the completed Master's thesis:

New procedure for submitting Diploma and Master's Theses (valid from November 1st 2023): https://www.uibk.ac.at/en/fakultaeten-servicestelle/wichtige-informationen-und-termine/elektronische-einreichung-dipl-ma/
Submitting and publishing theses at the ULB Tirol: https://www.uibk.ac.at/en/university-and-state-library/publication-services/submitting-publishing-theses/

Defence of the Master's thesis

In order to successfully complete the Master's degree programme, students must successfully defend their Master's thesis before an examination senate.

Students must book a room for the defence at: politikwissenschaft@uibk.ac.at

Do you have questions regarding your PhD dissertation?

PhD Political Science (2009W)

(https://www.uibk.ac.at/en/political-science/studies/faq/#phd-dissertation-2009w)

See the guidelines for writing the exposé and the dissertation.

What are the administrative steps to complete the BA Political Science?

Submission of the examination record and processing time

If the student has successfully completed all the courses and modules required by the curriculum (see also the consolidated version of the curriculum: https://www.uibk.ac.at/en/programmes/ba-political-science/2007w/ - ‘Gesamtfassung des Curriculums’), he/she can apply to the Examinations Office (SOWI/Universitätsstraße 15) for the issue of the certificate and the academic degree certificate by submitting the completed examination record.

The relevant form can be found on the website https://www.uibk.ac.at/en/programmes/ba-political-science/2007w/ under ‘Forms’ - ‘Examination record’.

The processing time is a maximum of four weeks. You will be informed by email as soon as all documents are ready for collection.

Academic graduation ceremony (‘Sponsion’)

No ceremony is planned for the handover of the certificate and notification. However, if students (and their families and friends) are interested in a ceremonial presentation of a certificate, they must register for an academic ceremony (‘Sponsion’). All relevant information (including dates and registration) can be found on the following website: https://www.uibk.ac.at/studium/organisation/akademische-feiern

What are the administrative steps to complete the MA Political Science?

Submission of the examination record

If the student has successfully completed all courses and modules required by the curriculum (see the consolidated version of the curriculum below), he/she can submit the completed examination record to the Examinations Office (SOWI/Universitätsstraße 15).

Curriculum of the MA Political Science (2024W): https://www.uibk.ac.at/en/programmes/ma-political-science/2024w/ under ‘General’ - ‘complete version of the curriculum’
Curriculum of the MA Political Science: European and International Politics (2014W): https://www.uibk.ac.at/en/programmes/ma-political-science-european-and-international-studies/2014w/ under ‘General’ - ‘complete version of the curriculum’

You can find the corresponding form here:

MA Political Science (2024W): https://www.uibk.ac.at/en/programmes/ma-political-science/2024w/ under ‘Forms’ - ‘Examination Records’
MA Political Science: European and International Politics (2014W): https://www.uibk.ac.at/en/programmes/ma-political-science-european-and-international-studies/2014w/ under ‘Forms’ - ‘Examination Records’

Defence of the Master's thesis

See for the MA Political Science (2024W): https://www.uibk.ac.at/en/political-science/studies/faq/#ma-thesis-2024w
See for the MA Political Science: European and International Politics (2014W): https://www.uibk.ac.at/en/political-science/studies/faq/#ma-thesis-2014w

Certificate and notification

After successful defence of the Master's thesis, the final documents are issued by the Examination Office and the student is informed by email as soon as the documents are ready for collection (max. four weeks processing time).

Academic graduation ceremony (‘Sponsion’)

No ceremony is planned for the presentation of the diploma and certificate. However, if students (and their families and friends) are interested in a ceremonial presentation of a certificate, they must register for an academic ceremony (‘Sponsion’). All relevant information (including dates and registration) can be found on the following website: https://www.uibk.ac.at/studium/organisation/akademische-feiern

Counselling

You need juridical or psychological counselling?

You can find support here:

You have a disability, impairment, mental and/or chronic illness?

Please contact the Disability Officer of the University of Innsbruck.

You have general or content-related questions about studying Political Science at the University of Innsbruck, the curriculum or teaching at our Department?

You will find support here:

Overview of our study programmes
Teaching Coordinator of the Department of Political Science
Dean of Studies at the Faculty of Social and Political Sciences
Political Science and Sociology Section of the Austrian Students Union (ÖH)

Other

Do you have questions regarding the MSc Digital International Affairs (D.I.A)?

See the info page of the study programme with further information and contact addresses

Do you have questions regarding the MA Gender, Culture and Social Change?

See the info page of the study programme with further information and contact addresses

You want to report a case of discrimnation, harassment or mobbing?

Please contact the Working Committee on Equal Opportunities Issues (Arbeitskreis für Gleichbehandlungsfragen) of the University of Innsbruck.

Any Further Questions?

For further questions please contact:

Admission Department of the University of Innsbruck
Teaching Coordinator of the Department of Political Science
Dean of Studies of the Faculty of Social and Political Sciences
Examination Office
Political Science and Sociology Section of the Austrian Students Union (ÖH Innsbruck)