Overview

In this specialisation you focuse on legitimacy and justice, political philosophy's core themes. Immersing yourself in theories, methods, and complex cases, you will make the leap from opinion to analysis.

Some think that political legitimacy and justice are synonyms; others argue that they are not necessarily the same and can even contradict one another. You will investigate these concepts and their implications—systematically and logically. You will be confronted with challenging cases and learn to tackle these analytically and thoroughly. As you will discover, asking the right questions and employing proper argumentation are just as important as your conclusions. The programme addresses questions that are fundamental to every society. How do we arrive at ethics and morals of what is 'good' and what is 'right'? How do communities balance protection of the public and the private spheres? What to do when individual rights seem to run counter to collective interests? How to conceptualise freedom and equality? Our Master specialisation Political Legitimacy and Justice does not offer all the answers, but it surely will help you developing and sharpening your own perspective.

You study in one of the most highly ranked departments of its kind in Europe. Your lecturers are scholars from many countries with expertise in various areas of political science.

What you will learn

As a MSc in Political Science graduate, you know and understand the ‘State of the Art’ in Political Science (with a particular emphasis on the field of your specialisation). You are able to think analytically, study independently, and work autonomously as well as collectively. Particularly, you have demonstrated your ability to develop and apply original ideas, predominantly within a research context. You have learned how to communicate the conclusions of your scholarly research to an audience beyond traditional academia. Furthermore, you are aware of the social and ethical responsibilities that arise from the applied side of Political Science.

Career prospects

Due to the comprehensive nature of this master's programme, you are prepared for a variety of careers in politics and public service, the media, non-profit organisations, consultancy, and (inter)national business.

The programme also offers an ideal preparation for further academic work in Political Science.

Examples of jobs

• Civil servant
• Policy officer
• Consultant
• Diplomat
• Instructor
• Journalist
• Lobbyist
• Teacher
• Researcher
• Politician
• Editor
• Manager