Bachelor of Arts in Political Science

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The Bachelor of Arts (BA) program in Political Science addresses a wide range of topics, covering the entire field of Political Science and its subdisciplines.

Students in our Bachelor study programs intensively train their methodological skills and analytical abilities which allow them to critically engage with the subjects of Political Science. They learn about the various schools of theory as well as concrete applications of theory to specific topics and case studies. Through cross-listing, related social science disciplines such as economics, sociology, communication, as well as aspects of philosophy, law, history, or area studies like Asian studies and more are integrated into the curriculum. We encourage internships and study abroad programs. Both can be integrated into your degree and credited toward your Major (120 ECTS) or Minor (60 ECTS) requirements.

Completing a Minor in Political Science (60 ECTS) at the IPZ qualifies you for admission to a subsequent IPZ master’s program in Political Science (Major (90 ECTS) or Mono (120 ECTS)) without any additional requirements.

The Major in Political Science (120 ECTS) typically takes six semesters to complete within the regular study duration. The program can only be studied in combination with a Minor. The official start of the academic year is always the fall semester. In the case of an internal program transfer within UZH or if you plan to transfer from another university to UZH for the spring semester, please contact the Academic Advising Office. Part-time studies are generally possible without additional formalities, although it may extend the duration of your studies.

Study Structure

The structure of the study program is defined in the legal framework, particularly in the appendix to the study regulation and the module catalogue. Additionally, we gladly provide a graphical overview of the study program structure (PDF, 67 KB).

Study Contents

1^st Year – Introduction

In the first year of study, you will complete the module group "Introduction to Political Science". This group comprises the introductory modules "Political Systems and Theories I" (fall semester) and "Political Systems and Theories II" (spring semester), the methodology modules "Introduction to Research Logic" (fall semester) and "Introduction to Statistics" (spring semester), as well as the module "Introduction to Swiss Politics" (fall semester). For more details on the content of each module, please refer to the respective module descriptions in the module catalogue.

2^nd and 3^rd Year – Deepening

In the second and third year, you must earn 24 ECTS in the module group "Advanced Political Science”. This corresponds to eight out of twelve freely selectable, theory-driven lectures on subfields of political science.

Building on these eight selected advanced lectures, you will complete four seminars from the module group "Thematic Application Political Science". These modules also account for 24 ECTS. Each module offers several seminars, each with a maximum of 25 participants, which deepen the theoretical knowledge gained in the corresponding lecture through concrete and practice-oriented research topics. It is only possible to complete one seminar per module.

Additionally, in the second year, you will complete the two modules in the "Methods" module group: "Advanced Statistics" (fall semester) and "Introduction to Qualitative Methods" (spring semester).

3^rd Year - Specialization and Bachelor's Thesis 

Specializations typically take place in the fall semester and are listed in the course catalogue in the module group "Final Modules". In a group of up to 15 students, you will prepare for your bachelor’s thesis. Specialization can be thematically assigned to one or more subfields of political science. It is your own responsibility to assess your prior knowledge from lectures and seminars and to prioritize the specializations when booking modules. Unfortunately, a place in the desired specialization cannot be guaranteed due to the scarcity of places.

The module “Bachelor’s Thesis” typically takes place in the spring semester and builds upon the specialization. Your bachelor's thesis is based on the project within the specialization. Usually, it is supervised by the lecturer of the specialization.

In order to facilitate compatibility with an exchange semester and part-time study, two specializations with a maximum of 30 places in total have been offered in spring semesters since 2024. The corresponding Bachelor's theses courses follow in the autumn semester.

You can find further information about the bachelor's thesis on the website of the Dean’s Office of the PhF.

Expert advice and additional information on library resources can be found on the webpages of the University Library.

Additional Curricular Modules 

To complete the Major in Political Science, you must obtain an additional nine ECTS from the entire Political Science program. These can be additional advanced lectures or seminars, or modules from the module group "Other Curricular Modules". You can freely choose and complete these ECTS during the course of your studies. It is also possible to have credits recognized from modules taken during an exchange program or an internship.

Degree Completion

The Dean's Office of the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences (PhF) is responsible for the degree completion process. Therefore, you can find all the information about the completion process on the PhF's website. If you have any questions about planning your studies, we are available to assist you.

Course offerering

The current course offerings can be found in the UZH course catalogue.

The Minor in Political Science (60 ECTS) typically takes four semesters to complete within the regular study duration. This program can only be pursued in combination with a Major. The official start of the academic year is always the fall semester. In the case of an internal program transfer within UZH or if you plan to transfer from another university to UZH for the spring semester, please contact the Academic Advising Office. Part-time studies are generally possible without additional formalities, although it may extend the duration of your studies.

Study Structure

The structure of the study program is defined in the legal framework, particularly in the appendix to the study regulation and the module catalogue. Additionally, we gladly provide a graphical overview of the study structure (PDF, 56 KB).

Study Contents

1^st Year – Introduction

In the first year of study, you will complete the module group "Introduction to Political Science". This group comprises the introductory modules "Political Systems and Theories I" (fall semester) and "Political Systems and Theories II" (spring semester), the methodology modules "Introduction to Research Logic" (fall semester) and "Introduction to Statistics" (spring semester), as well as the module "Introduction to Swiss Politics" (fall semester). For more details on the content of each module, please refer to the respective module descriptions in the  module catalogue.

2^nd and 3^rd Year – Deepening

In the second and third year, you must earn nine ECTS in the module group "Advanced Political Science”. This corresponds to three out of twelve freely selectable, theory-driven lectures on subfields of political science.

Building on one of these advanced lectures, you will complete one seminar from the module group "Thematic Application Political Science". This module account for six ECTS.  Each module offers several seminars, each with a maximum of 25 participants, which deepen the theoretical knowledge gained in the corresponding lecture through concrete and practice-oriented research topics. It is only possible to complete one seminar per module.

Additionally, in the second year, you will complete the two modules in the "Methods" module group: "Advanced Statistics" (fall semester) and "Introduction to Qualitative Methods" (spring semester).

Additional Curricular Modules 

To complete the Minor in Political Science, you must obtain an additional three ECTS from the entire Political Science program. These can be additional advanced lectures or seminars, or one or more modules from the module group "Other Curricular Modules". You can freely choose and complete these ECTS during the course of your studies.

Degree completion

The Dean's Office of the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences (PhF) is responsible for the degree completion process. Therefore, you can find all the information about the completion process on the PhF's website. If you have any questions about planning your studies, we are available to assist you.

Course Offerings of the Program

The current course offerings can be found in the UZH course catalogue.

To assist in planning your studies, you can use the study planning tables for the Major (120 ECTS) (XLSX, 27 KB) as well as the Minor (60 ECTS) (XLSX, 26 KB). These tables are excellent supplements to the “Study Progress and Graduation” App in the Student Portal, which displays your completed achievements and enrolled modules. With this, you can plan your entire academic journey up to graduation in real-time. 

The official start of the academic year is the fall semester. In case of an internal program transfer within UZH or if you plan to transfer from another university to UZH for the spring semester, please contact the Academic Advising Office. Part-time studies are generally possible without additional formalities, although it may extend the duration of your studies.

The UZH’s Student Administration Office and Admissions Office are responsible for questions regarding application and admission. You can find all the relevant information on the linked pages. The IPZ is not authorized to provide binding information on this matter.

Application deadlines and all other important dates for starting your studies in the fall and spring semester can also be found on the Student Administration Office's website.

The exams in fall the term take place in the last 2 weeks of lectures (CW 50 & 51) as well as the main and repetition dates of the compulsory modules in early January and early February (CW 1 & 6). Current exam dates for the fall term.

The exams in the spring term take place in the last 2 weeks of lectures (CW +/- 22) and for compulsory modules in mid-June and at the end of August (CW 24/25 & 35). Current exam dates for the spring term.

Mandatory modules are typically examined about two weeks after the end of the lecture period. The dates for reexamination are set 1-2 months later in the same semester.

Exams of lectures in the “Advanced Political Science” module group in the Bachelor program Political Science (Major and Minor) generally take place during the last session of the semester. A reexamination is only possible in the following year. There are no alternative dates.

You can find all other organizational and technical information regarding examination details (registration, withdrawal, examination formats, tips and assistance, etc.) in our IPZ Exam Guide (PDF, 304 KB).

You can find all study regulations, course catalogues, sample curricula, as well as the appendices for the study regulation on the website of the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. For general information about studying at the PhF, please refer to the Student Services pages of the faculty.

Explanation and definitions of terms used in political science