Understanding politics in a complex world

Political Science

International Relations: Peace and Security

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Become an expert in the topic of your own choice

The Political Science Master at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam has a unique curriculum. It starts out as an integrated Political Science programme and then step-by-step allows you to specialize, and to conclude with a Master’s Thesis on a topic of your own choice.

Our specialisations speak to the major political challenges of our time. Perhaps you are interested in the ways in which economic globalization impacts international power relations and has given way to competition for technological leadership ? In that case, the track International Relations: Geopolitics and Global Political Economy may be for you. If you are instead particularly fascinated by questions of security and peace, both between states and within them, then you should consider our specialization International Relations: Peace and Security. And if you are fascinated by the political struggle to transition to a green and sustainable society, you can opt for our specialization Global Environmental Politics. The fourth specialization, Democracy, Power and Inequality, will suit you if you are concerned about the state of democracy and the ways that democracies deal with challenges like the rise of populism, crisis politics, and new digital technologies.

Your professors will inspire you and help you make an informed choice.

Whichever specialization you choose, you will learn to think systematically about the competing interests at play in political conflicts and the different ways to analyse these dynamics. You will expand your skills in research methodology: how to frame the right questions, how to collect the relevant data, and how to best analyse them. You will come to understand complex political environments and the ways different players operate within them. In the course of the programme, we use a variety of teaching formats: lectures, workshops, group work, and debates. You learn how to construct a persuasive argument, conduct thorough research, and present your ideas effectively, and you also develop your teamworking skills.

The start date of this programme is September 1^st.

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Thursday 27 November 2025

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1st year

Which specialisation do you choose?

Find out what the different possibilities are within the master's programme

Summary

Do you want to understand the growing loss of confidence in the world’s leadership or the rise of populism? What issues affect the future of democracy or the EU? What causes persistent economic and political inequalities in the world? How digital technologies change democracy and how can they be governed? Then the specialization in ‘Democracy, Power and Inequality’ is for you.

This specialisation looks at institutions, power, democracy and representation. It provides tools to analyse the ways societies are organised politically and how this affects the provision of policies and the distribution of wealth and resources. This will bring you to an understanding of how these dynamics drive the distribution of power and representation, the difference democracy may make, and different political constellations impact the way decisions are made and their impact on society. The specialisation gives particular attention to how national decisions have spill-over effects beyond national boundaries and can affect the international order as a whole.

You will refine your skills in methodological training, both qualitative and quantitative, familiarize yourself with relevant research traditions as well as the latest developments in analysing the hot topics in this field. In small groups you will work on case studies and you will learn how to apply research methods. Eventually you will formulate your own research questions and collect the right data to answer them.

Conducting independent analysis and high-quality social scientific research will play a large role. You will write research papers, essays, and literature reviews, and practice the art of public speaking. There will be class discussion and presentations, and intensive coaching through tutorials and workshops. We encourage you to engage with players outside academia for research projects and our internationally acclaimed and well-connected lecturers are on hand to help with this.

In the last period, having formulated your research question and designed your research, you will work on your Master’s thesis, supervised by a lecturer from one of our research groups in Political Science.

When you graduate you will have a knowledge and skill-set that is in high demand for high-level decision-making positions in both the national and the international domain.

Subjects

Master's Thesis in Democracy, Power and Inequality
Core Debates in Political Science
Advanced Political Analysis
Selected Issues: Contemporary Democratic Politics
Political and Policy Research: Philosophy and Design
Applying Qualitative and Quantitative Methods in Political Science
Workshop in Democracy, Power and Inequality

Please consult the Study Guide for more information

Summary

If you are interested in the global political struggle to create a sustainable relationship between people and our environment – perhaps the biggest challenge of our time – this track could be for you.

What, for example, are the political struggles that underpin the transition towards a fossil-free economy? How do we tackle global environmental problems with effective and legitimate governance? How can governments, cities, regions, companies and civil society join forces to create new solutions to complex problems? And what about addressing the needs of both industrialised and developing countries?

This specialisation focuses on global environmental politics; it marries international relations with environmental studies. You will unearth the complexity of global cooperation between politicians, policymakers, multinationals, international organisations, civil society and scientists when it comes to governing the environment.

You will study environmental degradation from the perspective of politics and international relations and find out what the political aspects are of a range of environmental problems, such as climate change, biodiversity loss, deforestation and unstainable fisheries. You will develop your methodological skills and analytical toolbox, both qualitative and quantitative, and learn how to apply them to environmental challenges.

You will work in various settings, in both large and small groups, to apply these methods to case studies. You will formulate your own research questions and learn how to collect the right data to answer them. You will familiarise yourself with the state-of-the-art research in this field and learn about different research traditions and approaches.

When you graduate, you will have knowledge and skill-sets that are in high demand for decision-making positions in this highly popular field; locally, nationally and at an international level.

Subjects

Master’s Thesis in Global Environmental Politics
Core Debates in Political Science
Advanced Political Analysis
Selected Issues: Global Environmental Politics: Actors and Institutions
Political and Policy Research: Philosophy and Design
Applying Qualitative and Quantitative Methods in Political Science
Workshop in Global Environmental Politics

Please consult the Study Guide for more information

Summary

If you want to understand the complexities of global power, the interaction between economic globalization and geopolitics, and how this impacts national politics and societies, this specialisation is for you.

Are you interested in how global power is shifting? Like the rivalry between the US and China? What are the drivers in newer conflicts, such as who owns our natural resources, or our technology? Are new forms of cooperation possible to tackle global problems such as growing inequality, international instability and war? You will debate issues like this in different settings, from large groups to tutorials. You will also look at the effects of globalisation on the world economy, on international coalitions, and on global cooperation. You will analyse how politicians and diplomats cooperate and negotiate with multinationals, NGOs, and intergovernmental organisations such a s the World Bank or the World Health Organisation.

You will refine your skills in methodological training, both qualitative and quantitative, and learn how to apply them in these topics. Working in small groups you will apply these methods to case studies. You will formulate your own research questions and learn how to collect the right data to answer them. You will familiarise yourself with the state-of-the-art research in this field and learn about research traditions and approaches.

Conducting independent analysis and high-quality social scientific research will play a large role. You will write research papers, essays, literature reviews and blogs, and practice the art of public speaking. There will be class discussion and presentations, and intensive coaching through tutorials and workshops. We encourage you to engage with players outside academia for research projects and our internationally acclaimed and well-connected lecturers are on hand to help with this.

When you graduate you will have a knowledge and skill-set that is in high demand for high-level decision-making positions in both the national and the international domain.

Subjects

Master’s Thesis in International Relations: Geopolitics and Global Political Economy
Advanced Political Analysis
Core Debates in Political Science
Political and Policy Research: Philosophy and Design
Applying Qualitative and Quantitative Methods in Political Science
Workshop in Geopolitics and Global Political Economy

Please consult the Study Guide for more information

Summary

If you want to understand questions of peace and security, how conflicts emerge and how they are settled, and how foreign actors and international organisations engage with such conflicts, then this specialisation is for you.

Are you interested in the ways that conflicts between states develop, and in the ways international institutions can contribute to peace? Do you want to know more about ways to handle ethnic conflict within states? Under which conditions are UN peacekeeping operations effective? What explains why some politicians are much more hawkish in foreign policy than others?

You will debate issues like this in different settings, from large groups to tutorials. You will study the causes of conflict between and within states and analyse the way international organisations seek to contribute towards peace. You will get to understand why governments, parties, politicians and diplomats adopt certain interests in foreign policy and how their interactions affect the prospects for peace and security in the world.

When you graduate you will have a knowledge and skill-set that is in high demand for high-level decision-making positions in both the national and the international domain.

Subjects

Master’s Thesis in International Relations: Peace and Security
Advanced Political Analysis
Core Debates in Political Science
Political and Policy Research: Philosophy and Design
Applying Qualitative and Quantitative Methods in Political Science
Workshop in Peace and Security

Please consult the Study Guide for more information

Democracy, Power and Inequality
Summary

Do you want to understand the growing loss of confidence in the world’s leadership or the rise of populism? What issues affect the future of democracy or the EU? What causes persistent economic and political inequalities in the world? How digital technologies change democracy and how can they be governed? Then the specialization in ‘Democracy, Power and Inequality’ is for you.
This specialisation looks at institutions, power, democracy and representation. It provides tools to analyse the ways societies are organised politically and how this affects the provision of policies and the distribution of wealth and resources. This will bring you to an understanding of how these dynamics drive the distribution of power and representation, the difference democracy may make, and different political constellations impact the way decisions are made and their impact on society. The specialisation gives particular attention to how national decisions have spill-over effects beyond national boundaries and can affect the international order as a whole.
You will refine your skills in methodological training, both qualitative and quantitative, familiarize yourself with relevant research traditions as well as the latest developments in analysing the hot topics in this field. In small groups you will work on case studies and you will learn how to apply research methods. Eventually you will formulate your own research questions and collect the right data to answer them.
Conducting independent analysis and high-quality social scientific research will play a large role. You will write research papers, essays, and literature reviews, and practice the art of public speaking. There will be class discussion and presentations, and intensive coaching through tutorials and workshops. We encourage you to engage with players outside academia for research projects and our internationally acclaimed and well-connected lecturers are on hand to help with this.
In the last period, having formulated your research question and designed your research, you will work on your Master’s thesis, supervised by a lecturer from one of our research groups in Political Science.
When you graduate you will have a knowledge and skill-set that is in high demand for high-level decision-making positions in both the national and the international domain.
Subjects
- Master's Thesis in Democracy, Power and Inequality
- Core Debates in Political Science
- Advanced Political Analysis
- Selected Issues: Contemporary Democratic Politics
- Political and Policy Research: Philosophy and Design
- Applying Qualitative and Quantitative Methods in Political Science
- Workshop in Democracy, Power and Inequality
Please consult the Study Guide for more information
Global Environmental Politics
Summary

If you are interested in the global political struggle to create a sustainable relationship between people and our environment – perhaps the biggest challenge of our time – this track could be for you.
What, for example, are the political struggles that underpin the transition towards a fossil-free economy? How do we tackle global environmental problems with effective and legitimate governance? How can governments, cities, regions, companies and civil society join forces to create new solutions to complex problems? And what about addressing the needs of both industrialised and developing countries?
This specialisation focuses on global environmental politics; it marries international relations with environmental studies. You will unearth the complexity of global cooperation between politicians, policymakers, multinationals, international organisations, civil society and scientists when it comes to governing the environment.
You will study environmental degradation from the perspective of politics and international relations and find out what the political aspects are of a range of environmental problems, such as climate change, biodiversity loss, deforestation and unstainable fisheries. You will develop your methodological skills and analytical toolbox, both qualitative and quantitative, and learn how to apply them to environmental challenges.
You will work in various settings, in both large and small groups, to apply these methods to case studies. You will formulate your own research questions and learn how to collect the right data to answer them. You will familiarise yourself with the state-of-the-art research in this field and learn about different research traditions and approaches.
Conducting independent analysis and high-quality social scientific research will play a large role. You will write research papers, essays, and literature reviews, and practice the art of public speaking. There will be class discussion and presentations, and intensive coaching through tutorials and workshops. We encourage you to engage with players outside academia for research projects and our internationally acclaimed and well-connected lecturers are on hand to help with this.
In the last period, having formulated your research question and designed your research, you will work on your Master’s thesis, supervised by a lecturer from one of our research groups in Political Science or Global Environmental Politics.
When you graduate, you will have knowledge and skill-sets that are in high demand for decision-making positions in this highly popular field; locally, nationally and at an international level.
Subjects
- Master’s Thesis in Global Environmental Politics
- Core Debates in Political Science
- Advanced Political Analysis
- Selected Issues: Global Environmental Politics: Actors and Institutions
- Political and Policy Research: Philosophy and Design
- Applying Qualitative and Quantitative Methods in Political Science
- Workshop in Global Environmental Politics
Please consult the Study Guide for more information
International Relations: Geopolitics and Global Political Economy
Summary

If you want to understand the complexities of global power, the interaction between economic globalization and geopolitics, and how this impacts national politics and societies, this specialisation is for you.
Are you interested in how global power is shifting? Like the rivalry between the US and China? What are the drivers in newer conflicts, such as who owns our natural resources, or our technology? Are new forms of cooperation possible to tackle global problems such as growing inequality, international instability and war? You will debate issues like this in different settings, from large groups to tutorials. You will also look at the effects of globalisation on the world economy, on international coalitions, and on global cooperation. You will analyse how politicians and diplomats cooperate and negotiate with multinationals, NGOs, and intergovernmental organisations such a s the World Bank or the World Health Organisation.
You will refine your skills in methodological training, both qualitative and quantitative, and learn how to apply them in these topics. Working in small groups you will apply these methods to case studies. You will formulate your own research questions and learn how to collect the right data to answer them. You will familiarise yourself with the state-of-the-art research in this field and learn about research traditions and approaches.
Conducting independent analysis and high-quality social scientific research will play a large role. You will write research papers, essays, literature reviews and blogs, and practice the art of public speaking. There will be class discussion and presentations, and intensive coaching through tutorials and workshops. We encourage you to engage with players outside academia for research projects and our internationally acclaimed and well-connected lecturers are on hand to help with this.
In the last period, having formulated your research question and designed your research, you will work on your Master’s thesis, supervised by a lecturer from one of our research groups in Political Science.
When you graduate you will have a knowledge and skill-set that is in high demand for high-level decision-making positions in both the national and the international domain.
Subjects
- Master’s Thesis in International Relations: Geopolitics and Global Political Economy
- Advanced Political Analysis
- Core Debates in Political Science
- Political and Policy Research: Philosophy and Design
- Applying Qualitative and Quantitative Methods in Political Science
- Workshop in Geopolitics and Global Political Economy
Please consult the Study Guide for more information
International Relations: Peace and Security
Summary

If you want to understand questions of peace and security, how conflicts emerge and how they are settled, and how foreign actors and international organisations engage with such conflicts, then this specialisation is for you.
Are you interested in the ways that conflicts between states develop, and in the ways international institutions can contribute to peace? Do you want to know more about ways to handle ethnic conflict within states? Under which conditions are UN peacekeeping operations effective? What explains why some politicians are much more hawkish in foreign policy than others?
You will debate issues like this in different settings, from large groups to tutorials. You will study the causes of conflict between and within states and analyse the way international organisations seek to contribute towards peace. You will get to understand why governments, parties, politicians and diplomats adopt certain interests in foreign policy and how their interactions affect the prospects for peace and security in the world.
You will refine your skills in methodological training, both qualitative and quantitative, and learn how to apply them in these topics. Working in small groups you will apply these methods to case studies. You will formulate your own research questions and learn how to collect the right data to answer them. You will familiarise yourself with the state-of-the-art research in this field and learn about research traditions and approaches.
Conducting independent analysis and high-quality social scientific research will play a large role. You will write research papers, essays, literature reviews and blogs, and practice the art of public speaking. There will be class discussion and presentations, and intensive coaching through tutorials and workshops. We encourage you to engage with players outside academia for research projects and our internationally acclaimed and well-connected lecturers are on hand to help with this.
In the last period, having formulated your research question and designed your research, you will work on your Master’s thesis, supervised by a lecturer from one of our research groups in Political Science.
When you graduate you will have a knowledge and skill-set that is in high demand for high-level decision-making positions in both the national and the international domain.
Subjects
- Master’s Thesis in International Relations: Peace and Security
- Advanced Political Analysis
- Core Debates in Political Science
- Political and Policy Research: Philosophy and Design
- Applying Qualitative and Quantitative Methods in Political Science
- Workshop in Peace and Security
Please consult the Study Guide for more information

The one-year Master’s programme is organized in six periods:

In Period 1 (September-October) you engage with the core debates in political science. You will familiarise yourself with the key debates, theories, and big questions in the (sub)fields of Political Science. In parallel, working with you fellow students, you learn how to apply these insights to contemporary cases.

Period 2 (November-December) is when you choose two from four different specialist subjects, where you engage with key contemporary issues on the basis of the on-going scientific debates:

Contemporary Democratic Politics
Global Environmental Politics: Actors and Institutions
Global Political Economy and Geopolitics
International Security Studies

In Period 3 (January), you follow a short course on the philosophy, design and practice of political research. This course provides you with the theoretical tools and insights to prepare for your thesis work. Working in small groups you choose and formulate your research question, review literature, design your research, and collect and analyse the data you need.

Period 4 (February-March) involves practicing how to conduct research within your specialisation in the respective Workshop courses, as well as refreshing and advancing your knowledge on qualitative and quantitative methods in Political Science and learning how to apply them to your chosen topic.

The last two periods are entirely devoted to working on your Master’s thesis, supervised by a lecturer from our international team of researchers.

When you graduate, you will have gained not only a helicopter view of today’s complex political environment but also an understanding of the interconnectivity between the main players – from governments, banks and multinationals to NGOs and social movements. You will also have acquired expertise in global politics, environmental governance, and political institutions. You will be able to conduct analyses, collect and process data as part of your own independent research, write research papers and essays, understand policy documents and outcomes, and argue effectively and persuasively.

A whole range of career paths is open to you when you graduate. Your analytical skills to think critically and grasp societal complexity, your capacity to conduct independent research and clearly communicate results to different audiences, and your deep knowledge and understanding of various fields in international politics, governance and decision-making are competencies that you can apply across diverse job activities.

Explore your future prospects

Political Science

International Relations: Peace and Security

Democracy, Power and Inequality

Global Environmental Politics

International Relations: Geopolitics and Global Political Economy

International Relations: Peace and Security

The Master's programme

Change your future with the Political Science programme

Change your future with the Political Science programme

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