Studying at the Institute for Political Science (ERASMUS+ Incoming)
Welcome to the website of the Institute for Political Science (IfPol) at the University of Münster and thank you for your interest in studying with us. We are one of the largest departments for political science in Germany, at a university rich in tradition and, of course, in the historic city of Münster, site of the Westphalian peace conference.
Research and Teaching at the IfPol cover the whole range of political science and international relations – from comparative politics and political sociology via political theory to international politics and governance. Particular focusses of research are governance, democracy, sustainability and pluralist societies. This also shows in our programmes of study – whether in Political Science, Politics and Law, Politics and Economics on the BA level, the Master programme on Democracy and Sustainability, the Franco-German programme International and European Governance – or our cooperation with the University of Twente (Enschede) on Public Governance across borders / Comparative Public Governance. The diversity of our research and teaching activities means that we offer courses in German as well as English. In addition, we cooperate with the departments of sociology, communication studies, and educational sciences in order to allow our Erasmus+ students to also attend the classes offered by these departments in English.
Around 3,500 students from approximately 130 countries study at the University of Münster. Our university was founded in 1780 and is one of the largest universities in Germany today. It maintains partnerships with universities and research facilities around the world and is committed to international cooperation and exchange.
Our colleagues at the International Office (IO) welcome all international students and are committed to helping and advising international students before, at the start of and during their stay – answering administrative as well as practical questions. The IO also organizes a welcome week for international students at the start of each semester and a buddy programme that allows international students to get in touch with students in Münster.
Münster is a city full of history and highlights: The old town with its authentic pubs, the Aasee, located right next to the IfPol, and the historic town hall, where the Peace of Westphalia was negotiated, are only a few of the many places you can explore. The various university buildings are spread throughout the city. In addition, students enjoy a diverse and engaging campus life. They can join one of the many student groups and associations, ranging from political associations to bands and orchestras and theatre groups or become active in university sports. Münster is also a bicycle city. There are around 500,000 bicycles for the 310,000 inhabitants – that is, more than 1.5 bikes per inhabitant. If you want, you can borrow or rent a bike for a few months or buy one yourself at one of the monthly bicycle flea markets.
At the ERASMUS office at the IfPol, we are responsible for questions regarding your time and studies at our institute, in particular questions surrounding your course selection, learning agreement and transcript. Please have a look at our Erasmus+ FAQ for general information. For more specific questions or if your questions haven't been answered, please don’t hesitate to contact us by e-mail or during our office hours.
You would like to study at the IfPol?
The first step towards studying with us is being nominated by your home university. Once nominated, you can proceed with the application and enrollment process at the University of Münster. The International Office provides detailed information on each step, including visa requirements or getting your student ID card. Once these tasks have been completed, you can focus on your studies. We at the ERASMUS office at the IfPol will get in touch before the beginning of the term to get you started and feel welcome at our institute.
In general, you can find information on lectures and seminars that are on offer in our course catalogue as well as more specific information about studying at the IfPol in our study guide for international students:
Course Catalogue
The course catalogue for the Department of Political Science is updated each semester, an can be found online: Vorlesungsverzeichnis
You can access the English courses here under the keyword "English Courses".At our department the ECTS-Points are assigned by course type. Please check below the table with the ratings for each seminar type.
Type of seminar Credit Points Grundkurs / introductory lecture 6 ECTS Standardkurs / basic course Lektürekurs / reading course 6 ECTS Bachelorseminar / bachelor seminar 6 ECTS Masterkurs / seminar on the MA level 8 ECTS Statistikkurs/ Methodenkurs // courses on methods 6 ECTS Vorlesung / lecture 6 ECTS Aktive Teilnahme ohne Leistungsnachweis/
Active participation without graded credits4 ECTS