Political Science at FAU

The Institute of Political Science has been a driving force of the discipline in Germany since its foundation in 1961. The Institute’s locally anchored research groups stand out for their strong scientific output and practical orientation, as well as their international outlook. Our research and teaching focuses on challenges to democracies and states that deviate from the democratic norm, on the accelerating changes in the international order, including transnational phenomena, and on managing technological innovation.

At FAU we offer high quality education on the fundamentals of Political Science. This includes classic subfields such as “Comparative Politics” and “International Relations and Political Economy”. Two institutional focus areas on Area Studies (Middle East and Asia) and on Human Rights (Chair and Professorship) as well as a research group on Migration, Displacement and Integration supplement the program. Our research is funded by numerous competitive research grants and the institute’s researchers are regularly called-upon for policy advice. Cooperation with other disciplines (e.g. Public Law, Sociology, Economics and Philosophy) is institutionalized and self-evident for our team of about 40 employees.

Our research provides the base for our teaching. Bachelor, Master and teaching degree programs at our locations in Erlangen and Nuremberg are characterized by an excellent student-supervisor ratio, lively communication between lecturers and students and allow for specialization in particular fields (e.g. Public Law). The Institute’s numerous international partnerships offer attractive options for studying abroad at currently 16 partner universities worldwide.