MA Political Science - Democracy and Elections (Research Route) / Course details
Year of entry: 2025
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Course description
Democracy should not be taken for granted. On our Political Science – Democracy and Elections master’s course, you’ll learn to think creatively about how to enhance its effectiveness and engage the electorate.
Through mandatory course units, you’ll be introduced to a range of research approaches, while developing your qualitative and quantitative skills. The programme also considers the philosophical and historical foundations of Britain’s party-political system.
You’ll also be able to tailor your studies to fit your interests, with an array of optional units including:
- Comparative Democratisation in Eastern Europe and Latin America
- Public Policy (in)to Practice
- Gender in Comparative Politics
- Global Governance
Throughout the programme you’ll develop skills in critical inquiry, research design, creative thinking and problem-solving. At the point of completion, you’ll be well placed to pursue a career in academic research, policy, charity and a great number of similar fields.
Teaching and learning
Part-time students complete the full-time course over two years. There are no evening or weekend course units available on the part-time route.
You must first check the schedule of the compulsory units and then select your optional units to suit your requirements.
Updated timetable information will be available from mid-August and you will have the opportunity to discuss your unit choices during induction week with your course director.
Course unit list
The course unit details given below are subject to change, and are the latest example of the curriculum available on this course of study.
| Title | Code | Credit rating | Mandatory/optional |
|---|---|---|---|
| Political Parties in Contemporary Britain | POLI60121 | 15 | Mandatory |
| Research Design and Skills | POLI60312 | 15 | Mandatory |
| Tools and techniques of applied quantitative analysis | POLI60341 | 15 | Mandatory |
| Philosophy of Politics Research | POLI70771 | 15 | Mandatory |
| Understanding Political Change | POLI71042 | 15 | Mandatory |
| Dissertation | POLI72000 | 60 | Mandatory |
| Qualitative Research Methods | SOCS60230 | 15 | Mandatory |
| Comparing Capitalisms in the Global Political Economy | POLI60031 | 15 | Optional |
| Governing in an Unjust World: Justice and International Relations | POLI60182 | 15 | Optional |
| European Capitalisms: Crises, Transformations and Contestations | POLI60292 | 15 | Optional |
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Scholarships and bursaries
The School offers a number of awards for students applying for master's study.
To find our more, please visit our master's funding opportunity search page.
Facilities
You will also have access to the John Ryland's University Library , with over 4.5m books and vast archives of historical material and rare volumes, it is one of the best-resourced academic libraries in the country.