Political science
On this page, you can find information about the subject of political science, about the education and research conducted within the subject, as well as information about the employees who are connected to the subject.
About political science
Political science is about understanding how society is governed – from local decisions to global issues. It is the scientific study of politics, where you analyse power, democracy, conflict and cooperation. You learn both to understand political ideas and to examine how political systems actually work.
Politics in a changing world
In political science, you study how political decisions are made, how power is exercised, and how political institutions work in practice. You analyse parties, elections, organisations, media and citizen influence – both in Sweden and internationally. You will also learn about how politics is affected by the economy, globalisation and new forms of governance. But political scientists are also interested in the more local and everyday aspects, such as how it is that people voted in a certain way in municipal elections, why it is sometimes so difficult to implement political decisions in municipalities and county councils, or why more women work from home than men.
Education in political science – from ideas to analysis
You will be introduced to the basics of the research process: how problems are formulated, theories are developed, methods are used and results are analysed. The subject also includes political philosophy where issues of justice, freedom and power are discussed – both historically and in today's social debate. You train yourself to think independently, argue well-founded and analyse complex political contexts.
The aim of our education in political science is to give our students the ability to explain and analyse political phenomena. Learn more about our programmes and freestanding courses:
Career and further studies
Political science provides you with a stable social science foundation for work in, for example, investigation, analysis, communication or policy development. Many political scientists work in government agencies, organizations, international institutions, the media or companies. The subject is also an excellent basis for further studies at advanced level – in Lund or abroad.
A leading research topic
The Department of Political Science in Lund is one of Sweden's largest research environments in the field. Research is conducted here in everything from comparative politics, environmental policy and gender research to European integration, intelligence analysis and political psychology. Researchers collaborate in thematic research groups such as:
- Comparative Politics research group
- Environmental Politics research group
- European Union research group
- Gender and Politics research group
- Intelligence Analysis research group
- Peace and International Politics research group
- Political Psychology research group
- Politics and Development Studies research group
- Public Administration Theory research group
The groups organise seminars, invite guest lecturers and run joint research projects – often with external funding. As a student, you will meet teachers who are active researchers, which gives the teaching both depth and topicality.
The Department of Political Science has several research groups and ongoing research projects in the field of political science.
Research groups | Department of Political Science
Learn more about the department’s current research projects