Political Science
This program offers training in political science focusing on the governance of public policies at the various levels of action (local, national and international) as well as on communication in relation to public policies. The main areas of specialisation are ecological transition policies, cooperation and development policies, security policies, social and health policies and cultural policies.
The political science program is organised around 4 Master 1 courses (multi-level public policy; communication policy; contemporary political sociology; sustainable development) and 10 Master 2 courses (politics and local public policies; prevention and security policies; international cooperation policies; cultural creation policies; governance of the transition : ecology and society; diplomacy and strategic negotiations; international public policies : governance, projects and intervention ; communication policy; contemporary political sociology; sustainable agricultural development). A logic of specialisation in connection with M2 is put in place in M1, but circulation within the mention is also organised. Half of the courses are shared with another program. Most of the courses offer double degrees with schools: Sciences Po Saint-Germain-en-Laye, ENS Paris-Saclay and Agro Paris-Tech.
Information
Master’s Year 1
Master’s Year 2
-Using national and international historical and socio-political knowledge to understand the dynamics of the public and political arena
- Analyzing strategically the logics of institutional action
- Understanding national and European legislative and regulatory processes
- Understanding the workings of administrations and the mechanisms of local and national public policies
- Analysing the emergence of public problems and helping to deal with them
- Identifying the actors involved in a public policy
- Defining the objectives and resources of public authority action programmes
- Managing the implementation of a public policy
- Assessing the issues and risks involved in public choices and/or public decision-making
- Evaluating the results of public action
- Deploying communication, leadership, mobilisation and public negotiation techniques
- Implementing and management of communications for an elected representative, in a local, national or European public institution, or a trade union, activist or association organisation, including in crisis situations
- Designing targeted lobbying and advocacy actions with national and European public institutions
- Setting up, leading and evaluating public consultation bodies and participatory tools.
Learning outcome targets
The aim of the program is to offer training in political science related to the governance of public policies at the various levels of action, more specifically around three main themes corresponding to multiple professional outlets :
. local and national public policies (in four main areas of specialisation: ecological transition policies, security policies, social and health policies, urban policies) ;
. international policies (in three main areas of specialisation: cooperation and development policies, environmental policies and international negotiations on public policy issues) ;
. communication in relation to public action (focusing on influence and advocacy strategies).
The range of courses offered in this political science program closely combines theoretical teaching (training through research linked to the thematic specialisations of the associated laboratories) and teaching with a professional dimension (with a significant contribution from professional lecturers). A wide range of pedagogical exercises corresponding to professional situations are offered: group role-playing as part of simulations of various professional situations, tutored group projects linked to public policy issues, study trips and field visits subject to specific evaluation methods, organisation of scientific conferences, use of digital tools, etc.
The political science major also has a strong international focus, not only in the three international policy courses, which have the highest number of foreign students and offer courses in English, but also in the other courses: by taking international and European standards into account, by integrating the comparative and multi-level dimension, by inviting foreign lecturers and researchers, and through international partnerships.
The aim of the program is also to enable political science students to follow a research career path in line with the research themes of the social science research units to which the political science lecturers are attached (CESDIP, IDHES, ISP and Printemps): environmental policies and the ecological transition, criminal policies, urban policies, migration policies, cooperation and development policies, multilateral policies, etc.
Through research, the Master's programme therefore trains scientists and experts who are open to the main challenges of current public policies at the various levels at which they are defined, developed, adopted and implemented (from local to international scales).
The main outlets for this degree are therefore employment in public policy management and expertise in government (local and national), at the political level (as an assistant to elected politicians), at the international level (international and European organisations, agencies in charge of international issues), in the voluntary sector (NGOs, associations, interest groups, etc.), in the private sector (law firms, government agencies, etc.) and in the public sector (public and private sector). ), in the private sector (public affairs firms, public policy evaluation consultancies, communications agencies, etc.), in research and expertise (academia, public bodies, think tanks, etc.).
Target audience
The program mainly accepts students with a bachelor degree in political science, which is the preferred prerequisite, but students from other SHS bachelor degrees, particularly those offered within the Paris-Saclay University perimeter, may also be accepted: sociology, law, history and AES (and, outside Paris-Saclay, students from information and communication and geography degrees in particular).