Democracy studies, M.A.

Democracy studies is a branch of political science that serves not only the empirical study of modern popular government, but also its active shaping. Democracy studies is thus not only part of a rich tradition of the history of political ideas, but is also committed to the founding mission of political science in Germany after the Second World War. At that time, it was of central necessity to give the new German democracy a stable structure and, above all, a new political identity in order to prevent a renewed slide into anti-democratic despotism.

But ultimately this task is timeless, because even today democracies must be protected from dangers such as extremism, state collapse, external threats and much more. Democracy studies is therefore "political science" in the best sense of the word, because it makes an active contribution to the vital organisation and protection of democratic communities.

The study of democratic regimes, their origins and forms of organisation has become increasingly topical and important over the past decades. Following successfully completed waves of transformation on various continents, democratisation now appears to be a global endeavour. Even beyond the Arab Spring, people in many parts of the world are currently calling for democratic co-determination.

Elsewhere, however, opposite developments can also be observed and former democracies are threatened with a relapse into autocratic structures. As a result, the terms "post-democracy" and "democratic backsliding" are steadily gaining attention.

The M.A. programme "Democracy Studies" at the University of Regensburg examines these developments analytically and works out the causes and determinants of democratic states and backsliding.

With its unique profile nationwide, the Master's degree programme in "Democracy Studies" is the flagship of Regensburg's political science department. Its special feature lies in the fact that democracy studies is the sole focus of the degree programme and thus enables an in-depth, holistic examination of the subject of research.

A variety of theoretical and methodological approaches enable comprehensive analyses of the development, stability and collapse of political regimes. Normative classics from the history of ideas and methods of empirical democracy research are combined with a practice-orientated education.

The comparative analysis of Western European and Central and Eastern European democracies is a unique feature of the programme in Germany. The programme also focuses on the significance of transatlantic relations for democratic structures worldwide.

The Master's programme follows on from Bachelor's programmes with a political science focus. It combines the traditional areas of political science with application-orientated methodological training.

The Master of Arts in Democracy Studies enables you to work in the following professional fields

- research assistant at a research institute or university

- assistant professor in an international organisation or NGO

- Work as a consultant in public administration or in parliaments

- Work in market and opinion research

- Journalism, press and public relations work in political institutions or companies

- Political and management consultancy

- Professional activity in a political foundation

The Regensburg Master of Arts is dedicated to the processes, institutions and actors of modern democracies from a political theory and practice-orientated perspective. Democracy studies reflects and examines the requirements, origins and developments of democratic governments at national and international level. With this demanding profile, the Master's degree programme in Democracy Studies is the flagship of Regensburg's political science department. The programme offers the full spectrum of a modern political science education by combining the classic political science disciplines - political philosophy, comparative studies and international politics - with empirical democracy research.

The Master's programme follows on from Bachelor's programmes with a political science focus and considers both the theoretical dimension and the practical analysis of the functioning of modern democracies. It sees itself as a normative, application- and practice-orientated science that makes an active contribution to shaping democratic communities.

The Regensburg degree programme "Democracy Studies" focuses on both the theoretical dimension of democracy - as one of the oldest areas of discussion in political science - and the practical analysis of democracies in the modern age. The name of the degree programme refers to the normative traditions of the subject: after the Second World War, the founding fathers of modern German political science (Arnold Bergstraesser, Ernst Fraenkel, Dolf Sternberger, among others) established the discipline with the aim of serving the reconstruction of the democracy destroyed by National Socialism. Consequently, they did not understand political science as a mere value-free empirical science, but also as a subject that had to take scientifically justified positions in political debates and also publicly defend them in the interests of the common good. The normative standard here is the credo of Western democratic tradition, which today has found its concrete form in the liberal democratic constitution. More recent considerations, especially in the context of transition research, extend this Western reference standard. The focus here is on the development of specific explanatory patterns and standards for non-Western regions (east europe, Latin America, Asia, Arabia) and for the European Union, which can be transferred to other regions as generalising patterns. Thus, based on normative and empirical lessons, democracies - but also non-democracies - are compared with each other and their strengths and weaknesses are analysed.

The Master's degree programme "Democracy Studies" therefore bears its name because political science in Regensburg is understood in the sense of this tradition as a normative, application- and practice-oriented science that has to make an active contribution to shaping our democratic community.

This sub-discipline deals with the most important stages and concepts of political thought from the perspective of democratic theory. Political philosophy, theory and the history of ideas focus on the theoretical foundations, the normative self-image and the legitimacy of modern democracies and deal with current challenges facing liberal democracies.

By comparing Western governmental systems, the constitutive structures and processes of consolidated democracies as well as their country-specific characteristics are to be worked out. The analyses in this section primarily deal with the political system of Germany and the democratic confederation of states of the European Union. The determinants of democratic governance identified should serve as a benchmark for global democratisation.

Research into democracy and authoritarianism in the Central and East European states focuses specifically on transition societies (political, cultural, economic and social) and the foreign policy options of these states. These are researched by means of comparative analyses in which different constitutions, political actors and processes are considered.

International politics is primarily concerned with the question of how consolidated democratic states (especially the USA and Germany) and institutions supported by democracies, such as the EU and NATO, act in foreign policy. Since the long-lasting European-American dominance is weakening in the 21st century and new, partly non-democratic states are gaining power, this topic is of particular relevance. The core area of international politics is global security and the world economy.

The comparison of political regimes serves as the basis for application-oriented democracy studies that focus on qualitative and quantitative methods for analysing and measuring democracy. A well-founded methodological training is combined with a focus on empirical democracy, autocracy and transformation research.

Program Structure

The Master's in Democracy Studies is fully modularised and is designed to take four semesters to complete. The programme offers a broad range of subjects, ensuring a comprehensive education in the core areas of democracy studies. At the same time, there are many opportunities to focus on individual areas or topics in greater depth.

Practice-oriented exercises and a compulsory internship enable students to gain initial experience in possible fields of activity and to apply their theoretical and practical knowledge of democracy studies in professional practice.

The free module of the Master's in Democracy Studies allows students to sharpen their own profile by choosing freely from the courses offered in the Master's programme. It also allows students to look beyond the boundaries of their subject and offers the opportunity to attend courses from other disciplines. Alternatively, students can expand their language and IT skills. The free module is worth 10 CP points. The Master's in Democracy Studies offers students who wish to do more than this the opportunity to have this recognised in the additional voluntary module (up to 10 additional CP).

Detailed information about the individual modules and the Examination Regulations can be found in the important documents (external link, opens in a new window).

s part of the Master's programme, credit points must be earned for a completed internship. Information on the requirements and requirements for the recognition of internships as well as current internship offers can be found on the Institute page under the heading Internships (external link, opens in a new window).

If you have any further questions about Internships, please come to Dr Maximilian Grasl (external link, opens in a new window)'s office hours.

Requirements for the Master of Arts in Democracy Studies are

• proof of qualification;

this is demonstrated by a first university degree or an equivalent degree in political science or a related subject and a grade of at least 2.5. In the case of teacher training students, the overall grade is included in the assessment. In addition, the same criteria apply as for students with a Bachelor's degree.

• proof of aptitude for the specific degree programme:

For applicants who did not study political science in their Bachelor's degree: Proof of successful attendance of at least 3 political science courses (e.g. based on the "transcript of records")

• German and English language skills

Applicants must provide proof of a sound knowledge of English (usually proof of higher education entrance qualification/ Abitur certificate).

For applicants who did not obtain their school-leaving certificate and their first degree at a German-speaking institution:

• At least B2 proof is required at the time of application . If you do not yet have German language skills at B2 level, but have at least completed B1 level (grades: good or very good, or 80% of the maximum grade in the certificates OnSET-Deutsch, Goethe-Zertifikat, telc Deutsch, TestDAF, ÖSD), you can still apply for the Master's programme and, if you are admitted by the faculty, first apply for a preparatory German course at the UR.
  Information on the preparatory German course and the accepted German certificates can be found here: h ttps://www.uni-regensburg.de/zentrum-sprache-kommunikation/daf/kurse/studienvorbereitende-deutschkurse/index.html
• Atthe time of enrolment, successful participation in the German Language Test for University Entrance Qualification (DSH) with the result DSH2 or the presentation of an equivalent certificate is required. Information on the DSH and the equally recognised examinations and certificates can be found here: www.uni-regensburg.de/zentrum-sprache-kommunikation/daf/pruefungen/dsh/index.html

Applications for admission to the Master's degree programme ("application") must be submitted to the Institute of Political Science by 15 February for the summer semester and by 15 July for the winter semester (changeover to SPUR for SS 2026).

If the degree certificate cannot be submitted at the time of application, enrolment is provisional subject to the resolutive condition that the degree certificate is submitted by the end of the first semester at the latest. In this case, a provisional summary of previous achievements (including grades) must be submitted with the application for admission to the Master's degree programme - countersigned by the responsible examinations office. At least 150 credit points must have been achieved.

The application must be accompanied by

• Proof of higher education entrance qualification (Abitur certificate),
• proof of a university degree or at least 150 credit points from a first professionally qualifying degree programme
• For applicants who did not study political science in their Bachelor's degree programme: Proof of successful attendance of at least 3 political science courses (e.g. anhnad of the "transcript of records")

The application procedure has been switched to the SPUR (external link, opens in a new window) portal. Therefore, the usual application by e-mail is no longer possible. Applications are now (since 20 October 2025) possible via SPUR (external link, opens in a new window) for the summer semester 2026. Please do not send applications by e-mail. If you have already sent us your application documents for the summer semester 2026, please apply again via SPUR.

We will process the applications promptly, at the latest after the application deadline. We ask for your understanding that we cannot provide individual information on when a decision can be expected.

If you have any questions about the degree programme or application procedures, you can contact this email address: bewerbung.demokratiewissenschaft​(at)​uni-regensburg.de (opens your email program)

Applications from international students are welcome. Information on the application process can be found under Information for international students.

International students must enclose the following documents with their application:

• Proof of higher education entrance qualification (Abitur certificate),
• proof of a university degree or at least 150 credit points from a first professionally qualifying degree programme,
• For applicants who did not study political science in their Bachelor's programme: Proof of attendance of at least 3 political science courses (e.g. based on the "transcript of records").
• proof of secured knowledge of the English language (B2 level)
• For applicants who did not obtain their school-leaving certificate and their first degree at a German-speaking institution:
  At least B2 proof is required at the time of application . If you do not yet have German language skills at B2 level, but have at least completed B1 level (grades: good or very good, or 80% of the maximum grade in the certificates OnSET-Deutsch, Goethe-Zertifikat, telc Deutsch, TestDAF, ÖSD), you can still apply for the Master's programme and, if you are admitted by the faculty, first apply for a preparatory German course at the UR.
  Information on the preparatory German course and the accepted German language certificates can be found here: https://www.uni-regensburg.de/zentrum-sprache-kommunikation/daf/kurse/studienvorbereitende-deutschkurse/index.html
  At the time of enrolment, successful participation in the German Language Test for University Entrance Qualification (DSH) with the result DSH2 or the presentation of an equivalent certificate is required. Information on the DSH and the equally recognised examinations and certificates can be found here: h ttps:// www.uni-regensburg.de/zentrum-sprache-kommunikation/daf/pruefungen/dsh/index.html
• Provisional enrolment and the subsequent submission of German language skills in the first semester is unfortunately not possible.

The application procedure is currently being switched to the SPUR portal. Therefore, it is no longer possible to apply by e-mail. We assume that applications via SPUR will be possible for the summer semester 2026 from October/November 2025 and will inform you about this in good time. Please do not send any applications by email until then. If you have already sent us your application documents for the summer semester 2026, please reapply via SPUR when the application process is activated.

If you have any questions about the degree programme or the application process, you can contact this email address: bewerbung.demokratiewissenschaft​(at)​uni-regensburg.de (opens your email program)

Further information for international students can also be found on the homepage of the Counselling Service for International Students (external link, opens in a new window) at the University of Regensburg

Note: In the document "Exemplary study plans for the Master's degree programme in Democracy Studies" you will find a recommendation regarding the order in which the modules should be taken. The order in which the courses are taken is merely a recommendation; in principle, the sequence of the programme content is at the discretion of the students. In this document, we start with the winter semester as an example. However, starting the Master's programme in the winter or summer semester has no effect on the course of study. We offer the modules (including the introductory module) in the winter and summer semesters.

• Programmed injustice: An analysis of the justice deficits of algorithms and their consequences for the digitalised society using Rawlsian justice theory
• A Rawlsian theory of intergenerational climate justice
• Perpetual Peace and the Judgement of the Political Critique of Black Reason - A Genealogy of Racism with a Universal Intention
• Immanuel Kant's Theory of Race. Systematic localisation - Academic discussion - Postcolonial critique
• Distinction or discrimination? Brazilian beer advertising as an indicator of social injustice
• Asylum - an institution in a state of emergency? The legal status of asylum seekers and their localisation in the political sphere as reflected in contemporary German asylum policy
• Profile of a singular modernity. The social imaginary in modern Brazil
• Variatio delectat: Variants of liberalism. Freedom and representation in Sieyes, Mill and Hayek
• Brazilian dimensions of citizenship. Between cultural diversity and democratic equality
• Value relativism as a value in itself. Hans Kelsen's theory of democracy from the perspective of current discourses on democracy
• Scientific policy advice in crisis: An (un)solvable task?
• The interests of the other. Critique of direct democracy by Carl Schmitt and Jürgen Habermas
• Limits of freedom and equality in Bernhard Waldenfels and Jacques Rancière
• Freedom and revolution. Hannah Arendt's interpretation of the Hungarian Revolution
• The function, role and mission of intellectuals in the struggle for hegemony in society in relation to the theory of Antonio Gramsci
• The conceptual-historical development of civil society using the example of the Czech Republic
• The Eternal Peace and the judgement of the political

• Democracy through socio-economic modernisation? Ghana and South Korea in comparison
• Logic of integration: The Common European Asylum Policy in the field of tension between nation-state sovereignty and communitisation
• Associations and social media - grassroots democratic impetus for internal communication? A qualitative study of the presence of business and social organisations in Germany on Facebook and Twitter
• The rise of the Free Voters in Bavaria: a comparison of structures, programmes and situational factors
• "Responsibility to Protect" between claim and reality: A comparative analysis of the Libya mission in 2011 and the Ukraine crisis since 2014
• Staging politicians in the social media and on television: The forms of self-presentation of Angela Merkel and Peer Steinbrück in the 2013 Bundestag election campaign from a media theory perspective
• The phenomenon of newly founded associations. Causes, course and future using the example of the computer and video games industry in Germany
• Right-wing populist parties in their establishment phase. Structural, personal and programmatic problem areas of the FPÖ and AfD during their development process
• Representation of environmental policy interests in the European multi-level system: The German Federation for the Environment and Nature Conservation as a case study
• Secrecy and parliamentary control. Problem areas using the example of the German Bundestag's investigative practice

• National democratic opposition in Belarus after the end of communism
• State and church in post-Soviet Russia
• The constitution as an instrument of power? Hungary from 2010 - 2014
• Political stability and post-communist transformation - the 1993 miners' strikes in Donbass and their consequences for the Ukrainian transformation process
• Functioning of the parties in Ukraine 2004-2014
• Opinion on the Ukraine crisis in German and Polish newspapers - A qualitative content analysis
• The authoritarian regime in Uzbekistan - On stability under President Islam Karimov
• Political elites and democratisation in post-communist states. A comparison of the Czech Republic and Belarus
• Zero-sum game on the edge of Europe
• From Conflict to Crisis - War in the Interdependent Conflict Frameworks of the EU and Russia

• How to Defrost "Frozen Conflicts" - The Role and Potential of Multitrack-Diplomacy in Resolving Frozen Conflicts. A Case Study of Nagorno Karabakh
• Russian foreign policy since 2008
• Neorealist dynamics of action in a highly institutionalised world
• The troublemaker concept in international politics using the example of China's North Korea policy
• The nuclear agreement with Iran
• The negotiations in the WTO Doha Round
• The relationship between Russia and the West
• America's Rise in the Asian Pacific Rim after the Cold War
• The Bundeswehr's missions abroad
• China and the end of the status quo. The new Chinese security policy in the East Asian region

Psephology

• Which coalition theories (in form of game theory) can adequately explain the creation of German government following the federal elections in 2021?
• Field study on the effect of door-to-door visits and regional candidates in the 2019 European election campaign in the town of Tirschenreuth
• The role of matching issue agendas between parties and voters for the electoral success of AfD and SPD in the Bavarian state election 2018
• A mixed-methods analysis of AfD voters in the 2018 state election in Bavaria with a focus on Lower Bavaria and the Upper Palatinate
• Deprivation, protest and refugees: A mixed methods analysis of AfD voters' reasons for voting and the AfD's campaign issues in the 2018 Bavarian elections
• Congruence of the Vote in the Bavarian Regions. A Comparison between the German Federal Election and the Bavarian State Election of 2013
• Merkel vs. Steinbrück - how do viewers and the media rate the 2013 TV duel?"
• Fear as a determinant of the AfD vote.
• Reasons for the withdrawal of the Free Democratic Party (FDP) from the Bundestag in 2013

Parliamentarism research

• Politics under Corona's banner: A content-based analysis of parliamentary debates in the German Bundestag from January to September 2020

Participation research

• Rural - democratic - committed. Does membership of an organisation, especially the KLJB (Catholic Rural Youth Movement), promote political participation?

Political culture research

• Right-wing narratives in online social networks - an empirical study of the Twitter network "Kontrakultur Halle"
• Higher tolerance of violence through Netflix and Co? Survey on the influence of media violence in online streaming services on individual attitudes to violence
• The role of fear in the discourse on terrorism: A sociological discourse analysis of the attack on 19 December 2016 in Berlin
• Right-wing cultures in Germany - A subnational analysis of right-wing orientated political-cultural patterns
• Political legitimacy in a united Germany: utopia or reality?
• Extent and determinants of political trust in the post-communist EU member states of Central and Eastern Europe.

Metropolitan/Regional Governance

• Metropolitan governance and political parties: comparison of the European metropolitan regions of Munich and Frankfurt/Rhine-Main
• Regional identity in the administrative district of Upper Palatinate
• Space and social inequality - spatial structures and their influence on school choice using the example of the district of Schwandorf

Policy research

• German and French concepts of Feminist Foreign Policy
• The planned EU Women's Quota Directive and its effects in Germany and Poland even before its actual introduction
• The car toll for Germany - actors, contents and process of the controversial infrastructure law

Empirical research on democracy and autocracy

• Comparative analysis of defence spending among OECD countries for the year 2020 using a mvQCA
• The impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on gender relations and roles in different welfare state models - A collective case study on Sweden and Germany
• How to Defrost "Frozen Conflicts" - The Role and Potential of Multitrack-Diplomacy in Resolving Frozen Conflicts. A Case Study of Nagorno Karabakh.
• Autocracy and democracy in comparative political science
• Effects of corruption on the average evaluation of the political system: a quantitative analysis using the example of the Baltic countries.
• Those who have are committed to keeping it that way. Does a concentration of resources lead to a concentration of political influence? - An empirical analysis based on the example of Brazil.
• War against democratisation? The "War on Drugs" and its effects on democratic development in Latin America.

• Structures of radical narratives in online social networks using the example of 'Kontrokultur Halle'
• The role of fear in the discourse on terrorism: A sociological discourse analysis of the attack on 19 December 2016 in Berlin
• Motivation and external impact of terrorist organisations - two sides of the same coin? Red Army Faction and Action Directe in comparison
• Rebellion, romance, submission - the recruitment of women in the 'Islamic State' from a criminological perspective
• Between legality and legitimacy: "targeted-killing" by drones as an American counter-terrorism practice. An analysis using the example of Pakistan
• The phenomenon of radicalisation: Between predisposition and inexplicability. An attempt at a cross-milieu metatheory

The Institute of Political Science comprises three chairs, two professorships, an academic council position, a lecturer for special tasks and a private lectureship. Due to the orientation and size of the Institute, the thematic breadth of the subject can be covered, providing students with a comprehensive political science education. At the same time, it is possible to study according to one's own interests and to specialise individually.

The staff at the Institute attach great importance to a good supervisory relationship in the courses and when discussing term papers and final theses. To ensure that students receive individualised support and an intensive learning atmosphere can be created, the institute makes sure that the number of participants in the courses is small.

The Institute maintains good contacts with international organisations and foundations, political and social science institutions, politicians and political parties, as well as representatives from the private sector. As a result, high-calibre guest speakers can be regularly welcomed to the courses.

The University of Regensburg (UR), founded in 1962, is a modern campus university on the southern edge of the medieval city. Around 21,000 students currently study at the university.

The university offers a wide range of subjects and impresses with its good student-to-staff ratio and excellent infrastructure. Initially planned as a regional university in the middle of the 20th century, it has developed into a renowned, internationally oriented centre for research and teaching in the new millennium.

More information about the University of Regensburg can be found on the pages about the 50th anniversary (external link, opens in a new window) celebrations.

Regensburg is a medieval city in the east of Bavaria. It is the capital of the administrative district of Upper Palatinate. Around 146,000 people currently live in Regensburg. The old town centre and Stadtamhof have been a UNESCO world heritage site since 2006. Every year, thousands of tourists travel to the city to be enchanted by the flair of Italy's northernmost city.

Student life can be felt in every corner of the city. Small bars and cafés as well as various cultural institutions ensure a high quality of life and the opportunity to get involved in city life.