All courses are taught in English
First application deadline: 15 May for the following winter semester (strongly recommended for non-EU students to allow sufficient time for visa procedures)
Second application deadline: 15 July for the following winter semester
The Roads to Democracies programme is an international, interdisciplinary, and research-oriented Master of Arts programme integrating the subjects of history, political science, and sociology. The full-time programme has a duration of two years (four semesters).
The programme aims to provide students with analytical tools and theoretical knowledge that help to understand and explain the interrelation between institutional structures, political processes, and the social and cultural foundations of democracy. Students shall develop a broad, comparative understanding of the mechanisms behind democratic processes from a historical and social scientific perspective. Thus, students will acquire the competence to assess present-day democratic developments on a national and supranational level. They will obtain theoretical knowledge and gain advanced insights into comparative research methods in history and the social sciences. The interdisciplinary curriculum focuses on political, economic, historical, social and cultural aspects of democratic ideas, institutions, and structures within and outside Europe. In elective courses, students have the possibility to attend lectures in economic and environmental law. Furthermore, students can choose from a variety of language courses (including German) offered by the university's Language Centre, and they can acquire important soft skills through courses offered in intercultural communication, academic writing and more. In addition, the House of Young Talents, the Career Service and the Alumni Association offer a wide range of extracurricular activities to prepare students for their future careers.
International academic exchange is an important aspect of the programme. It is strongly recommended that students spend a semester abroad with an Erasmus+ scholarship at one of the participating partner universities, e.g., the University of the Azores, the University of Bologna, the University of Coimbra, the Pedagogical University of Krakow, the University of Lucerne, Marmara University, the University of Palermo, the University of Piraeus, and others. The language of instruction and examination is English. Furthermore, international academic exchange is strengthened through the organisation of joint summer schools and guest lectures in Siegen and abroad. International cooperation in the students' research activities is encouraged through the possibility of involving professors from the participating partner universities as second supervisors of the Master's theses.
The Roads to Democracies Master of Arts degree programme qualifies successful candidates for admission to doctoral studies / PhD studies.
The Master‘s programme provides a good basis for management positions at, e.g.: international organisations and NGOs, international aid and development agencies, research institutions and institutes of higher education in the public and private sectors, cultural agencies and cultural heritage institutions, publishing houses, journalism and media agencies concerned with international and intercultural communication, political parties, associations, foundations, and international and internationally operating companies.
The programme comprises compulsory core modules as well as elective courses:
First semester
Second semester
Third semester
Fourth semester
Flexible elements that can be completed every semester
Modes of teaching are seminars, blended-learning courses, workshops, projects, conferences, and lectures. Students are expected to obtain an average of 30 credit points per semester and must acquire 120 credit points over the entire programme.
Internships are an integrated part within the study programme and are scheduled for the second semester (eight weeks/nine credit points). Students will receive assistance from the study course advisers in finding a suitable institution.
Students have to pay a semester contribution of approximately 320 EUR, which is due before the start of each semester, as part of (re-)registration. This fee covers the cost of a public transport ticket (valid for six months in all of Germany), a social services contribution, and student activities.
The city of Siegen has very moderate costs for accommodation, offering attractive living conditions for students. Living expenses range from only 800 EUR to 950 EUR per month, including rent, health insurance, food, clothing, learning materials, phone/Internet, travel expenses, entertainment, and sports. This estimated cost of living can vary depending on lifestyle, type of accommodation, budget, and spending habits.
It is important that students plan and manage their finances throughout the duration of the degree programme to ensure they have enough funds to cover semester contributions and living costs.
Students at the University of Siegen can apply for the “Deutschlandstipendium / Studienförderfonds”, which can cover part of the students' cost of living. Scholarships for doctoral students are available at the House of Young Talents of the University of Siegen.
A first academic degree (a Bachelor's degree from a programme with a minimum duration of three years or equivalent) in history, political science, sociology or an appropriate related subject with an overall final grade of at least 2.5 (according to the German grading system). Admission to the Master's programme requires a proof of a study-related special qualification.
A study-related special qualification is ascertained when the submitted documents, in particular, the transcript of records, the letter of motivation and the exposé, show that the student has the ability to conduct independent scientific work and has the relevant methodological competencies that enable him/her to successfully complete the Master's programme.
The assessment of the study-related special qualification is part of the application procedure. It is based on the submitted application documents (see application documents below).
Applicants must submit the following documents:
Applicants from the PR China and Vietnam must include a certificate of the Academic Evaluation Centre (APS), which should be filed together with their application documents or, at the latest, at the time of enrolment. Applicants from India must pass the APS in order to get a visa granted for Germany.
Please check the programme's website for further information on the application process.
Applicants for the MA Roads to Democracies must have a very good command of English (equivalent to Level C1 of the Common European Framework).
Language proficiency can be proved by certificates of internationally recognised English language tests, e.g. TOEFL min. 95 (Internet-based), IELTS: min. 7, Cambridge Certificate CAE: min. grade B, Cambridge Certificate of Proficiency in English (CPE): min. grade C
Further proof of English may be an academic degree in which English was the language of instruction and examination.
First application deadline: 15 May for the following winter semester (strongly recommended for non-EU students to allow sufficient time for visa procedures)
Second application deadline: 15 July for the following winter semester
Online application process: https://unisono.uni-siegen.de/qisserver/pages/cs/sys/portal/hisinoneStartPage.faces?chco=y&noDBAction=y&init=y
Students can easily find part-time jobs with the help of the job placement service of the university. Siegen and the surrounding area are home to a large number of medium-sized industrial enterprises (SMEs), or so-called hidden champions in electrical and mechanical engineering. Some bigger examples include the companies SMS and Achenbach Buschhütten. A lot of smaller, yet very successful and quickly growing high-tech companies are located here as well, for instance, PMD Technologies and Asentics, which are spin-off companies of the university. As a result, employment opportunities are very good, especially for jobs during the semester breaks and after graduation.
There are student residences (dormitories) of the "Studierendenwerk" (student services) close to the university. The rent for a room is between 270 EUR and 450 EUR. Please be aware that German universities do not usually have campus systems like universities in some other countries where all students can find accommodation directly on the university property. Therefore, some students might have to find rooms on their own. The private accommodation costs per room are 400 EUR on average. Detailed information concerning general accommodation can be found here.
Early application/search is advisable.
The career services team helps with all questions regarding career entry and career planning. It offers information on occupational fields, helps with the career-related structuring of studies and provides direct support with individual coaching and consulting services when it comes to finding a good career start after graduation.
Furthermore, the programme SieguVer specifically supports international students in preparing for the regional job market. Additionally, the offers of the "Alumniverbund" provide a good opportunity to network and to benefit from the experiences of former students.
To activate the map, click on the "Show map" button. We would like to point out that data will be transmitted to OpenStreetMap after activation. You can find out more in our privacy policy. You can revoke your consent to the transmission of data at any time.
