About the department

The Department of Political Science is part of Aarhus BSS, one of the five faculties at Aarhus University. Aarhus BSS holds the AACSB, AMBA and EQUIS accreditations for its business-related activities. 

World-class research

The department’s employees produce robust and groundbreaking research relevant to Danish and international society. In 2023, the department was ranked number one in the world within the field of public administration. The department as a whole is ranked number 3 in Europe and number 11 worldwide.

The department’s employees conduct research into all important subject areas within political science and public administration.

Research areas

  • Political behaviour and institutions
  • Comparative politics
  • International politics
  • Public administration and management
  • Public policy
  • Political sociology
  • Political theory

National and international collaborations

The department’s strong international focus ensures a high academic standard. Our researchers frequently participate in international conferences and research collaborations. International researchers and students also increasingly choose to come to Aarhus to be part of our good research and teaching environment.

In Denmark, our expertise is applied in practice when we collaborate with municipalities, ministries and private-sector companies. It is also important to us to communicate our expert knowledge and research to the general public through teaching, lectures and the media.


Research-based teaching

At the Department of Political Science, the students are taught by the department’s academic staff. The teaching is always based on the latest research within political science. The subject range and methodological breadth of the department’s activities combined with a high academic level are the reasons why our graduates leave the department with a strong generalist degree that makes them sought-after on the labour market.

The Department of Political Science offers the following study programmes: