Courses
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Compulsory Module 1: Fundamentals of Political Science (10 ECTS-Credits, 4h)
Prerequisites for registration: none
Learning Outcome: Students can explain and describe central political processes, institutions, structures and political fields and the problems associated with them. Students can name different analytical approaches to political science comparison and present and explain selected concepts of comparative government theory. They are also able to analyse and evaluate the institutional structures and the functioning of different structures of democratic systems of government.
Compulsory Module 2: Sociological Perspectives and Approaches (10 ECTS-Credits, 4 h)
Prerequisites for registration: none
Learning Outcome: The students learn about the sociological view. They are able to explain the theories and history of sociology as the science that analyses social action in a multidimensional way, this means that different areas of human coexistence such as economy, politics or science, are taken into account. They can analyse current social, cultural, economic and political developments scientifically, i.e. guided by theory, and critically evaluate social actors, institutions and processes using current examples.
Elective Module 1: Political Theory and Political Institutions (10 ECTS-Credits, 4 h)
Prerequisites for registration: none
Learning Outcome: The students are able to classify and explain the development of political thought over the centuries. They can provide different definitions of rule and can describe different theories of the state and different theories of democracy.
Students can name different analytical approaches to political science comparison and present and explain selected concepts of comparative government theory. Moreover, they are able to analyse and evaluate the institutional structures and the functioning of different structures of democratic government systems.
Elective Module 2: Political System of Austria (10 ECTS-Credits, 4 h)
Prerequisites for registration: none
Learning Outcome: The students are able to explain the fundamentals of the political system in Austria. Students know the functions and structures or relevant institutions and processes of the political system and selected political fields. Moreover, they can illustrate the most important aspects of political history of the First and Second Republic.
Elective Module 3: European Integration (10 ECTS-Credits, 4 h)
Prerequisites for registration: none
Learning Outcome: The students can explain and describe the process of European integration and how the European Union works. They will be able to analyse and independently answer questions about the institutions, decision-making processes and political fields in the political system of the EU and its member states.
Elective Module 4: International Relations (10 ECTS-Credits, 4 h)
Prerequisites for registration: none
Learning Outcome: Students understand the principles and connections of international relations and national foreign policy, and they are able to analyse them under supervision. Students know the basic elements of classical and modern international law and are able to give an account of them. Moreover, they acquire the ability to present the main historical developments in the state system of the 20th and 21st centuries.
Elective Module 5: Political Communication and Electoral Analysis (10 ECTS-Credits, 4 h)
Prerequisites for registration: none
Learning Outcome: Students can explain the behaviour of voters, political parties and the media in democracies based on theory and with the help of empirical findings. They are able to recognise the function of political communication and the logic of media-centred democracy.
Elective Module 6: Sociological Theory (10 ECTS-Credits, 4 h)
(no courses)
Prerequisites for registration: none
Learning Outcome: The students are able to differentiate between the most important paradigms of basic sociological theories in their historical development and to apply them to current sociological questions. They will acquire in-depth knowledge of one of these theories and will be able to present it convincingly in the context of a scientific paper and use it to analyse and solve problems independently.
Elective Module 7: Structures and Change in Modern Society (10 ECTS-Credits, 4 h)
Prerequisites for registration: none
Learning Outcome: The students can name the most important theoretical models of modern society and can describe structures and changes in the light of the various models of society. They recognise the possibilities and limits of knowledge opened up by socio-theoretical models, and understand the dependence of the social models on their respective social context.
Elective Module 8: Market, State, Social Institutions (10 ECTS-Credits, 4 h)
Prerequisites for registration: none
Learning Outcome: Students acquire the ability to explain theories and analyses of development and transformation of social institutions - in particular, institutions in terms of politics, market and civil society. They know how to analyse the effects and interactions of these institutions in societies. Students know central social scientific discussions, terms and methods to analyse market, state and social institutions and organisations.
Elective Module 9: Life World - Life Forms: Individual and Society (10 ECTS-Credits, 4 h)
(no courses)
Prerequisites for registration: none
Learning Outcome: Students can give an account of the most important theoretical approaches of interpretative sociology and explain its basic terminology. Moreover, they can describe the current subject areas and research perspectives in everyday and cultural sociological analysis. In particular, they are able to critically discuss identity constructions in the context of recognition and misjudgement conditions based on sociological identity theories and theoretical impulses from relating fields. They can identify central theses and lines of argument and give an account of them in an unaltered way. In addition, they are able to apply theoretical concepts to empirical phenomena in an exemplary way.
Elective Module 10: Rural and Regional Sociology (10 ECTS-Credits, 4 h)
(no courses)
Prerequisites for registration: none
Learning Outcome: The students can reflect the current status of the debates on the dynamics of social change in agriculture and rural areas and describe their interactions with social developments (in Austria, Europe and in countries in the south). They are able to reflect on and analyse processes of urban-rural relationships as well as the basics of regional development processes using social science theories.
Notes:
- There may still be changes in the courses offered as well as room allocation and course dates.
- The course descriptions found in the English version of the course catalogue are for informational purposes only. Authoritative information can be found in the "Vorlesungsverzeichnis" (German version of the course catalogue).