1. 2018-19 School Year One-Year MA Program in Political Science
Welcome!
School Year
One-Year MA Program in Political Science

2. Topics to Be Covered Who’s Who Calendar Diploma requirements
Core courses
Faculty & Supervision Interests
Certificate programs
Hungarian (i.e. European) diploma
Course readers, communication
Student Representatives
Departmental Office
Q&A

3. Who’s Who
Head of Department Zoltan Miklosi Associate Professor Office: Október 6. Str. 12, Room Tel.: /2569 MA Program Director Attila Folsz Assistant Professor Office: Október 6. Str. 12, Room Tel.: /2074

4. Who’s Who 
Administrative Staff Eva Lafferthon Department Coordinator Office: Október 6. Str. 12, Room Tel.: Ildiko Tropa MA Program Coordinator Tel.: Fax: Borbala Darabos MA Program Coordinator She will join our office in November, 2018.

5. Calendar Pre-session (September 3 – 7) Prepare for the semester:
settle down in Budapest;
get to know CEU facilities like the computer system and the library;
attend orientation sessions
start thinking about what classes to register for;
Mandatory Scope and Methods class for Group 1 at for Group 2 at 13:30 today (September 3).
Mandatory Academic Writing courses
For further details see the departmental schedule at

6. Calendar Zero Week (September 10-14)
One introductory class from each course (try to attend all these classes and check out the cross-listed courses);
Mandatory Exemption/Placement test in Quantitative Methods (September 12 at 14:30)
Optional Exemption Tests (see schedule);
Welcome Reception - September 12, Wednesday at 4 pm in the Rooftop Garden or Gellner room (in case of rain);
Opening Ceremony September 14, Friday 3 pm

7. Calendar Fall term (September 17 - December 7)
Earn approx. 16 credits from courses; complete approx. half of the Core requirements.
Winter break (December 8 – January 6)
No exams, just holidays! (but final papers).
Winter term (January 7 – March 29)
Earn the rest of your 32 course credits; complete the remaining Core requirements.
Spring term (April 1 - June 14)
Special elective courses held by visiting faculty
Thesis writing

8. Calendar
Thesis scheduling
January 20: deadline to choose thesis title and supervisor (you will have to fill in a
questionnaire);
February 6: submit the title/300-word proposal of MA thesis;
February 18: submit a formal research proposal of 1,000-1,500 words;
April-May: research trips (CEU and dept. funding available);
April 11: submit first draft of intro/theory chapter of thesis;
May 14: submit 2/3 draft of thesis;
May 27: submit a full draft of your thesis;
June 6, 3 pm: submit final version of your thesis;
June 11-13: MA thesis defenses + oral exams.

9. Calendar
Graduation Ceremony
June 24, 2019

10. Diploma requirements I. Earn 32 credits in courses, which
1. HAVE TO include
Scope and Methods (two-credit course)
and
one four-credit core course from each of the core groups:
Research Methods,
Political Theory,
Political Economy,
Comparative Politics
2. include elective courses offered or cross-listed by the department and...
3. MAY include:
4 credits offered by the Department of International Relations or the School of Public Policy
4 credits of any other courses offered at CEU without permission
and/or 4 credits in PhD-level political science courses, with a permission of the doctoral committee and the department. Such a request must be sent to ds(at)ceu.edu AND polsci(at)ceu.edu.
II. Defend a thesis

11. Core Courses Political Economy Concepts in Political Economy (Fall)
Political Economy II (Winter)
Comparative Politics
Comparative Politics (Fall)
Comparative Political Research (Winter)
Political Theory
Introduction to Political Philosophy: Justice and Equality (Fall)
Political Theory (Winter)

12. Core Courses Research methodology
Introduction to Statistics (Fall) Mandatory (2 credits)
One of the below Qualitative or Quantitative courses (2 credits) :
Applied Statistics (Fall)
Comparative Case Study Research (Fall)
Qualitative Data Analysis (Winter)

13. Core Courses How to choose a core course
It is up to you whether you take a core course in the Fall or in the Winter semester but make sure that you take one four-credit core course from each core group during these two semesters.
There are differences between the core courses, make sure you check syllabus!
Courses can get full (you can check the waitlist order in the online registration system).
You cannot take all core courses at the same semester!

14. Core Courses How to choose a core course
NOTE: You can be exempted from any and all core groups if you pass the relevant exemption test(s) during the Zero Week.
You will still need 32 credits from courses.

15. Faculty & Supervision Interests
Besides courses, you will also need to write a thesis, therefore pick a thesis supervisor.

16. Certificate programs
Basic idea In the course of your studies for an MA in Political Science you can, if you so wish, specialize in a field of your choice, and receive from the department – in addition to your MA diploma – a certificate proving this.

17. Certificate programs Available programs in 2018/19
Social and Political Theory
Comparative Politics
Political Economy
Political Communication
Electoral Politics
Research Methodology
Comparative European Politics
Post-Communist Politics
Public Policy
Constitutional Politics

18. Certificate programs Requiremens
earn at least 12 credits in courses related to the given specialization,
receive a B+ or better grade in each course,
write your MA thesis on a topic related to the given specialization.
The list of courses belonging to each specialization will be available through the departmental website (

19. Hungarian (i.e. European) diploma
Besides the US-accredited MA in Political Science diploma, students also obtain a Hungarian accredited Further Specialization (“szakirányú továbbképzési szak”) in Comparative Political Science (“Összehasonlító politikatudomány”).
The requirements of eligibility are the followings:
completion of all degree requirements of the One-year MA program;
previous degree of at least 4 years of university education prior to CEU;
successful oral defense of the thesis including answering some questions related to the larger field of the discipline the thesis relates to.
Eligible students will be asked to sign an acceptance letter.

20. Course readers, communication
Course readers The readers for all the courses are available in electronic form. You will get information on them via . Please check also CEU's e-Learning site: Communication Primary communication is via . It is your duty as a student to check your CEU regularly (at least daily) and respond promptly to all departmental requests. If you receive regular mail it will be delivered to the secretariat and an notification will be sent to you.

21. Student Representatives
As MA students of the Department of Political Science, you have the right to vote and the right to be elected as a representative to the Student Union of the MA students.
You are to elect your representative and his/her deputy.
Representatives will be invited to dept. meetings to take part in decisions. Representatives can also take up positions in various university bodies.
As of the rights and obligations of students and their representatives, please visit the site of the CEU Student Union
Please send a short statement that you would like to run as a candidate to the departmental (polsci(at)ceu.edu) by Monday, September 10. There are no other requirements for nominations, and we will circulate these statements to all.
Election date and time will be announced later on. (Please note that MA2 students will elect their own representative so there will be two elections.

22. Departmental Office Central e-mail address: polsci@ceu.edu
Our offices have an open-door policy.
Please visit the Secretariat between 9:30 -16:30, if possible.
Location: October 6. str. Building 12 / room 307
Central address:

23. Q&A