Law - Political Science - Administration

Master's Degree in Comparative Politics and Public Policy - IDIL

  • ECTS

    120 credits

  • Duration

    2 years

  • Training structure

    Faculty of Law and Political Science

  • Language(s) of instruction

    English

Presentation

  • Master's Degree in Comparative Politics and Public Policy

The Master's degree in Comparative Politics and Public Policy is a two-year program (120 ECTS credits as a single track in the Comparative Politics major) that offers an in-depth program in political science specializing in political sociology and public policy with an international perspective.

It offers preparation for all professions requiring intensive work skills, mastery of rigorous methods, critical synthesis, the development of solid and convincing arguments, and advanced analysis, both in applied fields (public or private sector professions) and fundamental fields (research training). For students wishing to pursue doctoral studies (at the University of Montpellier or other universities in France or abroad), it is the preferred program.
The working languages are French and English.

 

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The advantages of the training program

- Paid internships in M1 and M2
- Courses in English and an international environment
- Customizable courses
- Support from a mentor and tutor

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Program

The IDIL model:
The IDIL (Interdisciplinary In lab') graduate program at the University of Montpellier opened its doors in September 2022, with the aim of training students through and for research via educational innovation. The IDIL courses available are diverse and cover many disciplines, from bio-health to political science. 
Taught entirely in English, IDIL courses offer students the opportunity to follow their courses through a unique structure based on four main aspects:
- Learning by doing. IDIL courses place a strong emphasis on learning by doing, including In-lab units (courses taking place in a laboratory) and a subsidized research internship in M1 and M2. The IDIL program opens the doors to around 100 laboratories at the University of Montpellier, where students will be immersed in their work.

- Customization of the curriculum. IDIL students have the opportunity to tailor their course of study to their career plans and interests by selecting courses from three different teaching units: Non Core, In-lab, and Transversales. Support will be offered to ensure that the student's curriculum corresponds to their chosen field of study.

- Introduction to a new discipline. All IDIL students must choose a Non-Core teaching unit, which is an introductory course to a discipline from another IDIL program. For example, a student in Comparative Politics and Public Policy can take an introductory course in Applied Ecological and Evolutionary Sciences. This system allows students to develop a unique profile and is an effective way to develop interdisciplinary thinking, a major challenge in modern research.

- Support from a mentor. Throughout their IDIL program, students will be coached by a researcher from Montpellier's laboratories. The mentor will help prepare students for their internships, teach theory through various workshops, and help students develop their professional network.

More information about the IDIL graduate program can be found here: https://idil.edu.umontpellier.fr/ 

Program

MASTER 1
Teaching units: 20 ECTS
- Core units: Fundamental teaching specific to a discipline.
- Non-core unit: Introduction to another discipline in the IDIL graduate program.
- In-lab units: Workshops and practical cases in the laboratory to acquire specific skills or techniques over a few days.
- Cross-disciplinary units: Methodological and professional training.
Personal Project: 10 ECTS
Development of a personal project related to research, preparation for a research internship.
Research internship: 30 ECTS
Participation in a research project, and learning theory and skills through practice.

MASTER 2
Teaching units: 20 ECTS
- Core units: Fundamental teaching specific to a discipline.
- Non-Core Unit: Introduction to another discipline in the IDIL graduate program.
- Cross-disciplinary Units: Methodological and professional training.
Multidisciplinary Team Project: 10 ECTS
Interdisciplinary project led by students from different IDIL backgrounds
Research Internship: 30 ECTS
Participation in a research project, and learning theory and skills through practice.

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Select a program

Master's Degree in Comparative Politics and Public Policy

  • EU NON-CORE TRAINING UNITS IDIL (CHOICE)

    • Choose 1 out of 10

      • Innovations in clinical biomarkers, biotechnologies for pers

        2 credits
      • Challenges in chemistry for health and the environment

        2 credits
      • Scientific openness to earth and water issues under global c

        2 credits
      • Why is democracy difficult?

        2 credits
      • Defusing quantitative nonsense

        2 credits
      • Plant health 2.0: a global war

        2 credits
      • One health and eco-epidemiology

        2 credits
      • Mediterranean Terrestrial Ecosystems

        2 credits
      • The Bionic Man

        2 credits
      • Fundamentals of sustainable management

        2 credits20h
  • International policy

    3 credits
    • International Politics Tutorial

    • CM International Politics

  • Public action and governance

    3 credits
    • Public Action and Governance

    • CM Public Action and Governance

  • Personal project: research project + English

    10 credits
    • Optional

      • Research Project

        8 credits
      • English

      • EU French as a foreign language

  • Choose 3 out of 4

    • Choose 3 out of 4

      • Political Sociology of Elites (ST)

      • European political institutions (ST)

      • Political Anthropology (ST)

      • Environment and Policy (ST)

  • Cross-functional training units IDIL

    4 credits
  • EU Quantitative Studies

  • In-Lab

    2 credits
  • Optional

    • Legal clinic (F)

    • Memory (F)

    • Internship (F)

    • Professional integration workshops (F): CV/cover letter

    • Supervised project (F)

    • Apprenticeship (F)

    • Legal monitoring (F)

  • Research internship / M1 research thesis

    20 credits
  • Political Science Discipline Supplement

    • Choose 1 out of 5

      • EU Qualitative methods

      • Development policy

        4 credits
      • Nations and Nationalism (ST)

      • Conflicts and post-conflicts (ST)

      • Sociology of partisan organizations (ST)

  • Research context (language)

    • Choose one of two options:

      • English

      • EU French as a foreign language

  • Comparative Politics (ST)

Master's Degree in Comparative Politics and Public Policy

  • Environment and health

    2 credits
  • Multidisciplinary team project

    10 credits
  • Research design: epistemology and comparison

    2 credits
  • Research context: languages + institutions and economics

    2 credits
    • Research institutions and economics

    • Languages

  • Ongoing research

    8 credits
  • Cross-functional units 2B IDIL

  • EU NON-CORE TRAINING UNITS IDIL (CHOICE)

    • Choose 1 out of 10

      • Innovations in clinical biomarkers, biotechnologies for pers

        2 credits
      • Challenges in chemistry for health and the environment

        2 credits
      • Scientific openness to earth and water issues under global c

        2 credits
      • Why is democracy difficult?

        2 credits
      • Defusing quantitative nonsense

        2 credits
      • Plant health 2.0: a global war

        2 credits
      • One health and eco-epidemiology

        2 credits
      • Mediterranean Terrestrial Ecosystems

        2 credits
      • The Bionic Man

        2 credits
      • Fundamentals of sustainable management

        2 credits20h
  • Choice 1

    • Choose one of two options:

      • Choice 2

        • Student engagement

        • Research internship: Research thesis

          28 credits
      • Research internship: Research thesis

        30 credits

Admission

Admission requirements

• Bachelor's degree in the field of study
• Minimum English level B2
• CV and cover letter
• 2 letters of support from a researcher and/or professor
• Estimated ranking of the student in their class
• Explanatory transcript

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Registration procedures

Tuition fees

Scholarships available
- Paid internships for all M1 & M2 students
- For international students | A 4-month IDIL scholarship is available for M1 & M2 students (€600/month)
- For international students | The IDIL program reimburses your travel expenses to come and study in Montpellier (up to €600)
- For international students | French as a foreign language courses are offered to facilitate the integration of international students.

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Mandatory prerequisites

The master's program will give preference to students with a bachelor's degree or equivalent in political or social sciences, but will also consider applicants from the humanities.

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And after

Professional integration

Although IDIL courses are research-oriented, they offer an incredible amount of professional experience throughout their duration that can be used in any professional environment. How to work in a team, how to lead a project, and how to use data are all soft skills taught during this program.

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