Bachelor in Political Science

Exchange programs

The Erasmus programme permits UC3M first degree and post graduate students to spend one or several terms at one of the European universities with which UC3M has special agreements or take up an Erasmus Placement, that is a work placement or internship at an EU company. These exchanges are funded with Erasmus Grants which are provided by the EU and the Spanish Ministry of Education.

The non-european mobility program enables UC3M degree students to study one or several terms in one of the international universities with which the university has special agreements. It also has funding from the Banco Santander and the UC3M.

These places are offered in a public competition and are awarded to students with the best academic record and who have passed the language threshold  (English, French, German etc..) requested by the university of destination.

European mobility

Non european mobility

Entry profile

No specialised knowledge or skills are required to do the degree, apart from those which any student entering a university should possess and which have been acquired during pre-university education.
However, students applying for a degree in Political Science should have some of the following attitudes and general qualities:

• An interest in and sensitivity towards the political and social problems of our world.
• An intellectual curiosity to learn about and understand in depth the political and social reality which surrounds us with critical thought.
• An appreciation of reading, communication and debate, discussion of ideas orally and in writing.
• An interest in following current affairs through the media.

Application for a place in the degree

Graduate profile

Our aim is to train students so that by the end of their degree studies they have acquired a set of knowledge, skills and abilities appropriate to a graduate in Political Science from the Universidad Carlos III of Madrid and which will enable them to become good professionals capable of adapting effectively to different work situations, activities and professions. The graduate will have acquired:

•     Analytical instruments for participating in the search for practical and theoretical solutions to the world’s political and governmental problems
•     Instruments for the analysis and management of different public policies which can be applied in carrying out management and technical roles in public Administration
•     Practical and theoretical knowledge of the functioning of public Administration and management
•     Basic ability to perform tasks in the international arena and in international organisations (UN, EU, World Bank, etc.)
•     Capacity to reflect on and critically analyse important current events
•     Handling of different procedures to analyse political reality (comparative, analytical, historical…)
•     Knowledge of the principal political ideologies and theories and the ability to recognise these in the discourse or actions of political, economic and social players
•     Capacity to carry out qualitative and quantitative research into socio-political phenomena
•     The means and abilities to guide the private sector in its relationship with public administrations and the forging of links between both
•     Communication and negotiation skills and conflict resolution
•     Tools for the interpretation of electoral processes and results, legislative processes, political conflicts
•     The capacity to explain historical events in political terms
•     The knowledge and skills for forming basic opinions about the development of government activity

A degree in Political Science from Universidad Carlos III of Madrid lays the foundation for the training of students in areas or professional fields with important value in the labour market. Among graduate professional profiles, published in the White Book of Degrees by ANECA, we should highlight the following four:

• Political Analyst: they analyse and interpret data concerning citizens’ values and attitudes and regarding the different political players. They analyse election results, define political scenarios, design political strategies and election campaigns for political, social and institutional organisations. They supervise and test the quality and reliability of socio-political indicators for decision-making purposes.
• Manager and expert in public administration: performs management, coordination, inspection, control and study and the design and planning of improvement measures for public administration, constitutional bodies and, in general, public organisations operating in the European, state, regional and local arenas.
• Public Policy Analyst: they analyse public policies in the respective stages of identification and definition of problems and the formulation and execution of programmes and actions. They assess public policies and pose alternatives to improve subsequent public policies and performance.
• Advisor and Consultant (national and international): they provide advisory services and technical assistance to public administration and political institutions; to political organisations (parties, trade unions...) and NGOs; to private enterprises in their relations with the public sector; to public and political leaders of national and international institutions and internationally focussed businesses. They plan, execute and evaluate cooperation and development projects in other countries. They act as international observers in peace and democratisation processes. They mediate in crisis management and conflict resolution.

Basic Skills

CB1        Students have demonstrated possession and understanding of knowledge in an area of study that builds on the foundation of general secondary education, and is usually at a level that, while relying on advanced textbooks, also include      

CB2        Students are able to apply their knowledge to their work or vocation in a professional manner and possess the competences usually demonstrated through the development and defence of arguments and problem solving within their field of study.

CB3        Students have the ability to gather and interpret relevant data (usually within their field of study) in order to make judgements which include reflection on relevant social, scientific or ethical issues.

CB4        Students should be able to communicate information, ideas, problems and solutions to both specialist and non-specialist audiences.        

CB5        Students will have developed the learning skills necessary to undertake further study with a high degree of autonomy.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          

General Skills

CG1       To know the main elements and factors, both structural and dynamic, that shape and influence political reality           

CG2       To be able to recognize the social, political, cultural and religious diversity of contemporary societies and the relevance and transversality that democratic values and human rights have in these societies                          

CG3       To be able to study the social and political reality using the scientific method, from a critical perspective and recognizing the variety of theoretical and methodological approaches of the different subdisciplines and specialities in Political Science.                                                                        

CG4       Saber trasladar los conocimientos y habilidades adquiridos para afrontar problemas de orden práctico en los diferentes ámbitos en los que se concretan las salidas profesionales/To know how to apply the theoretical knowledge and skills into practical professional problems.                              

CG5       To be able to communicate effectively and produce and defend, both orally and written, well-built arguments within the field of Political Science.                 

Transversal Skills

CT1        To be able to work in multidisciplinary and international teams         

CT2        To demonstrate the ability of planning and organizing your work, the ability of reaching the right decisions by taking into consdieration the available information and the abilty of gathering and interpreting relevant data to make good judgments in your area of study                   

CT3        To have the basic humanistic knowledge to complete the student's transversal training profile                                                            

CT4        To know and be able to handle interpersonal skills on initiative, responsibility, negotiation, emotional intelligence, etc., as well as calculation tools that allow consolidating the basic technical skills that are required in every professional field                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       

Specific Skills                                                                                                                                  

CE1        To identify, understand and know how to use the main theoretical and conceptual approaches and frameworks of the different areas of specialty and the subdisciplines of Political Science        

CE2        To analyse the political systems structure and functioning and their interaction with the environment                 

CE3        To know the structure and functioning of political institutions and their interrelation with the remaining components of the political system         

CE4        To analyse political actors¿ behaviour, political participation¿s processes and the role of citizens in contemporary democracies                    

CE5        To know the different components of the electoral systems and to be able to recognize how they interact with the electoral process.                  

CE6        To know the main Political Philosophy trends, the main contemporary political theories and ideologies and those linked to contemporary political movements; and to be able to analyze, taking all these thoeries into account, political phenomena and problems.                     

CE7        To understand and use the concepts of social structure and social change, their interdependence and their relationship with the political and economic system, especially with regard to the Spanish case        

CE8        To be aware of the relevance of the Constitution and its role in democratic states; and to know the Spanish Constitution¿s principles and rights and its normative value                                                                       

CE9        To recognize the historical dimension of political and social processes and to explain them by taking such dimension into account.          

CE10      To describe the structure of public administrations at their different levels, the relationships between them, the legal framework that drives their activity, and the principles and methods of public planning and management.  

CE11      To know the key issues and the different phases of the public budget cycle and the legal framework that regulates it.         

CE12      To understand the economic dimension of the public sector and the domestic and international economic environment               

CE13      To know how to analyze public policies as well as how to design, plan, implement and evaluate public programs and projects      

CE14      To identify the key theories of international relations and to connect them with the domestic political processes.                   

CE15      To know the European political systems, how European Union policies are created and how they influence member Satate' policies.           

CE16      To know the most important theoretical contributions and the principles that guide scientific research in the field of Social Sciences; and to know how to apply statistical methods and research techniques to produce, collect, analyze and interpret both quantitative and qualitative data.   

CE17      To know and exploit the basic political communication and consulting techniques and instruments.      

CE18      To use information and communication technologies (ICT) for political analysis and public management, and to examine their impact on the political system                           

CE19      To understand and use the concepts of social psychology when analyzing individuals' political attitudes, cognition and behavior                      

CE20      To know the National and European policies and legal framework on integration, migration and cultural diversity, as well as the main theories and comparative evidence on integration processes and attitudes towards immigration, discrimination, xenophobia, racism and Islamophobia                

CE21      To be able to plan, develop and write research projects using the theoretical knowledge and the methodological tools of political science                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               

RA1. Possess advanced knowledge and skills in Political Science, both related to theoretical issues and of a practical or methodological nature.

RA2. Will be able to collect data, produce information and use it to base their reflections and judgements on social and political reality.

RA3. Will be able to apply the skills and knowledge acquired to solve problems in complex situations and in academic or professional work environments that require creative or innovative ideas.

RA4. Will be able to present and communicate to all types of audiences - specialised or not - problems and solutions that can be approached from Political Science as well as the knowledge and methodologies that are linked to them

RA5. You will be able to identify your training needs in your field of study and work or professional environment and will be able to organise your learning autonomously and independently of the type of context

External internships

This is a selection where students of this degree can do their internships:

• 3M España S.L.
• Abengoa S.A.
• AC Hoteles S.A.
• Adidas España
• Air Europa Lineas Aereas S.A.
• Airbus Group
• Apple Inc
• Banca March
• Banco de España
• Banco Popular Español S.A.
• Banco Santander S.A.
• Bankia S.A.
• Caixabank Asset Management SGIIC S.A.
• Danone S.A.
• Deloitte
• Dupont
• Ey
• Ford Motor Company
• HP Hewlett Packard
• Microsoft Ibérica S.R.L.
• Nestle España S.A.
• Toshiba
• Toyota
• Warner bros Entertaiment
• Yesos Ibéricos S.A.

Career opportunities

Graduates of the degree can carry out their professional activities in the following areas:

• Equal opportunity agent
• Civil administrator of the state
• Citizen participation agent
• Political advisor
• Diplomat
• teacher
• Political scientist
• International projects and programs manager
• Demographer
• Public opinion expert
• Cooperation and development projects manager
• Political analyst
• Political advisor
• Corporate social responsibility technician
• Media and communication 

Schedules and calendars

Schedule in bachelor's degree

Academic calendar

Exams calendar (first semester)

Exams calendar (second semester)

Exams calendar (recovery tests)

Schedules and calendars

Schedule in bachelor's degree

Academic calendar

Exams calendar (first semester)

Exams calendar (second semester)

Exams calendar (recovery tests)