Information for Students

Table of contents

1. 1. Program Structure and Course of Study
      1. Compulsory Component
      2. Elective-Required Courses
   2. Bachelor’s thesis
   3. Courses/Schedule
   4. Academic Documents
   5. Contact Persons
      1. Academic Advising

Program Structure and Course of Study

A total of 180 credit points are awarded in the Bachelor’s program in International Relations. The standard duration of study is 6 semesters of full-time study.

The degree program has a modular structure. It is divided into required courses (100 ECTS) and required electives (80 ECTS).

• The required component includes modules in the three core subjects—International Politics, International Economics, and International Law—as well as interdisciplinary courses, English language instruction, an internship, and the Bachelor’s thesis.
• The required elective section includes additional modules in the core subjects, language training in a second language, and modules in supplementary qualifications.

A tabular overview of the modules can be found here.

Compulsory Component

In the required component (100 credit points), you will acquire fundamental knowledge in the following areas during the first four semesters:

• International Law,
• International Politics
• International Economics.

In addition, there are interdisciplinary courses spread throughout the entire program.

This semester plan shows which modules are scheduled for each semester—with modules in the field of Business Administration and Economics in yellow, modules in the field of Law in blue, modules in the field of Political Science in red, interdisciplinary seminars in green, and other qualifications in gray.

Elective-Required Courses

The required elective area comprises 80 credit points.

You may choose from modules in the following areas, provided you meet the respective credit requirements:

• at least 5 credit points in the field of international law,
• at least 15 credit points in the area of international politics,
• at least 10 credit points in the area of International Economics

This ensures that you earn at least 30 credit points in each of the three core subjects.

In addition,

• a maximum of 30 credit points in the area of supplementary qualifications
• 20 or 25 credit points in the second language

Bachelor’s thesis

You will typically write your bachelor’s thesis at the end of your studies in the 6th semester.

The regulations regarding topic assignment and registration, as well as the (formal) requirements for the bachelor’s thesis, vary among the individual Chairs. Check the website of the Examination Office for the Chair of your choice!

Courses/Schedule

You can find an overview of the courses for the current semester and the current class schedule on our Class Schedules webpage.

Academic Documents

Current versions of academic documents (academic, examination, and other regulations) can be found on our Regulations and Documents webpage.

You can find these documents in the form of Official Announcements on the GSW Student Affairs Office website.

Contact Persons

Academic Advising

If you have any questions about the content and structure of your degree program, our academic advisor will be happy to assist you.