This course introduces students to the practical side of artificial intelligence in Political Science. Through hands-on exercises, students learn how to build and apply algorithms, utilise generative AI, and work with intelligent agents.

he focus is on gaining technical skills while exploring applications of machine learning and AI in political analysis and research.

From regulating biometric borders to powering killer unmanned drones and autonomous weapons, artificial intelligence is in the process of revolutionising politics globally. The aim of this course is to answer two main questions: First, what exactly are these current developments? Distinguishing fact from fiction, it aims at providing you an empirical account of these technological developments and their impact on contemporary politics of security. Second, when not only humans, but also technologies make the decisions, how can we theorise agency, consciousness and responsibility? The course thus introduces students to new developments in theories of political theory, science and international relations and their dialogue with adjacent fields such as science and technologies studies and critical data studies.

This course interrogates how power, interests, and institutions shape the development and governance of artificial intelligence. We map the roles of governments, international organisations, and the tech industry in writing and enforcing AI rules, and scrutinise how organised interests mobilise to steer those rules.

We examine public opinion—when and why citizens accept or reject algorithmic decision-making in policing, welfare, health, and administration—and how these attitudes constrain policymakers. We also analyse how AI reconfigures labour markets, bargaining power, and distributional conflict, and the political consequences that follow. Throughout, we apply Political Science theories to real policy debates.

Read seminal Political Science texts and familiarise yourself with the—often opposing—views of leading scholars. Discover how their ideas and approaches have inspired other researchers and discuss these with your fellow students and lecturer.

Develop compelling research questions, devise sound schemes for conducting the research necessary to answer those questions, and, ultimately, follow through with the research itself.

Deepen your understanding of theories and methods related to research on a specific subfield of Political Science. Apply them to a specific topic related to artificial intelligence as part of your master thesis.

The structure of the programme allows for an internship in the period early January to the end of March, followed up by taking part in the Internship Research Project Seminar. In this seminar, you will complete your thesis based on the research you conducted during your internship. The institute’s internship coordinator will facilitate placement, but the responsibility to find an organisation lies with the individual student. The organisation must allow and facilitate the student to implement a research project relevant to the organisation or its activities.

Please note that a fixed number of students will be allowed to conduct research on the basis of an internship. This is because the Institute of Political Science wants to offer students full support and guidance during and after the internship. The internship is subject to approval by the Institute. Among several other criteria, the academic level of the internship will play a key role in the decision process.

2 semesters, 4 blocks

• The academic year runs from September to July and is divided into two semesters.
• Each semester has two blocks, so there are four blocks in total.
• Each block has 8 weeks.
• There are no holidays within a semester.

Breaks

• After the first semester, during the month of January, there is a ‘Winter break’, during which there are no programme activities.
• The same goes for the ‘Summer break’, which is after the second semester, from July to September.

Online methodology catch-up course, for September starters.

Online methodology catch-up course, for February starters.