University Diploma in International & Comparative Studies

Semester 2
Spring 2026

January - June

The Psychology of Contemporary Issues | 20h - 5 ECTS

Course code : DUPB083

Syllabus

How are human beings coping with the increasingly fast and changing pace of modern society? Are our brains equipped to cope with the incessant drive for innovation and rapidly evolving scenarios? Do we really understand how our brains work and how we react in certain situations? On this course we will examine and discuss the complex psychological mechanisms that drive human attitudes and behaviour in a wide range of contemporary issues. An insight into these mechanisms can help to shed light on social, economic, political and environmental issues that are currently predominant in our society and unlock some of the enigmas surrounding human behaviour. Drawing on traditional psychological theories as well as up to date research, our aim will be to question the evidence supporting these models and theories and critically assess their validity. Students will engage in discussions and debates on a wide range of topics such as eco-anxiety, online hate speech, exposure to violence, law enforcement, digital bystanders, discrimination, crowd manipulation, gaslighting, groupthink, obedience to authority and many others. Throughout the course and in their assignments, students will also be encouraged to draw knowledge and examples from their own experience, focus on their own behaviour to ultimately gain in self-awareness.

Ireland : Beyond Borders | 20h - 5 ECTS

Course code : DUPB081

Syllabus

Over the years, the Irish Border has become softer, all the more so that today its physical manifestation is difficult to discern. However, now that the UK has left the EU, its only main land border with another EU member-state is shared with the Republic of Ireland. After two decades of an open border, and cross-border peacebuilding, Brexit could destabilise the Irish peace-process and the Irish economy. If the deal still has to be delineated by Brexit negotiators, the Irish Border is now back in the limelight. Starting from these recent political developments, this course is designed to question the notion of Border(s) and use it as a stepping-stone to better understand contemporary Ireland, assuming that even though it is an island, Ireland has always been open to the world. Until 1920, its political centre was in London, i.e. beyond the Irish sea; the partition of the island into two separate countries has shaped Irish politics North and South alike; the Irish diaspora has enabled the country to maintain economic and political ties with the US on the other side of the Atlantic Ocean; Ireland's entry into the EEC and its commitment to European integration has played an important role in the modernization of Irish politics, economy and society; more recently, for the first time in its history, Ireland became a country of inward migration, welcoming people from abroad attracted by the job prospects offered by the rapid economic growth of the Celtic Tiger. The objective of this course is therefore to introduce students to contemporary Ireland and to deepen their understanding of Irish politics and society, both North and South of the Border, in order to equip them with a better understanding of the implications of a possible hardening of the Border in the context of Brexit.

Comparative Political Regimes | 20h - 5 ECTS

Course code : DUPB082

Syllabus

Public administration is a world of legislations and regulations, and the relevant rules necessary to a good understanding of the topic will be exposed, step by step. But since this is not a law course, we intend to analyse the cultural habits, the power games between political decisions-makers and top civil servants in the policy formulation process; we will also consider the social background of civil servants who are de facto associated to the governing processes, and we will end up with a lesson on the administrative reforms that are shaking off national public administrations all over Europe.

Management of Rewards in the Public Service | 20h - 5 ECTS

Course code : DUPB084

Syllabus 

This course is an introduction to a major current sub-topic of Human Ressource Management in the public sector, namely the management of rewards, aiming at attracting and retaining talents. Our perspective is the one of Political Science, sensitive to all the political dimensions, the various institutional, social, historical, cultural, demographic constraints which interfere in the instauration and evolution of a system of rewards for public servants in a given national context. Our goal is, by the end of the course, that students become familiar with the main explicit and underlying issues at stake when a HR policy of rewarding public servants is discussed, adopted and implemented.

The United Kingdom and the European Union : from membership to partnership ? | 20h - 5 ECTS

Course code : PDUAM200

Syllabus

The aim of this course is to provide students with knowledge and insight into the complex relationship between Britain and the European Union, generally portrayed as a “wait and see” attitude on the part of the UK during its membership and now shaped by the difficulties of implementing Brexit. The current issues surrounding Britain’s exit from the European Union ( such as trade policy and immigration policy) will be studied in the light of the history of UK membership, the divisive EU policies (CAP, CFP, Euro) as well as the constitutional issues regarding EU membership and parliamentary sovereignty. Finally, students will be encouraged to think about the political aspects of the referendum as well as the issues raised in and by the EU Withdrawal Act 2018 and its consequences on the structure of the United Kingdom. The more immediate consequences of Brexit will be analyzed each week with a focus on the political, economic and legal aspects of this unique situation.

Identity & Social Justice | 20h - 5 ECTS

Course code : DUPBF041

Syllabus

Considered as a biological human need linked to the survival of our species, food has often been a forgotten philosophical and sociological object. Since Pierre Bourdieu, food is understood as a sociological fact of social distinction. We do not consume such food by taste or pleasure but because it allows us to be attached to our social class ; which is distinguished through a cultural, economic and social capital. Understood as a system of oppression, feminist philosophers have begun to denounce the sexist character of food. Between GMOs, organic food, permaculture, agribusiness of the capitalist system, vegetarianism and veganism food is at the heart of political debates in our societies.

Slave Narratives : Politics & Culture in 18th and 19th Century America | 20h - 5 ECTS

Course code : PDUAM202

Syllabus

At the crossroads of the autobiography, the historical document, and the novel, slave narratives have been calling the attention of scholars from different fields since the 1940s. Such accounts of the journey of slaves toward freedom were found in judicial records, journals, and broadsides and were also published in separate books as early as the 1780s. These very personal stories, in the middle ground between fact and fiction, have contributed to shaping national narratives both in the United Kingdom and in the United States – according to the abolitionist Theodore Parker, “all the original romance of Americans is in them, not in the white man’s novel” (1849). In this course, students will learn the characteristics of the genre of slave narratives and its evolution from the 18th century onwards through the analysis of excerpts and the reference to sources such as the Library of Congress collection “Born In Slavery: Slave Narratives from the Federal Writers’ Project, 1936 to 1938.” They will also discuss the political and cultural impacts of 18th and 19th-century slave narratives on 20th-century African-American historiography and fiction, and its influences on current activist trends.

Politics, Media & the Public | 20h - 5 ECTS

Course code : PDUAM201

Syllabus

This course examines the evolving dynamics between the news media, U.S. politics, and the public. We will explore how the media shapes public perception of political issues and elections, as well as how politicians and interest groups use media to sway public opinion. The course will also address the declining trust in mainstream media and political institutions and consider how these trends impact democratic engagement and public discourse. The intersection of politics and media will be explored through various lenses, including election campaigns, policy debates, and public opinion formation. In the digital age, media coverage extends well beyond elections, influencing both policy-making and the broader political landscape. As such, we will analyze the strategies used by politicians and media outlets to shape narratives and maintain influence between election cycles. Occasional comparative analysis with other democracies will highlight both common challenges and the unique characteristics of the U.S. political-media ecosystem.

Courses in French

Students with a B2 level in French can also take up to two courses
from the French track : 

• Genre et sociétés | 20h - 5 ECTS
• Introduction à la sociologie des migrations | 20h - 5 ECTS
• Outils du marketing numérique | 20h - 5 ECTS
• La vie politique sous la Vème République | 30h - 6 ECTS

Methodology of Writing | 5h - 2 ECTS

Course code : DUPB060

This class is designed and intended to aid students who are not familiar with the methodology of writing in France and in particular at Sciences Po. Structure and writing skills are the key to successful completion of a course of study in France and students will be guided in the elaboration and development of how to formulate and put forward a thesis statement correctly with a plan.

The importance of building a strong foundation in the conceptualization and operationalisation of research, with the need to take into account of how to design a project that is to be presented either orally or in written format will be dealt with in a hands-on approach through activities in small groups of students. We shall focus on the predominant emphasis that should be provided in the opening sentence of the introduction, the significance of the definition of the terms to define the framework and scope of the piece that is being written as well as need to back up arguments with critical academic research references.

French as a Foreign Language | 20h - 5 ECTS

Course code : DUPB088

This course is divided into level groups to which the students will be allocated to at the beginning of the semester.

The objectives of this course are to equip students with the language tools needed to communicate effectively in everyday situations as quickly as possible. Lessons are conducted in French and focus on building communicative competence through the progressive use of basic grammar and role-play activities.

Diverse audio and visual aids will be used.