Master’s degree in Political Dynamics and Changes in Societies
Number of hours of training
875 hours
Training duration
2 years
Cost of training
price of the national master's degree, for information only for the year 2022/23, 243 euros.Head teacher
Dilek YANKAYA
Political Science, Social Sciences, Sociology
Phone : 04 65 04 71 03
The Master’s in Political Dynamics and Mutations in Societies trains in comparative political analysis considered not only as an essential method of analysis of the social sciences, but also as an essential element for a good knowledge of the local, national and transnational contexts within which political, social and religious processes unfold. The courses are organized by Sciences Po Aix and the diploma is issued under the double seal of Aix-Marseille University and the State.
Description of the course
This master’s degree stems from a long tradition of comparative studies at Sciences Po Aix, which has always favoured an openness to the Arab world, the Mediterranean and Europe, as well as to religious dynamics and their political effects within contemporary societies. The aim is to train students in comparative politics, not only as an essential method of analysis in the social sciences, but also as an essential element for a good knowledge of the local, national and transnational contexts in which political, social and religious processes take place.
The skills acquired correspond to those of a social scientist or an international expert who masters the methodology indispensable for the production of highly specialised knowledge: training in the social sciences of politics and religion; practice of foreign languages, definition of a problem and a survey protocol, direct confrontation with the field, collection and processing of data, writing and presentation of the products of the survey.
Students following this course are given personalised and individualised follow-up by a tutor who, from the beginning of the year, assists them in their training and the preparation of their fieldwork. The strong point of this course is immersion and fieldwork. For twelve weeks, students are confronted with fieldwork in their study area. They thus acquire the skills necessary for investigating and analysing political, social and religious phenomena in specialised geographical areas.
The course comprises two options:
- Comparative Political Expertise
- Religion, Politics and Society
Targeted competences
- Define a research method and implement it by directly confronting the field of investigation
- Define a problematic and an investigation protocol according to pre-established objectives
- Develop an in-depth expertise on the geographical area of study
- Identify, select and analyse critically various resources in his/her field of specialisation to document a subject synthesise these data with a view to their exploitation
- Compare different political, social or religious systems and movements
- Synthesise, write and present the products of the investigation
- Identify and participate in the processes of production, dissemination and valorisation of knowledge
Job opportunities
Higher education after pursuing a doctorate, Researcher in social sciences, Consultant within NGOs or international organisations, Expert in the fields of promotion of causes and advocacy, partisan organisation, risk analysis, Expert with international public or private organisations specialised in contemporary religious issues at national, regional and international level..
Training organization
Comparative political expertise
The skills acquired through the Comparative Political Expertise option, accessible from the Master 2, constitute the prerequisite for the commitment to a doctoral thesis leading to positions in higher education or research organizations. They also prepare for the production of expertise in the professions of promoting causes and advocacy, international humanitarian aid, non-governmental organizations, partisan organization, risk analysis, democratic participation, etc.
Religion, politics and society
The Religion, politics and society option, accessible from the master 2, aims to train mainly specialists (researchers, academics, etc.) in the social sciences of religions applied to the European and Mediterranean areas and experts from public or private international organizations. specialized in contemporary religious issues at the national, regional and international level (management of religious pluralism, international strategy of religious organizations, religious diasporas, politico-religious tensions, phenomena of radicalization using a religious frame of reference, etc.).