Avignon Université's Bachelor's degree in Political Science is a generalist university course covering the major political, economic and social issues of our time, both nationally and internationally.
The aim of this course is to acquire subject-specific skills and knowledge, but also to develop the capacity for scientific analysis and critical thinking.
This degree combines the main courses in political science (political sociology, public policy, international relations, European studies, political thought) with courses in history, law and economics.
Based on the study of contemporary societies, the course covers political and administrative institutions, the government of public action, the construction of Europe, political parties and ideas, elections, social movements, interest groups and the media.

Degree coordinator: Christèle Lagier

Teaching team :

Gaël Depoorter: Senior lecturer in political science
Ouassim Hamzaoui: Senior lecturer in political science
Christèle Lagier: Senior Lecturer in Political Science
Guillaume Marrel: Professor of political science
Jessica Sainty: Senior lecturer in political science

Laboratory : Legal, Political, Economic and Management Sciences Laboratory .JPEG

Director: Christèle Lagier
Deputy Director: François Fulconis

JPEG is a multidisciplinary research unit that brings together lawyers, political scientists, economists and managers to work on unifying research projects. It is structured around 3 research themes: Voting and Democracy, Labour and Employment, and Digital Societies.

First year :

The first year of the political science degree aims to acquire the fundamental skills needed for a comprehensive understanding of political phenomena in contemporary societies. It is divided into two semesters, each comprising three teaching units (TUs). The core courses are accompanied by practical work, which provides an opportunity to acquire essential knowledge through practical activities, as well as continuing to develop English language skills.

The first semester focuses on identifying the main frameworks of the socio-historical, institutional and economic environments through the skills developed in three units: Finding one's place in the social world (Unit 1), Recognising the institutional environment (Unit 2) and Describing the economic environment (Unit 3). While the first enables students to understand the foundations of the sociological approach and documentary research methods in the social sciences, the second introduces them to French political and administrative institutions from historical, political and legal perspectives, and the third provides them with the theoretical and historical knowledge needed to understand how contemporary economic systems operate.

The second semester provides students with the conceptual knowledge and analytical skills needed to understand political configurations, based on the French context (UE1 Saisir les configurations politiques), while exploring the media (UE2 Décrire l'environnement médiatique), philosophical and international dimensions (UE3 Se repérer dans l'environnement international).

Second year:

The second year of the political science degree enables students to study political phenomena in greater depth and develop their career plans, while at the same time learning about survey methods in the social sciences. As in the first year, the core courses are accompanied by practical work, which provides students with an opportunity to acquire essential knowledge through practical activities, as well as continuing to develop their English language skills. The Professional Orientation Project (POP) is used to identify the main career opportunities for the political science degree and to fine-tune professional integration through a 5-week work placement and a series of lectures.

In the third semester, the course focuses on three sub-skills: Analysing political institutions (UE1); Questioning political life (UE2) and Characterising the economic environment (UE3). The first is based on the discovery of the Historical Sociology of the State and the History of European Institutions. The second covers the Sociology of Political Parties and Political Personnel, Voting and Electoral Behaviour and a course in Statistics for the Social Sciences. The final UE combines a History of Economic Thought course and an English TD devoted to Freakonomics.

The fourth semester is an opportunity to Compare Political Systems (UE1); Understand Economic and Administrative Frameworks (UE2) and Develop a Professional Project in Political Science (UE3). The first sub-competency draws on training in Comparative Politics, Political Sociology of the European Union and applied language (English) as part of a course entitled Governing European Democracies. The second is based on courses in Politics and the Macroeconomic Environment, Behavioural Economics and Administrative Law. The third is based on the teaching of Investigative Techniques in Political Science, Professional Orientation Project in Political Science and Scientific and Professional Lecture Series.