DE · Master's
University of Hamburg
MA Political Science
University of Hamburg
Deadline detail: March 31 (international window, opens February 15)
Course Overview
The MA in Political Science at the University of Hamburg runs over four semesters and 120 ECTS in the Faculty of Business, Economics and Social Sciences. The point worth stating plainly, because it is the thing that disqualifies most German social-science master's degrees for Sri Lankan applicants, is that Hamburg states in writing that no proof of German is required for admission and that the programme can be studied entirely in English. Some elective courses run in German, but the degree is completable without them.
The structure runs two introductory modules, then core modules across two tracks — Global Challenges, Governance and Transformation, and Political Decision Making and Political Processes — plus a research seminar, the Hamburg Political Science Seminar Series, twelve credits of free electives, and a final module built around a six-month thesis of roughly 18,000 to 30,000 words. The two tracks map onto the two things a political science master's can usefully be: international and comparative governance on one side, and the machinery of political decision-making on the other.
Germany's public universities charge no tuition, and Hamburg is no exception. The only compulsory payment is the semester contribution, set at €402 for the 2026/27 winter semester, which includes a public-transport pass covering the city. Against a UK or US political science master's that is a difference of two orders of magnitude in fees. What a Sri Lankan family plans for instead is living costs and the blocked account (Sperrkonto) the German student visa requires, currently around €11,900 for the first year.
Admission is competitive and scored transparently: grade point average counts 40%, an English motivation letter 30%, and an aptitude test — GRE, GMAT or GMAT Focus — 30%. The test is recommended rather than mandatory here, unlike Hamburg's PEP programme where it is compulsory, but a Sri Lankan applicant whose institution the committee may not know well should treat a strong GRE as the way to make the file legible. The academic bar is a first degree carrying at least 80 ECTS in the social sciences.
Entry Requirements
Academic
- check_circle A first university degree (SLQF Level 6, UGC-recognised or equivalent) carrying at least 80 ECTS in the field of social sciences — political science, international relations, sociology, economics, public administration, law or development studies are the standard feeders.
- check_circle No minimum GPA is published. Selection is scored: grade average 40%, English motivation letter 30%, aptitude test 30%.
- check_circle The aptitude test (GRE, GMAT 10th Edition or GMAT Focus) is recommended rather than mandatory, but it carries 30% of the selection weight — for a Sri Lankan applicant it is the most efficient way to offset an unfamiliar institution.
- check_circle No work experience is required. Applications go direct through the university's STiNE portal in the international window, 15 February to 31 March; applications cannot be submitted before or after those dates.
- check_circle Certified, translated transcripts and degree certificates. Degree recognition is checked against the anabin database, and an APS certificate may be required — we confirm both before you apply, as neither is stated on the programme page.
English Proficiency
- check_circle IELTS Academic: 6.5 Overall with a minimum of 6.0 in each skill.
- check_circle TOEFL iBT: 92 Overall with a minimum of 22 in each skill.
- check_circle Cambridge C1 Advanced, C2 Proficiency, or C1 Business Higher are also accepted.
- check_circle The standard German waiver route is a degree completed in an English-language programme. The Political Science page does not restate its own waiver conditions, so Sri Lankan applicants from English-medium degrees should confirm in writing with the Studienbüro Sozialwissenschaften before relying on it.
- check_circle No German is required for admission or for completing the degree. Free and subsidised German courses are available and are worth taking for the internship phase and the 18-month post-study job search.
Estimated Cost of Study
| Expense Category | Amount (€) | Approx. LKR |
|---|---|---|
| Tuition Fee (per year) | €0 | Rs. 0 |
| Semester Contribution (2 semesters, includes transport pass) | €804 | Rs. 277,380 |
| Living Expenses in Hamburg (12 months) | €12,000 | Rs. 4,140,000 |
| Blocked Account Requirement (Sperrkonto, Year 1) | €11,904 | Rs. 4,106,880 |
| Visa, Health Insurance & Registration | €1,600 | Rs. 552,000 |
| Total Year 1 Cash Requirement | €14,404 | Rs. 4,969,380 |
*LKR conversion based on current bank rates. Subject to change.
Career Outcomes & PR
Germany gives non-EU graduates an 18-month post-study residence permit to find work — the longest job-search window in the EU — converting to a work permit or EU Blue Card on a qualifying offer. Hamburg describes the degree as leading to research-oriented careers as political scientists in academia, politics, public administration, the media, business and civil society. Berlin's policy and think-tank sector, the German development agencies GIZ and KfW, the political foundations (Konrad Adenauer, Friedrich Ebert, Heinrich Böll), the EU institutions and the UN bodies in Bonn are the realistic European market, alongside political-risk and ESG consultancies. Sri Lankan returnees route into the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Sri Lanka Foreign Service examination track, the UNDP, UNICEF, IOM and World Bank country offices in Colombo, the Asian Development Bank, INGOs including Oxfam and Save the Children, and policy institutes such as the Institute of Policy Studies, the Lakshman Kadirgamar Institute and Verité Research. The research training also feeds directly into PhD entry.
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