Department of Political Science
Group photo of the Department of Political Science (IPW)
Der Knopfdrücker

About us

Mission statement

The Department of Political Science is a vibrant community of publicly engaged scholars. Our research covers important topics such as comparative politics, politics and gender, international politics, political theory, public health, and sustainability and climate change. By embracing diversity of thought, perspective and research methodology, we aim to enhance our understanding of critical political issues and encourage positive societal change in Europe and beyond.

Locations

History of the Department

In Austria, the history of the political science discipline begins in 1968 in Vienna. The University of Vienna's Department of Philosophy created a chair for a “professor of philosophy of the critique of politics and ideology” with its own field of study and dissertations.

In 1971, a decree from the Ministry of Science established the “Department for Political Theory” in the Faculty of Philosophy; political science became a subject that could be combined with another discipline. In 1977, the “Basic and Integrative Faculty” (Grund- und Integrativwissenschaftlichen Fakultät) changed the name from “Department of Political Theory” to “Department of Political Science”.

Between 1975 and 2004, the department and field of study was part of the “Basic and Integrative Faculty”, which was later renamed – “Faculty of Human and Social Sciences”. Since 2004, the department has been part of the Faculty of Social Sciences.

In 1975, another department of political science was established in the Faculty of Law and Government. Today, it is called the Department of Government. Since 2004, it has also become part of the Faculty of Social Sciences.

Until 2012, the political-science “Diplomstudium” still existed. In 2007, in accordance with the Bologna structure, the department introduced the Bachelor and Master degree in political science. In October 2009, a new curriculum was introduced for the Doctorate programme.

In memoriam

  • MMag. DDr. Hubert Sickinger (1965 – 2025)
  • ao. Univ. Prof. Dr. phil. Roman Horak (20.01.1953 – 03.02.2025)
  • emer. o. Univ. Prof. Dr. Eva Kreisky (08.09.1944 – 14.08.2024)
  • Franziska Schultz (18.12.1949 – 01.02.2024)
  • Prof. Dr. Irene Etzersdorfer (19.12.1958 – 28.10.2022)
  • ao. Univ. Prof. DDr. Ingfrid Schütz-Müller (09.03.1944 – 18.09.2018)
  • o. Univ. Prof. Dr. Heinrich Schneider (10.08.1929 – 01.04.2018)
  • Dr. Gudrun Hauer (08.07.1953 – 04.11.2015)
  • Univ. Prof. Dr. Herbert Gottweis (08.02.1958 – 31.03.2014) 

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