Year of study: First Year Total hours: 10 Curriculum: International relations; Political Science; Sociology Assessment method: presentations and discussion of articles
An introduction to the main themes that have characterized the epistemology of the social sciences from the last century onward, with particular reference to the nature of scientific explanation, the relationship between individual agents and social structures, issues related to value-neutrality, as well as the consequences of research in the social domain. The classes are organized around presentations and discussions of articles or book chapters.
Introduction to Qualitative Methods in Political and Social Sciences
Year of study: First Year Total hours: 20 Curriculum: International relations; Political Science; Sociology Assessment method: methodological paper
The course provides an introduction to qualitative methods for the social sciences, mixed methods models, and, more generally, research design based on the use of qualitative methods. Classes are organized into lectures and workshops.
Quantitative Methods for the Social Sciences I and II
Year of study: First Year Total hours: 40 Curriculum: International relations; Political Science; Sociology Assessment method: methodological paper
The course constitutes an introduction to empirical research methods in the social sciences and offers students the opportunity to develop skills in data analysis and collection, interpretation, and presentation of research results, including standards for preparingpapers. The course focuses on research design using quantitative data, concentrating on data collection, data analysis, bivariate and multivariate analysis, and the use of statistical software such as Stata. Classes are organized into lectures and workshops.
Year of study: First Year Total hours: 10 Curriculum: International relations; Political Science; Sociology Assessment method: active participation, class discussions, and a short final paper with answers to selected questions
Understand the essential principles of the spatial theory of voting and mthe related key analytical tools. Party competition is at the heart of representative democracy. Starting from the pivotal book by Anthony Downs, An Economic Theory of Democracy (1957) the literature on the topic has developed into a comprehensive framework known as the spatial theory of voting, which expands and/or modifies the original model in multiple ways. This short course will cover the essential principles of the spatial approach and its key analytical tools.
Year of study: First Year Total hours: 20 Curriculum: International relations; Political Science; Sociology Assessment method: seminar participation and presentation of assigned readings, individually or in groups
These seminars provide an overview of the key approaches and issues in the substantive sub-fields of Comparative Politics. This introduction will outline the key sub-fields of Comparative Politics, cultivate individual academic-mindedness, and highlight promising research topics. We will engage seminal works as well as more recent research in order to familiarize ourselves with the origin and development of streams of research central to the field. This course is designed to be a foundational survey of the field and students will engage key dimensions of major sub-field literatures in discussion, interaction, and research.
Year of study: First Year Total hours: 20 Curriculum: International relations; Political Science; Sociology Assessment method: reaction notes, research paper, and class participation.
This seminar examines a selection of foundational works in the field of international relations, that is, books and articles that have helped set the terms of intellectual inquiry in the field during the past half-century or more. The main objective of the course is to understand and reflect critically on the causal mechanisms that produce war and conflict as well as peace and cooperation in the international domain.
Year of study: First Year Total hours: 10 Curriculum: International relations; Political Science; Sociology Assessment method: short research memo (joint assessment with other courses)
This course is designed to provide students with a practical, hands-on approach to studying significant and complex questions in IPE and CPE. Through a blend of theoretical insights and contemporary case studies, students will engage with critical issues such as institutional change, globalization, and the green transition. By equipping students with a variety of analytical tools and theoretical frameworks, the course aims to empower them not only to understand pressing challenges in political and economic policy but also to critically reflect on how to move from theory to empirical investigation.
Year of study: First Year Total hours: 10 Curriculum: International relations; Political Science; Sociology Assessment method: discussion and presentation of articles
The module deals with communication technologies, understood as the various tools that over the course of social evolution have transformed the forms and scope of communication - from handwriting to the mass media and recent forms of communication using algorithms. An extensive literature has addressed the social impact of these tools, which goes far beyond the use of different codes and the possibility of reaching interlocutors who are distant in space and time and possibly unknown. Based on selected texts, the discussion during the meetings will focus on the socio-historical development of the difference between fact, fake and fiction - form early modernity to the recent debate about deepfakes.
Year of study: First Year Total hours: 20 Curriculum: International relations; Political Science; Sociology Assessment method: presentation and discussion of articles; paper.
This seminar course is designed to introduce doctoral students to the literature on public policy and to develop their ability to think critically about policy-making in different political and social contexts. The course focuses largely on theories and conceptualisations related to understanding and explaining policy dynamics. Doctoral students should consider this course as a stepping stone to mastering a broad knowledge of the key concepts of how policy dynamics (and even their political trade-offs) evolve over time. Actors and agency, change and stability, institutions and ideas are the central concepts of the main theories of policy dynamics, although they are mixed and arranged in different ways according to the research questions the theories seek to answer.
Year of study: First Year Total hours: 10 Curriculum: International relations; Political Science; Sociology Assessment method: presentation and discussion of articles
These seminars offer a comprehensive overview of major approaches and current debates in the field of inequality and the welfare state. Through both theoretical frameworks and empirical findings, students will explore crucial topics including social stratification, gender imbalances and paradoxes, and the ecological and green transition.
Theories of International Relations and their Application
Year of study: First Year Total hours: 10 Curriculum: International relations; Political Science; Sociology Assessment method: short research memo (joint assessment with other courses)
Understand the key dynamics of international relations and be able to master related skills and research methods. This course is intended for PhD-level students and aims to stimulate them to apply different theories to the historical evolution of the international system from 1815. In particular, after one introductory lecture, the course will be focused on 4 seminars in which students are required to prepare presentations and participate in the discussion.
Year of study: First Year Total hours: 10 Curriculum: International relations; Political Science; Sociology Assessment method: short research memo (joint assessment with other courses)
The module explores several interconnected themes, beginning with the legacies of classical International Relations (IR) theory and their enduring relevance in contemporary analyses. By examining foundational theories, the module encourages students to consider how these theoretical frameworks continue to shape contemporary approaches to IR, while also prompting reflection on their evolving interpretations contexts.
Year of study: First Year Total hours: 10 Curriculum: International relations; Political Science; Sociology Assessment method: presentation and discussion of articles
This course provides a comprehensive theoretical and methodological understanding of segregation, a central theme in sociological analysis. It explores two key dimensions: racial residential segregation and occupational gender segregation. Students will engage with foundational academic papers, examining key theoretical frameworks and methodological approaches. The course emphasizes quantitative methods, focusing on research design, data collection, and analytical techniques. Through guided discussions and hands-on practice, students will replicate key studies using STATA, gaining practical experience in applying these methodologies.
Year of study: First Year Total hours: 20 Curriculum: International relations; Political Science; Sociology Assessment method: presentation and discussion of articles
In this seminar course we will introduce and examine the concept of moral panic, from its origin to its latest developments and applications. We will discuss foundational work in this field, reflecting on the importance of media representations in the context of the social construction of deviance and criminality, as well as of more recent scholarship on social harms and digital interactions to consider the effects of social changes and digital technologies on communicative practices, power dynamics, and policy making.
Year of study: First Year Total hours: 20 Curriculum: International relations; Political Science; Sociology Assessment method: presentation and discussion of books and articles
The class will be organized as a seminar; PhD students' active participation will form the basis for our discussion. Each week, one of the students, chosen at random, will introduce the book, or a theme around which the class will develop a meaningful discussion of the volume. Please buy or borrow all books in advance and come to class prepared to discuss them in depth. Students are encouraged to explore additional literature that you think is relevant to the discussion and share it with the class.