Master's Degree in Political Science

The 2-year Master’s in Political Science offers students an advanced understanding of political systems, governance, and international relations. Combining theoretical insights with practical analysis, the program prepares students to critically evaluate political issues, understand global political dynamics, and engage in policy formulation.

The MA program in Political Science is part of the university’s mission to combine the scholarly and applied in search of workable solutions facing the Global South in general, and the African continent in particular. There is thus a pronounced desire to include both research and teaching covering the variety of challenges facing Africa, and indeed, the world. In addition to more traditional political science themes like political parties, elections, public opinion, public administration, public policy, and political philosophy, the professors teaching in the programme also work on various themes with direct relevance to the African continent such as like civil wars, political violence, conflict resolution, constitutional politics, institutional reform, gender politics, geopolitics, radicalisation, energy politics, political risk analysis, cross-national dynamics, and political development. Most of the international professors teaching in the programme were trained at various universities outside Morocco, but they work together with those who have both scholarly and applied experience in Morocco. The area expertise of the teaching staff covers the entire continent. Another indication of the scholarly diversity represented in the programme is the existence of various methodological specialisations ranging from formal models and quantitative approaches to historical, anthropological, legal, philosophical, and applied research methods. All members of the teaching staff have field-research experience and expertise. Following the first year dedicated to course work and methodological training, during the second year of the programme students will work with professors of their choice and pick their own fields of specialisation thereby combining both breadth and depth. Some of our graduates put this formation to use as future scholars and researchers, others channel their training into the applied side of political science and work for national and international civil services, media, consultancies, non-governmental organisations, development agencies, and business.

Advancing Research and Academic Excellence

For the 37% who pursue further studies, research plays a pivotal role, as 71% are preparing for a Ph.D program. Among these, 57% are abroad, and 43% of them are enrolled in prestigious international universities to put their Master’s formation to use as future scholars and researchers.

Empowering Future Political Leaders

Graduates of the Master in Political Science gain a comprehensive understanding of contemporary politics within its broader social, legal, economic, and historical context. They develop a generalist knowledge of political science scholarship while specializing in chosen areas. Their training includes proficiency in both quantitative and qualitative research methods, with methodological specialization tied to their thesis. Students hone their written and oral communication skills in both English and French. They acquire substantial factual knowledge, particularly about the African continent, avoiding ivory-tower scholasticism disconnected from Global South realities. This combination of theoretical, methodological, and substantive perspectives enables them to develop sound judgment in complex settings. The program aims to produce graduates capable of decoding the causal dynamics of global politics and navigating environments of asymmetrical information and factual uncertainty.

Bridging the Gap Between Theory and Practice

Graduates of the master’s in political science excel in transitioning from academic theory to impactful careers. Out of every 10 graduates, nearly 6 (58%) are employed, and an impressive 72.7% of those who joined the job market secure a job within six months, by joining national and international civil services, media, consultancies, non-governmental organizations, development agencies, and business.

A Global Presence in Diverse Sectors

27% of employed graduates are working abroad, while 73% contribute to organizations in Morocco. Graduates get employed in the private sector (64%), international organizations, and the public sector.

Admission procedure

• Creation of an application at the level of the platform dedicated to this purpose: https://admission.fgses-um6p.ma
• Entry of all the required information (grades of the first four (4) semesters of the bachelor's degree (S1 to S4), motivations, experiences and activities)
• Validation of the application and payment of the application fee (500 MAD)
• Study of the file by the FGSES Admissions Commission
• Oral, face-to-face or videoconference interview for candidates unable to travel to campus
• Announcement of eligibility results
• Processing of the averages of the S5 and S6 semesters of eligible candidates, followed by the announcement of the final admission results to the FGSES
• Admission to the master’s in political science at FGSES is based on the following criteria:
  • Completion and validation of an application through the dedicated platform: https://admission.fgses-um6p.ma
  • A bachelor's degree or an equivalent qualification in Political Science or a related discipline (International Relations, Public Law, Sociology, History, etc.)
  • A total of 180 ECTS credits. At the time of application, the candidate must have validated the 120 credits corresponding to the first four semesters
  • An overall average of at least 12/20 during the first five semesters of their undergraduate studies. If the application is submitted before obtaining the results of the fifth semester, the required average applies to the first four semesters
  • A sufficient command of English and French to follow the courses (listening comprehension, reading comprehension, speaking, writing)
  • The selection committee will evaluate foreign candidates with different grading systems on a case-by-case basis.

Automatic admission: only for FGSES candidates

• Have completed and validated an application at the level of the dedicated platform: https://admission.fgses-um6p.ma
• Be enrolled in a bachelor’s degree in Political Science; International Relations; Economics; Public Law; and Behavioral Sciences for Public Policy
• An average grade of 14/20 and above for the first five (5) semesters of the above bachelor's degree programs. If the application is submitted before the results of semester 5 are obtained, the required average applies to the first four semesters

Application documents

The application documents for the Master’s in Political Science program must be submitted through the FGSES application platform.

You will need the following items to prepare your application:

• Passport photo
• Identification document (ID card, passport)
• Transcripts of the completed semesters
• Bachelor’s degree or its certificate of completion (if already obtained)
• Language certificates, if applicable
• Selection process
• For all eligible candidates who have submitted their application, a two-step selection process will be implemented:

The first step is evaluating the academic record and the candidate's motivations
The second step is interviewing candidates who have passed the first step
Candidates who successfully pass the selection process will be admitted, provided they complete their bachelor's degree during the academic year of their application and achieve grades consistent with their previous performance during the sixth and final semester of their studies.

Scholarships will be awarded to enrolled students based on social criteria and academic performance.