Integrated Social Sciences (BA) Program at a Glance

The curriculum combines the disciplines of political science, mass communication, sociology and economics. It encompasses a wide range of social science topics including the analysis of social, economic and political systems, the internationalization of governance and the nation state, citizen beliefs, socio-political attitudes and citizen action, as well as information, communication and knowledge societies.

The Integrated Social Sciences (ISS) curriculum is concerned with questions that link the disciplines of sociology, political science, economics and mass communication. Generally speaking, the ISS curriculum deals with the functioning and development of contemporary societies, focusing on the key challenges with which contemporary societies are confronted – such as the globalization of markets and the de-nationalization of governance; the individualization trend among communities and its impact on social bonds and collective identities; pervasive value change among mass publics and its consequences for democratic governance; and the increasing role of new electronic media in shaping people’s minds.

The tables show the precise program of study for each student in a specific major. Students can refer to this information for an overarching timetable of study over the six semesters of bachelor study. Naturally home school electives and transdisciplinary courses are not listed.

Course Requirements for Students matriculated in the year: 2011 |2010 | 2009

Prof. Dr. Matthijs Bogaards
Professor of Political Science

Prof. Dr. Hilke Brockmann
Professor of Sociology

Prof. Dr. Gert Brunekreeft
Professor of Energy Economics

Prof. Dr. Jan Delhey
Professor of Sociology

Dr. Franziska Deutsch
University Lecturer for Socio-Cultural Change and the Individual

Prof. Dr. Dennis A. V. Dittrich
Professor of Behavioral Economics

Prof. Dr. Philipp Genschel
Professor of Political Science

Prof. Dr. Peter Ludes
Professor of Mass Communication

Prof. Dr. Marion G. Müller
Professor of Mass Communication

Prof. Dr. Steven Ney
Professor of Policy Sciences

Prof. Dr. Klaus Schoemann
Professor of Sociology

Prof. Dr. Karen Smith Stegen
KAEFER Professor of Renewable Energy and Environmental Politics

Prof. Dr. Marco Verweij
Professor of Political Science

Prof. Dr. Sven Voelpel
Professor of Business Administration

Prof. Dr. Welf Werner
Professor of International Economics

Social Science Methods

The methods component is taught by additional faculty:

- Prof. Dr. Klaus Boehnke, Professor of Social Science Methodology

- Dr. Karina De Santis, Lecturer in Statistics and Methods

- Dr. Özen Odag , University Lecturer in Methods

- Prof. Dr. Margrit Schreier, Professor of Empirical Methods in the Humanities and Social Sciences

- Prof. Dr. Colin Vance, Professor of Quantitative Methods

- Prof. Dr. Adalbert Wilhelm, Professor of Statistics



Jacobs University aims at an overall professor/student ratio of 1:12. At present, the ratio is even smaller but is expected to approximate the desired ratio as student numbers increased.

Social scientists have skills that give them a competitive advantage in many kinds of activities. These skills are based on three pillars: distinctive factual knowledge that is practically relevant, theoretical orientations that integrate factual knowledge into broader frames of understanding, and methodological skills that put knowledge and understanding into practice.

Social scientists work with factual knowledge that is practically relevant. In modern societies where the public sector often consumes fifty per cent of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) or more, where professional activity takes place almost exclusively in formal organizations, and where preferences, attitudes and beliefs are largely shaped by the media, it is essential to know how governments work, how organizations function, and how consumers and voters behave. Social scientists know, for instance, how laws and statutes are made, how people are mobilized, how campaigns are organized, how ideologies are framed, how media set agendas and how values shape mass behaviour. Such knowledge is helpful in many areas. The BA degree in Integrated Social Sciences qualifies graduates for international leadership roles especially in business, mass media and intermediary organizations.

Jacobs University got excellent marks in the the latest ranking by Germany’s Center for Higher Education Development (CHE) and renowned German newspaper DIE ZEIT.  In the fields of sociology and political sciences Jacobs counts among the best universities in Germany and neighboring countries. Read more