u/Better-Elk5016

Hi all, hoping for input from anyone in the polisci space, especially those working in academia!

Right now, I am trying to decide between two MSc programs for this fall: comparative politics at the University of Amsterdam, or democracy and representation at Leiden University. I am a US undergrad, but super excited to move abroad for a year!

Academically, I am interested in democratic backsliding and constitutional breakdown, as well as comparative jurisprudence. I am thinking about either heading back to the USA for law school after this program, or heading to a PhD program. I’m trying to figure out which program would be the better fit academically and professionally. Amsterdam is much more quantitative/methods based, while Leiden is more law and qualitative. Also, the program at Amsterdam is more broad, while Leiden is more geared specifically towards democracy and democratic institutions.

I was wondering if anyone could offer some perspective here, especially with career prospects. Is the specific degree more useful? Should I prioritize quant-heavy research? Which would better prepare me for a career in polisci? Is there anything else I should be thinking about?

Any perspective on these programs specifically or just advice on navigating political science grad programs would be much appreciated. Thank you in advance!!

Hi everyone,

I’m an international student trying to decide between two MSc programs for this fall, and I’d really appreciate insight from anyone who has studied at either university or knows the Dutch system well. I wasn't quite sure where or how to structure this post, but I would greatly appreciate any advice or just some additional perspectives!

I am looking at the MSc in Comparative Politics from UvA and the MSc in Democracy and Representation from Leiden. Academically, I am interested in democratic backsliding and constitutional breakdown, as well as comparative jurisprudence. I am thinking about either heading back to my home country of the USA for law school after this program, or heading to a PhD program. I think that I like the topics at Leiden, but the training at UvA, if that makes any sense.

I’m trying to figure out which program would be the better fit academically and professionally. A few things I’m especially curious about:

• Which university is stronger for political science in practice, not just rankings?
• How rigorous are the programs?
• Is UvA significantly more quantitative/methods-heavy?
• Does Leiden’s specialization make it harder or easier for future jobs/PhD applications?
• What are the departments actually like in terms of faculty accessibility and student culture?
• How different is student life between Amsterdam and Leiden/The Hague?
• If you were choosing again, would you make the same decision?

Right now my impression is that UvA has a bigger international reputation and maybe stronger research-methods training, which I am really drawn towards, and that Leiden seems more focused and tailored to democracy/governance topics specifically, and will be a better jumping-off point for law. I’d especially appreciate perspectives from people in political science/social science programs, or international students who had to choose between Dutch universities.

Thank you all in advance, and I am super excited to study in The Netherlands this fall!!