Political Science

The employment of graduates is broad-spectrum, focused primarily on practice, considering the level of science. The Faculty of Political Science and International Relations of the Matej Bel University in Banská Bystrica, with its offer of study programs, creates an adequate space for education and training of theoretically, methodologically, and organizationally capable managers in various areas of public administration in the Slovak Republic:
– in the foreign service and in the representation of SR in international organizations and institutions;
– in the state administration especially in that which is specialized in integration and organizational branches and branches of public relations in the Slovak parliament, the Government office, ministries, the highest bodies of specialized state and regional state administration;
– in the sphere of regional and interest self-administration as well as the self-administration of public-legal corporations;
– political parties and interest groups;
– in mass media;
– in private sphere.

In order to fulfill its mission, the faculty is constantly looking for new and effective tools to increase its competitiveness, e.g. through the improvement of study programs and their focus according to the requirements of the cooperating bodies as well as the needs of practice; reorganization and adaptability of the pedagogical process; emphasis on the professional growth of its own employees; expanding international scientific and pedagogical cooperation; introducing new modern forms of teaching; by involving students in activities within student professional work.


Prospects of graduates
KNOWLEDGE
The graduate has extensive general knowledge of current priorities for the development of the field of study and society, which serves as a basis for their own research and the creation of new knowledge, innovations and originality of the field and also in the field of social practice. The graduate has a broad knowledge of the methodology of social sciences, knowledge about the development and interactions of state and non-state actors through the paradigm of globalization, whose effects exceed national borders and affect political, security, economic, cultural and other relations in different parts of the world. The graduate has an overview of the latest theories of international relations and security, has extensive knowledge of political behavior, decision-making and participation in politics, especially in times of crisis.

SKILLS
The graduate is characterized by critical, independent and analytical thinking in changing conditions. He is able to anticipate, examine and evaluate problematic situations and their impact on political processes. The graduate can identify problems and priorities necessary for the development of society, can create, formulate and evaluate new hypotheses and strategies in relation to the further development of the department, respectively branches of social practice. He is able to evaluate and logically choose specific scientific methods of basic and applied research and conceptualization of a scientific problem in the field of study.
He practically masters the chosen research methods and uses them in the search for new procedures, analysis of relevant details and important interdisciplinary links. To prove theories, concepts and innovations and demonstrates the ability to find out the findings resulting from theoretical analysis and own scientific research on a complex and interdisciplinary nature. Based on its outputs and findings, is able to design, verify and implement new research and working practices in a broader context and in unpredictable and changing societal conditions. He has well-developed communication skills and demonstrates the ability to scientifically complete and present the results of research and development to the professional/academic community and the public in the Slovak Republic and abroad.

COMPETENCES
The graduate is theoretically and methodologically prepared to solve political, international, economic and other social problems and changes. He is able to determine the focus of research and coordinate the team in the relevant scientific field in academic institutions, research, respectively analytical organizations. It takes into account social, scientific and ethical aspects when formulating research intentions and interpreting research results. He is qualified to perform pedagogical, scientific research, publishing and educational activities at the university, respectively in other scientific research or analytical institutions. The graduate is qualified to participate in the authored, respectively co-authored form in the active outputs of these activities. The graduate is competent to communicate scientifically, he is ready to lead lectures, seminars and exercises from selected topics, evaluate students, lead and oppose the final theses for the relevant degree, create new study materials and aids, can organize, methodically and content excursions and professional student practice. He is able to plan his own professional growth in the context of the current stage of scientific development and on this basis, he can participate in planning the development of society as such.


Always up-to-date news about university Matej Bel University in Banská Bystrica on your email.
We will send you all the information about important events and deadlines.

Send me news

Conditions of admission
Applicants for full-time and part-time doctoral studies at FPVaMV UMB in the accredited study program International Relations and in the study program Political Science must have completed a master's degree. The electronic application for study must be sent no later than June 13, 2025. The application for full-time and external doctoral studies also includes the submission of a written dissertation project, which must be sent in electronic form by June 13, 2025 to: tomas.vida@umb.sk.
FPVaMV prefers to file an electronic application. If the applicant does not have the opportunity to fill in the electronic application, he can send a paper application to the address FPVaMV, Kuzmányho 1, 97401 Banska Bystrica within the same deadline. Certified copies of all documents required for the electronic version are attached to the paper application.

Information for applicants completing a master´s degree in the academic year 2024/2025

Applicants for PhD. studies who apply in the same academic year in which they also complete their master's studies will send an electronic application. A certified copy of the diploma of the completion of the master's degree and the supplement to the diploma shall be submitted by the applicants by the deadline of July 2, 2025. Applicants who do not prove the fulfillment of the basic conditions of admission to study by a specified date, they will be admitted to study conditionally. Applicants are required to deliver certified copies of the diploma of completion of the master's degree and the diploma supplement no later than on the day designated for enrollment in the relevant form and degree of study. Otherwise, applicants will not be enrolled.
Applicants for PhD. studies from abroad who apply to study in the same academic year in which they also complete their master's studies will send an electronic application. Certified and officially translated copies of documents confirming the completion of the previous degree at the master's level, together with their recognition by the relevant university, which carries out the same or related study program, shall be submitted by applicants by July 2, 2025. Applicants who do not prove admissions to study by the set deadline will be conditionally admitted to study. Applicants are required to deliver certified copies of the diploma of completion of the master's degree and the diploma supplement no later than on the day designated for enrollment in the relevant form and degree of study. Otherwise, applicants will not be enrolled.

Information for applicants completing a master´s degree before the academic year 2024/2025

Applicants for PhD. studies who have completed a master's degree in the academic years preceding the year of submission of the study application will send an electronic application and attach a scan of the master's degree diploma with a clearly visible stamp and signatures of the faculty dean. A certified copy of the diploma of the completion of the master's degree and the supplement to the diploma shall be submitted by the applicants by the deadline of July 2, 2025. Applicants who do not prove the fulfillment of the basic conditions of admission to study by a specified date, they will be admitted to study conditionally. Applicants are required to deliver certified copies of the diploma of completion of the master's degree and the diploma supplement no later than on the day designated for enrollment in the relevant form and degree of study. Otherwise, applicants will not be enrolled.
Applicants for PhD. studies from abroad who completed their master's studies in the academic years preceding the year of submission of the application for doctoral studies will send an electronic application and place in its attachments scans of documents confirming completion of the previous degree at master's level. Certified and officially translated copies of documents confirming the completion of the previous degree at the master's level, together with their recognition by the relevant university, which carries out the same or related study program, shall be submitted by applicants by July 2, 2025. Applicants who do not prove admissions to study by the set deadline will be conditionally admitted to study. Applicants are required to deliver certified copies of the diploma of the master's degree and the supplement to the diploma no later than on the day designated for enrollment in the relevant form and degree of study. Otherwise, applicants will not be enrolled.



Additional information
In the event that study applicants have not passed the matriculation exam in the Slovak language and are applying for a bachelor's degree program that is conducted in the Slovak language, they must submit a certified copy of a document confirming knowledge of the Slovak language at level B2, issued by the language schools registered by the Ministry of Education,Research, Development and Youth of the Slovak Republic in the Network of Schools and School Facilities of the Slovak Republic (registered state language schools and private language schools).



Coordinator for students with specific needs
Applicants for studies with specific needs will receive relevant information about the conditions of admission to the study of the selected study program in the various stages of study. He/she could consult with the coordinator for students with special needs about the suitability of the choice of the given study program.
If it is necessary to modify the form and method of taking the entrance examination, the applicant for studies with special needs will send to the study department of the faculty together with the application the Application of the applicant with specific needs to modify the form and method of taking the entrance exam. Together with the application, they shall also attach the relevant documentation of its specific needs.

COORDINATOR FOR STUDENTS WITH SPECIAL NEEDS

doc. PhDr. Lucia Rýsová, PhD. (door No. 320); 048/446 1224; e-mail: lucia.rysova@umb.sk


General information on the admission exam
It is necessary to send the application form separately for every study degree.
Dean of the Faculty of Political Science and International Relations of the Matej Bel University reserves the right to cancel the admission exams. Dean´s decision is based on the sufficient number of students who apply to study a particular studying program.
If there are not sufficient applications to make a studying program viable, dean of the Faculty of Political Science and International Relations of the Matej Bel University reserves the right to cancel the studying program.

Applicants for studies who completed the previous level of education abroad are obliged according to § 33 and § 39 of Act no. 176/2022 Coll., amending Act no. 422/2015 Coll. on the recognition of documents on education and on the recognition of professional qualifications and on the amendment and supplementation of certain laws, as amended, to present the recognition of documents on education obtained outside the territory of the Slovak Republic. The applicant must submit the decision on the recognition of education documents no later than on the day designated for enrollment in the relevant form and level of study.


Form of entrance exam
the entrance exam in front of the entrance exam commission

Tests
The entrance exam consists of defending a dissertation project.

The content of the professional entrance examination for doctoral studies is the verification of the applicant's preconditions for solving the problem of the dissertation, for which he / she is applying. The topic of the dissertation is chosen by the applicant from the topics approved for the relevant academic year, which are published on the faculty's website.
The applicant submits for the entrance exam a dissertation project in the range of 10 pages (formal requirements: font: Times New Roman, font size: 12, line spacing: 1.5, all margins: 2.5 cm, literature according to STN). Part of the entrance exam is also the verification of language competencies related to the selected topic of the dissertation. In the case of the study program international relations it is from two foreign languages and in the case of the study program Political Science it is from one foreign language.

The project of the dissertation in the Slovak language consist of:

– title page with the name of the university and faculty to which the applicant applies, the name of the selected topic of the dissertation with the subtitle "Proposal of the dissertation project", name, surname and titles of the applicant, the name of the field of study, resp. the program, the form of study to which the candidate applies, the name, surname and titles of the tutor and the year in question;
– justification of motives for choosing the topic of the dissertation, definition of basic directions and goals of the dissertation, description of methods that will be used in processing the topic of the dissertation, brief description of the current state of knowledge of dissertation issues prepared on the basis of literature.

Applicants´ evaluation and acceptance into PhD studies:

The entrance exam takes place in front of the three-member entrance exam commission, consisting of the head of commission and 2 members. All of them are selected by the dean of FPVMV.
The entrance commission takes into consideration the results of entrance exam in non-public session. Based on the achieved results of applicants, an order success list of applicants is determined. Decision whether the applicant is officially accepted is made by Dean of the faculty according to results provided by the entrance exam commission within 30-day time since the date of entrance exam.


  • Apply the application for study

    01.11.2024 - 13.06.2025

  • Performance of the entrance exam

    02.07.2025 - 02.07.2025

  • Send certificate to

    02.07.2025

Always up-to-date news about university Matej Bel University in Banská Bystrica on your email.
We will send you all the information about important events and deadlines.

Send me news

Anticipated number of applicants to be accepted
5


Additions
  • (paper form)


Annual tuition fees
Standard length of study: 1500 €


The fee for admission procedure
application form: 60 €
E-application form: 57 €

Billing information
Application Fees:
60, - € - for all degrees in full-time and part-time form of study: electronic application from vsportal.sk or paper application
57, - € - for all degrees in full-time and part-time form of study: electronic application from www.fpvmv.umb.sk

The invoice data (also published on the website www.platby.umb.sk):

1. Payment of the fee from EU countries:
Account name: Univerzita Mateja Bela v Banskej Bystrici
Name and address of the bank: Štátna pokladnica, Radlinského 32, 810 05 Bratislava 15
Account number /IBAN: SK75 8180 0000 0070 0009 5590
SWIFT/BIC: SPSRSKBA
VS (variable symbol): 4031 (for applicants for bachelor's studies)
4032 (for applicants for master's studies)
4033 (for applicants for PhD. study)
CS (constant symbol): 0308 – cashless payments
SS (specific symbol): presonal identification number (applicants from the Slovak Republic)
date of birth in the form DDMMYY (foreigns applicants)
Message to the recipient: name and surname of the applicant

2. Payment of the fee through an intermediary bank from third countries:
Account name: Univerzita Mateja Bela v Banskej Bystrici
Name and address of the bank: Všeobecná úverová banka, a. s., Mlynské Nivy 1,
829 90 Bratislava
Account number/IBAN: SK75 8180 0000 0070 0009 5590
SWIFT/BIC: SUBASKBXXXX
VS (variable symbol): 4031 (for applicants for bachelor's studies)
4032 (for applicants for master's studies)
4033 (for applicants for PhD. study)
CS (constant symbol): 0308 – cashless payments
SS (specific symbol): presonal identification number (applicants from the Slovak Republic)
date of birth in the form DDMMYY (foreigns applicants)

Message for recipient: name and surname of the applicant

Payment of the fee for the admission procedure must be made by the applicant for study or a person authorized by him / her by bank transfer no later than on the last day when it is possible to send the application for study. An application for studies without a paid fee in the specified amount for the admission procedure will not be accepted.

Payment by postal order is not accepted due to the impossibility of identifying the payer in the university's information system.

Always up-to-date news about university Matej Bel University in Banská Bystrica on your email.
We will send you all the information about important events and deadlines.

Send me news

Detail of the study program

 
 
Chystáš sa študovať na vysokej škole na Slovensku? Teraz môžeš získať štipendium až 9 000 € počas prvých troch rokov štúdia. More information

Detail of the study program

helpDesk

0911 154 882
0910 288 664
037 / 6414881
037 / 6414890
(7.30 - 15.30 h.)

helpdesk

Responsibility for content: Anna Kyseľová – anna.kyselova@umb.sk
Last update: 24.10.2024 13:39

Draw attention to not topical data