Social Sciences & Law

PhD in Politics & International Studies in Europe

Explore 1+ programs from leading European universities — compare fees, duration, and entry requirements.

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PhD programs in Politics & International Studies from 1 universities · updated for 2026

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A PhD in Politics & International Studies in Europe is a 3–5 year research degree — and one of the most financially accessible doctoral paths in the world. In Northern and Western Europe, PhD positions are typically employment contracts: you receive a monthly stipend (commonly €1,200–€2,500 depending on country) plus social security and healthcare, rather than paying tuition or taking on debt. You begin original research immediately, without the coursework years required by the US system.

Dedicated funding programs strengthen that picture: the EU's Marie Curie Doctoral Networks offer stipends above €3,000/month to cohorts of early-stage researchers; the European Research Council (ERC) backs individual projects at leading universities; and national schemes — Germany's DFG, France's CIFRE, the Netherlands' NWO — fund doctoral researchers directly. Many Politics & International Studies PhD programs run entirely in English, and some offer cotutelle agreements allowing joint supervision with a university in your home country.

Explore the Politics & International Studies doctoral programs below to find research groups, supervisors, and funding packages that match your academic profile. PhD applications typically require a research proposal and a CV — reaching out to a potential supervisor before applying is strongly recommended.

Featured PhD Programs in Politics & International Studies

A selection of programs available across Europe — explore details, fees, and requirements.

Political Sciences

Kaunas University of Technology – KTU Kaunas, Lithuania

PhD English 4 years

EU: €12,680 Per year Non-EU: €12,680

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Political Sciences Kaunas University of Technology – KTU

Delivered jointly across three institutions, this doctoral program focuses on developing a deep understanding of public policy, administration, and political processes, alongside applying advanced research methods. It builds independent research skills, critical thinking, and the competencies essential for policymaking and improving the public sector. Current research topics include comparative research on risk, security, and societal resilience, a comparative analysis of centralized versus decentralized anti-corruption policies across countries, democracy and governance, the relationship between responsibility and resilience in public governance under complexity, and the connections between political culture, societal vulnerabilities, and democracy.

Core coursework covers methodology and research methods in politics, alongside a specialized seminar in political science methodology and research, providing essential grounding in the field. Students can further individualize their studies through a wide range of elective modules, including contemporary analytical and continental political philosophy, the mediatization of politics, the modeling of political systems, nationalism and politics, new media and political participation, political communication analysis, the political development of post-Soviet states, the political system and public policy of the European Union, public policy and governance research, security studies after the Cold War, the theoretical background of foreign policy analysis, and theories of international relations.

Alongside these subject-specific modules, students build core research competencies through a dedicated set of skills modules, including academic and technical research writing, design thinking in research, digital tools for research writing and publication, research data management, research ethics, grant management for research projects, science communication for public audiences, and systematic literature review methods.

Applicants must hold a master's degree or an equivalent higher education qualification.

Admission is based on a weighted competition score combining the applicant's scientific publications, scored on a ten-point scale (20%), an assessment of their proposed scientific research project (40%), the grade point average from the diploma supplement of their master's degree or equivalent qualification (20%), and a motivational interview (20%). Applicants must score at least 7 points on the motivational interview component specifically in order to be admitted.

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