Varieties of Democracy and Democratization

Education facts

Code: SK2222

In the wake of the Cold War, the word ‘democracy’ has begun to sound like a mantra, but what does it really mean? There is no consensus about how to conceptualize and measure it well enough to support meaningful and accurate comparisons through time and across countries. For policymakers, activists, academics, and citizens around the world, how democracy is conceptualized and measured matters. There is a large body of work in social science that deals with these issues, i.e., the nature, causes, consequences, and trajectories of democracy around the world. This course deals with the dynamics of democratization from the perspective of theoretical debates, and with analysis of historical experiences as well as with immediate policy questions. The course scrutinizes how democracy has been conceptualized, measured, even explained, and offers the opportunity to analyze comparative case studies and to provide in-depth analysis on the themes covered.

Entry requirements

Admission to the course requires 15 credits at the second cycle from the course SK2121 'Political Science Analysis' or a minimum of 15 credits from courses the first semester in the Master's Programme in European Studies or Master's Programme in International Administration and Global Governance. Applicants must prove their knowledge of English: English 6 or English level 2 from Swedish Upper Secondary School or the equivalent level of an internationally recognized test, for example TOEFL, IELTS.

Education offerings

Each offering has its own dates and conditions. Closed offerings are retained as history and do not mean that a new application is open.

• Varieties of Democracy and Democratization

  University of Gothenburg

  Start date: 26 March 2026

  End date: 7 June 2026

  Pace of study: 100 %