The BSc MS&T students can customise their educational journey to some extent. The flexibility is embedded at programme level through two specialisations (Public Administration and Global and European Studies, 30EC each), and an elective semester (30 EC). The programme offers also a joint degree specialisation “Public Governance Across Borders” (PGaB) jointly with the University of Münster[2.4.1].
At the module level, the programme offers an Excellence/STAR trajectory and incorporates the opportunity to adapt the topic of the project component according to the interest of the student groups. Students receive guidance and support in making choices aligned to their interests, including advice and consultation from the study advisor and discussions with the tutors within the project groups.
Students have also the option to pursue an extra-curricular honours programme comprising 30 EU across three semesters. This programme is outside the scope of the current accreditation as it is a UT-wide programme.
Freedom of choice at programme level: specialisations and electives
The BSc MS&T students can choose between two specialisations in Q7 and Q8, namely a) Public Administration and b) Global and European Studies. These specialisations contribute to achieving the ILOs 1.1a (knowledge and comprehension of the interdisciplinary foundations of public administration and 1.1.b (multi-level nature of public administrations and governance). The specialisations help students orient themselves towards pursuing master programmes, such as MSc Public Administration and MSc European Studies.
Electives semester. In Q9 and Q10 students can customise their learning and educational experience by following university and faculty- wide minors, pursuing study abroad and exchange programmes, or engaging in an internship.
- University-wide minor modules focus on subjects that align with the multi- and inter-disciplinary profile of the University of Twente. Examples include ‘Science to Society’ and ‘Smart Solutions for Sustainable Cities’.
- BMS Faculty-wide minor modules provide introductions to other programmes offered in BMS such as Business Administration or Communication Science or are developed at the faculty-level in cooperation across different departments, such as ‘Regional Sustainable Development’, ‘Psychology of Safety’, or ‘Circular Economy Transition’.
- Study abroad and exchange programmes. Students can pursue an Erasmus Mundus exchange programme or follow courses in a programme offered by an accredited partner university. Study abroad is supported by the BMS faculty international office.
- Internships. Students can pursue a 15 EC or a 30 EC internship with a (semi)public organisation to strengthen their practical experience. Internships are supported by an MS&T internal internship coordinator. During their internship, the students are supervised by a faculty member who advises them in regard to the research project and the internship report.
Freedom of choice at module level: excellence trajectory and project research
Excellence trajectory/STAR programme. Excellent and highly motivated students who wish to be further challenged during the module can follow a more advanced form of the project throughout modules M2-M6. Students apply separately for this trajectory and are selected on the basis of achievement and motivation. Successful completion of three modules in the STAR trajectory leads to a notification on the student’s diploma supplement.
Within modules, the projects are developed in such a way that students customise the topic of the project to a research problem of their interest, provided that the learning goal(s) of the module are attained. For example, in Module 4 Public Management, students analyse the impact of technology on the performance of a particular (semi)public organisation of their own choice and conduct field research in that specific organisation.
Joint degree specialization Public Governance across Borders
The accredited joint degree specialisation Public Governance across Borders (PGaB) is offered together with the University of Münster. The specialisation is accredited separately and has been recently accredited by the German Accreditation Office AQAS.
Profile: The joint degree PGaB builds on the understanding of the concept of governance as a reflection of the paradigm shift between government to governance. Political-administrative systems provide the democratic foundation for policy decisions and administer the implementation of these decisions. This paradigm shift acknowledges that societal actors such as the private sector, networks, individual citizens, are involved in the decisions concerning the provision of (semi)public goods and in the (global, European, national, regional, national, local) implementation of these decisions, with possible consequences for democratic legitimacy and for the preservation of the public interest.
The cross-border character of public governance is particularly relevant for students as future (semi) public sector professionals. This specialisation provides the knowledge and skills needed to understand the mechanisms behind building cooperation across governance levels, across countries and states. Grasping the logic of the complex institutional development of modern political-administrative systems in a cross-border context equips students with the academic thinking needed to contribute to the solving of complex/wicked problems across borders which characterise increasingly current society.
First-year curriculum in Münster. Students follow their first year in Münster. The diagram in appendix 1 presents the core components of the first-year curriculum of the PGaB specialization.
[2.4.1] The PGaB BSc programme has been recently re-accredited by the German Agentür Für Qualitätssicherung Durch Accredietierung von Studiengängen E.V. (A.Q.A.S) until 30 June 2029 following procedure No. 320226