The Department of Government and Politics provides an energetic and supportive learning environment for students seeking a career in politics, governance and industry and for professionals wishing to update their knowledge and improve their governing skills.  Known for its student-friendly approach to education, the Department actively engages in research, conferences and mentoring which enrich the learning experience.  Situated in the School of Society, Politics and Ethics, within the College of Arts, Celtic Studies and Social Sciences, the Department of Government and Politics epitomises the changes afoot in the more globalised setting of governance, politics and business by operating with awareness of both the local picture and of the larger context.  Staff reflect this ‘multi-level’ approach to politics and business with expertise and professional connections that range from local and national politics, to international issues and global governance.  The Department is continually renewing its programmes to maintain this relevance and to translate the new opportunities of a new age into quality teaching for its students.

Its teaching programme includes: Gender Politics; Citizenship; Public Participation; Democracy Studies; Human Rights; Public Policy; Politics of the EU; Public Management; Political Ethics; Irish Politics; Conflict Resolution; Public Finance; Political Economy; International Political Systems; Globalisation; Multi-level Governance; Research Methods; African Studies; and US Politics. 

The Department has an expanding research and publishing agenda.  Staff members regularly publish in international journals.  They have produced a number of books and are involved in EU, PRTLI and other externally funded research programmes.  

The Department of Government and Politics aims at enhancing the overall educational and cultural experience of students during their stay at University College Cork. Modules are designed to maximize contact with other students of the Department, the majority of whom are in the BComm and BA programmes, but also includes many visiting students from abroad.  All our students are automatic members of the Government and Politics Society, which is the Department’s student society. It organises events throughout the year, including social outings, debates, guest speakers and the annual Government and Politics Society Ball, which is held during the spring semester.  In the past, the Department and the Society have been successful in inviting high profile guests to address the students on contemporary political issues. Such events give the students an opportunity to engage with high profile politicians.