It is the largest Italian university department in the field of Political and Social Sciences (the so-called Area 14 of the scientific sectors classification elaborated by the Italian Ministry of Education, Universities and Research) and the only one focusing on political sciences that has been awarded the title of “Department of excellence” by the Italian Ministry of Education.
On a global scale, it contributes to placing the University of Bologna in the top 100 universities in the world in the field of Politics and Internal Relations. The department provides courses in all the main disciplines studying political and social phenomena. It offers two Bachelor’s and eight Master's degree programmes in the two campuses of Bologna and Forlì.