Why study Political Science in Greifswald? There are many answers - and you have probably already heard most of the common ones. We from the Department Student Council for Political Science and Communication Studies would like to try to answer this question from a student perspective.

On the one hand, there is the Department, probably the smallest unit of the university cosmos. In Greifswald, ours is also called “IPK” for short. This stands for “Department of Political and Communication Science” or in German “Institut für Politik- und Kommunikationswissenschaft”. The IPK is a relatively small Department and as such offers much of what most students are looking for: for example, close contact with lecturers and a good staff:student ratio. In Greifswald, this is not only reflected in the numbers, but also in the very pleasant working atmosphere at the Department, which - as far as this is possible at a university - is almost a family atmosphere. You might bump into your professor in the pub after a lecture and he might greet you by name. In general, there are probably only a few study locations where the university is so integrated into the town - or almost the other way around. There are reasons why they say Greifswald is a university with a town around it.

And that's the next point: the town of Greifswald. Anyone who wants to study in Greifswald and announces this in advance is often asked where it is and whether they have thought it through. And that's quite right: you have to be aware that Greifswald is a small town and that there are no big cities or similar in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. But that's also an advantage: whether on the town's beach or the fine sandy beach of Lubmin, which is not far away - Greifswald is unbeatable in summer. You can be in the countryside and especially next to the water in no time at all. The slogan “Study where others go on holiday” is true to Greifswald. After all, Usedom and Rügen are just around the corner. Even within the town, there are usually only very short distances to cover. And the town also has a lot to offer outside of studying, especially considering its size. Of course, you can't compare Greifswald with Leipzig or Münster - but why should you? The city has its very own (Hanseatic) charm. With lots of small pubs, a huge number of cyclists, the screeching of seagulls and - at least in winter - the typical North German grubby weather. But you will be compensated for this by the weather in summer and the IPK all year round.

Incidentally, many older students like to say: “You come to Greifswald with tears in your eyes and you leave with tears in your eyes” - because anyone who has really got to know Greifswald is sure to become fond of some aspects of the town. That's the way it is.

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