Political Science courses can help you learn about government structures, political theories, international relations, and public policy analysis. You can build skills in critical thinking, data interpretation, and effective communication, that support analyzing political systems and crafting informed arguments. Many courses introduce tools like statistical software for analyzing political data, simulation models for understanding electoral processes, and case study methods to evaluate policy impacts.

Università di Napoli Federico II
Skills you'll gain: Political Sciences, Policy Analysis, Critical Thinking, Research, Social Sciences, Systems Thinking, Governance, Sociology, Interactive Learning, Research Methodologies
Beginner · Course · 1 - 4 Weeks

University of London
Skills you'll gain: Diplomacy, International Relations, Crisis Intervention, Sustainable Development, Political Sciences, Public Policies, Social Justice, Governance, Advocacy, Policy Analysis, Human Development, World History, Case Studies
Beginner · Course · 1 - 3 Months

Università di Napoli Federico II
Skills you'll gain: International Relations, Political Sciences, Social Studies, Social Sciences, Diplomacy, World History, Research, Governance, Environmental Issue, Cultural Diversity, Intercultural Competence, Economics, Climate Change Adaptation
Beginner · Course · 1 - 4 Weeks

The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology
Skills you'll gain: Political Sciences, Public Policies, Policy Analysis, Social Sciences, International Relations, Socioeconomics, Economics, Economic Development, Governance, Culture
Beginner · Course · 1 - 3 Months

Università di Napoli Federico II
Skills you'll gain: Political Sciences, Policy Analysis, Social Sciences, Systems Thinking, Governance, World History, Research Methodologies, Case Studies
Beginner · Course · 1 - 4 Weeks

Sciences Po
Skills you'll gain: Oil and Gas, Energy and Utilities, Climate Change Mitigation, International Relations, Environmental Issue, Electric Power Systems, Natural Resource Management, Environmental Policy, Economics, Political Sciences, Market Dynamics, Sustainable Development
Beginner · Course · 1 - 3 Months
Utrecht University
Skills you'll gain: Lobbying, Political Sciences, Socioeconomics, Tax Laws, Civil Law, Social Sciences, Economics, Commercial Laws, Policy Analysis, Liberal Arts, Governance
Beginner · Course · 1 - 3 Months

O.P. Jindal Global University
Skills you'll gain: Policy Development, Political Sciences, Governance, Policy Analysis, International Relations, Public Policies, Social Justice, Economic Development, Public Administration, Law, Regulation, and Compliance, Case Studies
Build toward a degree
Beginner · Course · 1 - 3 Months

University of Amsterdam
Skills you'll gain: Qualitative Research, Scientific Methods, Statistical Analysis, Statistical Hypothesis Testing, Research, Research Design, Sampling (Statistics), Research Reports, Science and Research, Interviewing Skills, Data Analysis, Data Collection, Research Methodologies, Social Sciences, Surveys, Quantitative Research, Statistics, Regression Analysis, Statistical Inference, R Programming
Beginner · Specialization · 3 - 6 Months

Universiteit Leiden
Skills you'll gain: Political Sciences, International Relations, Sustainable Development, Socioeconomics, Economic Development, Governance, Policty Analysis, Research, and Development, Economics, Global Marketing, Cultural Diversity, Sociology, Analysis
Beginner · Course · 1 - 3 Months

University of California, Davis
Skills you'll gain: Social Network Analysis, Network Analysis, Data Wrangling, Natural Language Processing, Web Scraping, Social Sciences, Data Ethics, Databases, Artificial Intelligence, Research, Simulations, Big Data, Systems Thinking, Trend Analysis, Data Science, Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning (AI/ML), Research Methodologies, Machine Learning, Data Collection, Agentic systems
Beginner · Specialization · 3 - 6 Months

IBM
Skills you'll gain: Exploratory Data Analysis, Data Wrangling, Dashboard, Data Visualization Software, Data Visualization, SQL, Unsupervised Learning, Plotly, Interactive Data Visualization, Peer Review, Data Transformation, Supervised Learning, Jupyter, Data Analysis, Data Cleansing, Data Manipulation, Data Literacy, Generative AI, Professional Networking, Data Import/Export
Build toward a degree
Beginner · Professional Certificate · 3 - 6 Months
Top options include Political Economy of Institutions and Development from Universiteit Leiden, Moral Foundations of Politics from Yale University, and Understanding Political Concepts from the Università di Napoli Federico II. These courses explore political theory, governance, global politics, and public institutions.
Yes. Many political science courses offer a free audit option, which allows you to access video lectures and readings at no cost. To complete assignments or earn a certificate, you’ll need to upgrade or apply for financial aid.
You’ll learn how governments function, how political systems are structured, and how public policy is created and implemented. Topics may also include political ideologies, international relations, comparative politics, and the role of institutions and citizens in shaping political outcomes.
No prior background is required for most introductory courses. Many are designed for general learners and start with foundational concepts. More advanced or specialized courses may build on prior knowledge in law, economics, or history.
Yes. These courses are valuable for learners preparing for university study, professionals in public service, educators, or anyone interested in policy, governance, or international affairs. Earning a certificate can support applications for academic programs or enhance your understanding of current global issues.