The independent operation of Department of Political Science and Public Administration began in 1982, with the implementation of Law 1268/1982 (G.T.K. A', f. 87/16.7.1982). Until then, it had operated for many years in various forms, but without administrative autonomy, as part of the Law School. Initially, it operated as the Department of Political and Economic Sciences, as a separate ’direction“ (as we would say today) in the final year of studies. Later, it acquired a more autonomous status, always within the framework of the Law School, as the Department of Public Law and Political Sciences.
The Department has been taught, but also offers research and administrative services, by excellent academics who are no longer alive, such as Giorgos Papadimitriou (1944-2009) and Argyris A. Fatouros (1932-2011).
The Department's mission is to cultivate Political Science in five basic dimensions: the Political Analysis and Political Theory, International and European Studies, Administrative Science, Social Theory and Social Policy. The Department's curriculum seeks to train students in the fundamental concepts, basic methods and concerns that govern the systematic analysis of political, social, state and international phenomena.
The educational philosophy of the Department is expressed by the structuring of the curriculum in two consecutive phases, each lasting four semesters. In this way, students follow a curriculum that places Political Science, in terms of its basic parameters, in the more general field of Social Sciences, while at the same time offering a broader overview of the individual disciplines that make up its content.
The curriculum expresses the philosophy of the Department, which aims to combine, on the one hand, a comprehensive view of political science and, on the other, specialized knowledge in specific branches of it.
With this logic, it is envisaged three Study Cycles, which allow students to become familiar with one of the main areas of research and professional specialization of the Department. Thus, the Department aims to provide both general education, to the extent possible, and scientific specialization, while preparing its students for postgraduate studies.
In this way, the academic preparation of the Department's graduates for their professional employment in areas such as political analysis, political theory, sociology, social policy, international relations, Greek and international (especially EU) diplomacy, public administration and local government in national and international, private and public bodies, businesses, etc. is also ensured.
The Department includes four sectors:
- Department of Political Science
- Sector Department of Social Theory and Sociology
- Sector International and European Studies
- Sector Administrative Science and Public Law