The Department of Political Science, Law, and International Studies (SPGI) brings together 76 scholars in Political Science, Law, History, Political Philosophy, Sociology, foreign languages and culture. Academic fellows cover the following fields of research: European Public Policies and Public Management; Political Science; Genders Studies; Global Studies; Governance and Regulation Theories and Models; History of International Relations; Human Rights; International Law; Institutional and Normative processes dealing with person, family, market, work and welfare; Legal theory; Modern and Contemporary History; Regional studies; Relationships between languages and institutions.

The Department of Political Science, Law, and International Studies offers the following courses:

• 4 First-cycle degrees: Political Science, Economic Law, Political Sciences International Relations and Human Rights, and Social work (qualifying for welfare officers).
• 5 Second-cycle degrees: European and Global Studies, Human Rights and Multi-Level Governance (both entirely taught in English), Government Sciences and Public Policies, International Relations and Diplomacy,  and Innovation and Social Work.
• 3 Short specialisation degrees: Sustainable local development management; European Integration: Policies and Community Design; Innovation, Design and Evaluation of Policies and Services.
• 3 Seasonal Schools

The Department of Political Science, Law, and International Studies is the administrative seat and promotes and manages two Research Centres:

• Research Centre for Legal-Environmental and Ethical-Social Decisions on Emerging Technologies (CIGA)
• Research Centre for Regional Studies "Giorgio Lago" (CISR)

The Department offers a Ph.D programme on International Law, Private Law and Labour Law, and it collaborates with the Ph.D programme in Philosophy.
In addition it contributes, through the activity of some of its scholars, to the following Ph.D programmes:

• Human Rights, Society and Multi-Level Governance (University of Padova)
• History (University of Padova)
• Sociology and Social Research (University of Bologna)
• Political Science and Sociology (Scuola Normale Superiore, Firenze)

The Department promotes internationalisation in research and in external relations by operating as a structure hosting the research activities of foreign scholars who are beneficiaries of various grants. Every year, in keeping with its policy of promoting internationalisation, SPGI offers students the opportunity to attend Seasonal Schools organised in collaboration with academic institutions or other international organisations. The Department is particularly sensitive to the needs of internationalisation of teaching and research, contributing to the formulation of policy making and opinion making at local and national levels.