Economics and Politics (Bachelor of Social Sciences)

About the course

A 210-ECTS programme taught in English that combines economics and political science: three years of study followed by a half-year bachelor thesis. Courses include comparative politics, political economy, public finance, game theory, econometrics, and international economics and trade. There is an optional double degree with BI Norwegian Business School, as well as exchange options with more than 100 partner universities.

Entry requirements for Irish students

• ISM lists the Irish Leaving Certificate as an accepted school-leaving qualification, and current-year students can apply with a provisional certificate. ISM does not publish a minimum Leaving Cert grade. Foreign qualifications need recognition, either an SKVC decision or ISM’s own recognition procedure. Confirm with ISM admissions how your grades will be assessed.
• Selection is based on a motivation letter and an online interview of about 15 minutes. Early-round applicants with a conditional offer can sit a scholarship test in Mathematics, English and Logic. The course includes econometrics and game theory, so good Leaving Cert Maths is useful.
• English: accepted proof includes the ISM English test (55+), IELTS 6.0, TOEFL iBT 60, Cambridge B2 (169+), PTE Academic 52 or Duolingo 115. The Admissions Committee may exempt applicants whose previous education was taught entirely in English, so do not assume Leaving Cert English counts.

How to apply

1. Apply onlineApply at apply.ism.lt and pay the EUR 100 fee. Upload ID, a photo, your mark sheet from the last 1.5 years, a motivation letter and English test results if you have them. The 2026 dates were: early round closing 30 April, main round for visa-free applicants closing 24 July.
2. InterviewTake the online interview of about 15 minutes on Microsoft Teams.
3. Scholarship testIf you applied in the early round and received a conditional offer, sit the Maths, English and Logic test for a scholarship of up to 50%.
4. Confirm your placeSign the contract and pay the advance. Agree with ISM when you will send your final Leaving Cert results, as these come out after 1 August.

Costs

• ISM lists a standard fee of EUR 7,140 a year (EUR 3,570 a semester). ISM scholarships of up to 50% can bring this down to EUR 3,570 a year. There is a EUR 100 application fee. To accept a place you pay an advance: EUR 500 in the early round (non-refundable, but credited towards tuition) or one semester’s tuition in the later rounds. There are no tuition-free places. Check the 2027/28 fee with ISM.

At a glance