Franz Urban Pappi (born 1939) is one of the most influential political scientists in the German-speaking world. As a professor at the University of Mannheim (1990–2007), he had a lasting impact on empirical election research and political analysis and played a key role in establishing the Mannheim Centre for European Social Research (MZES).

His research focuses on voter behaviour, party competition and coalition processes – particularly in the context of the German electoral system. With his analysis of policy-motivated voting decisions (‘policy voting’), he made important contributions to the understanding of democratic decision-making processes.

Hans Albert (1921–2023) was a German social scientist and philosopher who is considered the most important German-speaking representative of critical rationalism. From 1963 to 1989, he held the chair of sociology and philosophy of science at the University of Mannheim.

In his seminal work, Treatise on Critical Reason (1968), Albert formulated the famous ‘Münchhausen trilemma’: the proof that all attempts at ultimate justification lead either to infinite regress, circular reasoning or dogmatism. Albert advocated a fallibilistic, criticism-oriented science that is theory-driven but always revisable – in philosophy, social science, law and politics alike. With his clear argumentation and interdisciplinary breadth, he was a central figure in the positivism dispute of the 1960s.

Otto Selz (1881–1943) was a pioneering German psychologist and philosopher who was one of the first to systematically research the structure of thought. After initially studying law, he turned to psychology and obtained his doctorate under Theodor Lipps in Munich. His most significant scientific achievement was the development of a theory of ‘ordered thought processes.’ Selz was convinced that thinking is not merely a reaction to stimuli, but rather proceeds in a structured manner according to certain laws – an idea that later had a major influence on cognitive psychology and the development of artificial intelligence.

From 1923, Selz taught at the Mannheim Business School, where he also served as rector. Due to his Jewish heritage, he was dismissed from his position in 1933 and emigrated to the Netherlands in 1939. There, he continued his scientific and educational work despite growing oppression. In 1943, Otto Selz was deported to Auschwitz and murdered there.

The Bachelor's degree in Sociology at the University of Mannheim was the perfect choice for me for several reasons. First of all, the combination of sociology and psychology is very exciting and has opened up many interesting new perspectives for me. In addition, the University of Mannheim offers many opportunities to broaden my horizons: for example, I spent my semester abroad in Ireland and got involved in one of the more than 50 student initiatives. I also gained my first practical experience as a research assistant. In addition to my studies, I particularly enjoyed the wide range of university sports on offer. My bachelor's degree now allows me to choose from a variety of specialised master's programmes – from data science to criminology. I decided to pursue an M.Sc. in Sociology: Social and Economic Psychology.

At the University of Mannheim, I was particularly impressed by the learning conditions, the proximity to research and the international atmosphere. Like many of my fellow students, I had the opportunity to work as a student assistant and spend time abroad during my studies. As a student assistant, I learned to better understand research processes and interpret results. My time abroad was an invaluable experience that broadened my horizons, not only from an academic perspective but also from a personal one. I am currently a doctoral student in the Department of Political Science at Johns Hopkins University (Baltimore, Maryland).

Studying psychology at the University of Mannheim was exactly the right choice for me! From the fourth semester onwards, you can choose your own specialisations and gain insight into a wide variety of areas of psychology. My personal highlight is the opportunity to study for a semester at a leading university abroad. There are numerous exchange programmes, which means that the sometimes immense tuition fees are waived – and the path to studying abroad is open to everyone!