<p>This is kind of related to the question below. I've just applied to USC for a PhD in political science. Looking at the national university rankings (usnews), it scores pretty highy, but as I'm finding out, this may not be an indication of a good programme in my particular discipline. Can anyone rate USC's PolSci/IR, or point me in the direction of sources that might be of interest?</p>
<p>Cheers</p>
<p>overall from USNews:
Rank/School Average assessment
score (5.0 = highest)
1. Harvard University (MA) 5.0
2. Stanford University (CA) 4.9
3. University of Michigan–Ann Arbor 4.8
4. Princeton University (NJ) 4.7
5. University of California–Berkeley 4.6
Yale University (CT) 4.6
7. University of California–San Diego 4.4
8. Duke University (NC) 4.3
University of Chicago 4.3
10. Columbia University (NY) 4.2
Massachusetts Institute of Technology 4.2
University of California–Los Angeles 4.2
13. Ohio State University 4.0
University of North Carolina–Chapel Hill 4.0
University of Rochester (NY) 4.0
16. University of Wisconsin–Madison 3.9
Washington University in St. Louis 3.9
18. Cornell University (NY) 3.8
New York University 3.8
University of Minnesota–Twin Cities 3.8
21. Northwestern University (IL) 3.6
22. Michigan State University 3.4
Texas A&M University–College Station 3.4
University of Illinois–Urbana-Champaign 3.4
25. Indiana University–Bloomington 3.3
University of Iowa 3.3
University of Texas–Austin 3.3
University of Washington 3.3
29. Emory University (GA) 3.2
Rice University (TX) 3.2
SUNY–Stony Brook 3.2
University of California–Davis 3.2
University of Maryland–College Park 3.2
University of Pennsylvania 3.2
35. Pennsylvania State University–University Park 3.1
University of California–Irvine 3.1
37. Florida State University 3.0
Johns Hopkins University (MD) 3.0
University of Arizona 3.0
University of Virginia 3.0
41. Georgetown University (DC) 2.9
George Washington University (DC) 2.9
Rutgers State University–New Brunswick (NJ) 2.9
University of Notre Dame (IN) 2.9
University of Pittsburgh 2.9
46. Brown University (RI) 2.8
University of Colorado–Boulder 2.8
48. Arizona State University 2.6
Claremont Graduate School (CA) 2.6
Syracuse University (NY) 2.6
University of California–Santa Barbara 2.6
University of Florida 2.6
Vanderbilt University (TN) 2.6
54. University of Georgia 2.5
University of Kansas 2.5
University of South Carolina–Columbia 2.5
University of Southern California 2.5
University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee 2.5 </p>
<p>From the International Politics rankings:
1. Harvard University (MA)
2. Stanford University (CA)
3. Columbia University (NY)
Princeton University (NJ)
5. University of Michigan–Ann Arbor<br>
6. University of California–San Diego<br>
7. Duke University (NC)
University of California–Berkeley<br>
9. University of Chicago<br>
10. New York University<br>
11. Yale University (CT)
12. Massachusetts Institute of Technology<br>
Ohio State University<br>
14. University of California–Los Angeles<br>
15. Cornell University (NY)
Pennsylvania State University–University Park<br>
17. University of Minnesota–Twin Cities<br>
18. Rice University (TX)</p>
<p>wow, pretty comprehensive!</p>
<p>depends on what you want to do in IR...from what i understand, USC is supposed to be a pretty good program, though, legitimately a top 25. i was considering applying there myself this year. i'd look at other "rankings", though, i always feel us news is pure reputation-based, though it tends to be fairly accurate. foreign policy magazine had one last year, and there's a good paper from 2005 by folks at the college of william and mary ranking the top IR PhD programs. if you want to teach, you really do want to go to a good school in your field (going to a great polysci school is fine, but for you, it's pointless if it is mediocre in IR).</p>
<p>No, it's US politics that is my specialism; It's just the two are combined at USC into one programme. I do eventually want to teach, so school reputation will of course be impt. I just happened to notice that USC was at the bottom of the list posted above.</p>
<p>oh, gotcha...but i will say, i've seen usc on top 25 IR lists, so i wouldn't worry too much.</p>
<p>Do you want to teach at a research university or at a LAC?</p>
<p>In other words, what's your passion? Research or teaching?</p>
<p>I'd like to teach eventually, but most of my experience is in research ie: completely research MPhil.</p>