<p>JHU has an amazing IR department. How is the school for other divisions within poli sci like American politics or political theory?</p>
<p>The international studies program at Johns Hopkins is quite world renowned, but the political science major is also excellent. In fact, the international studies program is an interdisciplinary major through the Department of Political Science. </p>
<p>Here is a great description of the undergraduate political science major: [Undergraduate</a> Program | Political Science Department | Johns Hopkins University](<a href=“http://politicalscience.jhu.edu/undergraduate/]Undergraduate”>Undergraduate | Political Science | Johns Hopkins University). " Students can focus on American politics, law and politics, comparative politics, International relations and political theory, but we hope all students will acquire fluency in several of these areas."</p>
<p>Full departmental major description: <a href=“http://politicalscience.jhu.edu/PDF/Political%20Science%20Program_10rev.pdf[/url]”>http://politicalscience.jhu.edu/PDF/Political%20Science%20Program_10rev.pdf</a></p>
<p>Other helpful resources to learn about the Poli Sci major:
Academic blog entry: [Academics</a> Blog Political Science](<a href=“http://blogs.hopkins-interactive.com/academics/category/political-science/]Academics”>http://blogs.hopkins-interactive.com/academics/category/political-science/)
Political Science discussion on the Hopkins Forums: [Political</a> Science](<a href=“http://www.hopkins-interactive.com/forums/major-specific-questions/political-science-370/]Political”>http://www.hopkins-interactive.com/forums/major-specific-questions/political-science-370/)</p>
<p>Also, one of the Hopkins Interactive students is a political science major:
JHU<em>Miranda: [Johns Hopkins University Office of Undergraduate Admissions - Student Life - Meet the Students - Miranda B.](<a href=“Hopkins Insider | Johns Hopkins University Admissions”>http://apply.jhu.edu/studentlife/meet</a></em>mirandab.html)
Her blog: [Miranda</a> Writes](<a href=“http://blogs.hopkins-interactive.com/miranda/]Miranda”>http://blogs.hopkins-interactive.com/miranda/)
And her personal message board thread: [Meet</a> JHU_Miranda - Culver City, CA](<a href=“http://www.hopkins-interactive.com/forums/meet-the-class-of-2013/meet-jhu_miranda-culver-city-ca/]Meet”>http://www.hopkins-interactive.com/forums/meet-the-class-of-2013/meet-jhu_miranda-culver-city-ca/)</p>
<p>Just to be clear (because the terms are often confused), Dan assumed (I believe correctly) that you were referring to the international studies program when you said “IR department.” As Dan explained, the undergraduate international studies program is administered by the Political Science Department as a separate major, but is actually an interdisciplinary program which combines international relations (a subfield of political science), economics, area studies and foreign languages. It is an excellent program, but no doubt it is favorably impacted by the fame of Hopkins’ Nitze School of Advanced International Studies, which is considered by many to be the best graduate school of international studies in the world. SAIS has no undergraduates–although Hopkins’ undergraduates occasionally take courses there and SAIS professors occasionally come to Homewood to teach a course. Also, some Hopkin’s undergraduates are admitted into a joint BA/MA program with SAIS each year (I was in that lucky group many years ago).</p>
<p>As to your direct question, the Political Science Department is considered very good–probably among the top 20 in the nation. It is not, however, among the top 5-10 departments (which is the case for many other departments at Hopkins). While this fact would be of interest/concern for people applying to for a PhD in political science, it frankly has little if any impact upon undergraduates. The department, while smaller than some of the most hightly ranked departments, is more than strong enough to meet the needs of any undergraduate considering majoring in political science. Hopkins’ department is strong enough that its top undergraduate majors gain admission to top graduate programs.</p>
<p>As an aside, the department almost never admits Hopkins political science majors to the PhD program. This is not because the faculty views them unfavorably, but because the department is so small that the faculty believes that students are better off being exposed to other faculty.</p>