Political Science, IR, etc.

College Search & Selection
21

<p>Besides those universities that have already been mentioned, I have something to add.</p>

<p>Sciences-Po Paris: this is my first choice. they have a specific program in like Political Science and everything for two years, then you go abroad for a year (to work in internships related to the field, or study at a university), and on the last two years you study your master's degree. They also have some satellite campuses around France, which program focus on the politics and history of one area of the world. It is only the first two years, then you go abroad for a year, and the master's degree is in Paris:</p>

<p>Satellite Campuses</p>

<p>While all of Sciences Po's graduate programs are taught in Paris, the school has four additional undergraduate campuses in France. As of 2006, a third of the undergraduate student body (or roughly 600 students) were attending classes outside of Paris. Each of the four campuses has its own distinct cultural identity and academic focus. They are designed to widen the academic concentration of the wider Sciences Po community, and allow students enrolled in the three-year Sciences Po undergraduate program, the premier cycle, to specialize in a given region. Students who wish to study at either of the four satellite campuses usually need to apply directly to the campus in question, each of which maintain separate admissions policies and procedures from that of Sciences Po's Paris campus. Upon completing their undergraduate studies by spending a year abroad, all students usually move to Paris for their graduate studies (the Cycle du dipl?me).</p>

<p>As the satellite campuses are part of Sciences Po Paris, their official designations always include the word "Paris" in order to distinguish them from the so-called "IEP de province". "IEP de province" are local political studies programs offered by other French universities. Examples include Sciences Po Bordeaux or Sciences Po Grenoble. By contrast, Sciences Po Paris' Dijon campus is officially named Sciences Po Paris in Dijon.
Image:Facade 1eCycle2.jpg
Sciences Po Paris ? Dijon East-European campus, main building</p>

<p>[edit] East-European Undergraduate Program</p>

<p>The East-European Undergraduate Program is located in Dijon, which is the capital of the Burgundy region of France. The area is renowned for its winemaking and gastronomic heritage. The campus, opened in 2001, recruits students from more than twenty-five nationalities, including Hungary, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Poland, Bulgaria, Russia, and France. This premier cycle initiates students into the challenges of the widened European Union, and Central European politics and history. Courses are taught in English and French, but students must also study at least one Central-European language (either Czech, Hungarian or Polish).</p>

<p>[edit] French-German Undergraduate Program</p>

<p>The French-German Undergraduate Program is located in Nancy, which is at the centre of the Lorraine region of France, and maintains close ties to the German-speaking world given its proximity to the German border. Strasbourg and the European Parliament are also located nearby. This premier cycle focuses on the history of Franco-German relations, and its relevance for the future integration of the European continent. The main languages of instruction on campus are English, German, and French, and the student body is primarily made up of students from France and German-speaking countries.</p>

<p>[edit] Middle Eastern Undergraduate Program
Image:PhotoCampusdesFilles.jpg
Sciences Po's campus in Menton, main building</p>

<p>The Middle Eastern Undergraduate Program is located in Menton, a town on the French Riviera minutes from Monaco and the Italian border. This premier cycle gathers students from North Africa, the Middle East, the Gulf, Israel, and all European nations. In particular, it focuses on the study of relationships between the northern and southern sides of the Mediterranean, as well as the analysis of the links between Europe and the Middle East. Courses are taught in French, English, and Arabic.</p>

<p>[edit] Ibero-American Undergraduate Program</p>

<p>The Ibero-American Undergraduate Program is located in Poitiers, a small city in western France. This premier cycle specializes in the politics and history of Iberia and Latin America. Courses are taught in French, Spanish, Portuguese, and English. The majority of students come from Spain, Portugal, and Latin America.</p>

<p>I am more interested in the Ibero-American one, as I am Spanish, and it would also give me an opportunity to learn Portuguese.
I highly recommend Sciences-Po and its satellite campuses (which are btw much easier to get in, because everyone wants to go to Paris while few people decide to go to the satellite campuses). They've got great programs, you can learn languages (as the courses are often taught in 3-4 languages), and it allows you to meet people from that area of the world.
Of course, you need to know French (they test your knowledge of French by requiring the DALF, a much harder exam than the usual DELF (which is like the TOEFL)). I e-mailed them, and coming from American systems, they don't give a crap about standardized tests like SAT or ACT (like many European schools), but they do care about AP's (especially if you have the AP Int'l Diploma), so if you are thinking of applying there, take as many as you can. Oh, and like many European universities, they require an interview around mid-june (after having looked at your application), which is usualy done in Europe. For more info, PM me.</p>

22

<p>Columbia recently had the #1 Polisci department in the world.</p>

23

<p>"Columbia recently had the #1 Polisci department in the world."</p>

<p>Oh yeah Harvard also claims it has the best IR and Poli science/government department in the world
Princeton says its woodrow wilson school's also the #1
georgetown says it has THE BEST ir program in the country</p>

<p>who's right then?</p>

24

<p>If I had to rate the most consistently strong poli sci department in a variety of fields, I'd have to say that it's probably Harvard. I wouldn't call Columbia the top poli sci department under most circumstances.</p>

25

<p>It might be the strongest IR, but Harvard is just IMPOSSIBLE to get in to, so I'm talking about universities where REAL people actually have chances of getting in.</p>

26

<p>Oh, I wouldn't call it the strongest IR at all. In fact, I'd say that the strongest IR faculty is probably at SAIS. </p>

<p>Besides, some people do get in...</p>

27

<p>UC Berkeley, UCSD, and Stanford have strong IR programs in California.</p>

28

<p>As for the United Kingdom, I would agree with Oxbridge, St Andrews, and the LSE, but warn not to rely too heavily on general impressions of "the best" or formal rankings. Programs in the United Kingdom tend to be highly specialized and this is not often reflected in general assessments. For example, if you are interested in economics or political theory, then the LSE may be the place; for terrorism and political violence, St Andrews is far and away the best. This is important because the general education offered in the United States is almost nonexistent in United Kingdom (save for St Andrews, which structures their programs to offer more flexibility in course selection). As a result, you will be spending a lot of classroom hours within your department, which has its own inherent strengths and weaknesses. In short, I would think about specific interests (rather than wide fields like political science , international relations, or European studies) and then choose accordingly.</p>

29

<p>for students in American considering attending schools abroad -- keep in mind that financial is generally not available, so your parents would need to be in a position to not only afford the full fare international price, they would also have to agree to you attending there. Just thought I would mention that before someone falls in love with a school in France or England without realizing they could never pay to attend.</p>

30

<p>One big advantage of the European Union and UK universities is that EU citizens pay the home fee, which is 3,000p, compared to the international fee which is usually over 10,000p. Most universities in the UK (if not all) are public, and as such, do not give financial aid such as grants, although I think some scolarships are avaliable. As an EU citizen, even though I am following an US education, would save A LOT of money going ot the UK, so if there are any EU citizens over there studying an American system, keep in mind that UK universities are much cheaper, more compatible with US system than others in Europe (especially Scotland, the American system is based on the Scottish), and, if you are going to live in Europe, often are more presigious than American universities.</p>

31

<p>From :The current issue of FP magazine- Article Inside the ivory tower, </p>

<p>
[quote]
</p>

<p>For the first time, scholars were also asked to identify the best places to study international relations as an undergraduate. The list that emerges looks much like those for top graduate programs. But academics still value a liberal arts education. Several schools in the winner’s circle—such as Dartmouth, Swarthmore, and Williams—lack graduate programs in international relations.</p>

<p>According to them the top Undergrad programs for IR are:</p>

<p>Rank School Percent*
1 Harvard University 48
2 Princeton University 46
3 Stanford University 30
4 Georgetown University 28
5 Columbia University 28
6 Yale University 23
7 University of Chicago 21
8 University of California, Berkeley 12
9 Dartmouth College 11
10 George Washington University 10
11 American University 10
12 University of Michigan 9
13 Tufts University 8
14 Swarthmore College 8
14 University of California, San Diego 8
16 Cornell University 6
17 Brown University 6
18 Williams College 5
19 Duke University 5
19 Johns Hopkins University 5

[/quote]
</p>

<p><a href="http://www.foreignpolicy.com/story/cms.php?story_id=3718&page=1%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://www.foreignpolicy.com/story/cms.php?story_id=3718&page=1&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

32

<p>In 2003, Bowdoin College's Government and Legal Studies Department was named top College Political Science Department worldwide (<a href="http://www.bowdoin.edu/news/archives/1bowdoincampus/001355.shtml)%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://www.bowdoin.edu/news/archives/1bowdoincampus/001355.shtml)&lt;/a>. Note, that it says college. The list includes both universities and colleges, and on the complete list Bowdoin comes out to 123 (doesn't seem that great, but I <3 Bowdoin). The list was compiled by the London School of Economics. the article also contains some universities: </p>

<p>"The top five on the list are Harvard University, Stanford University, Columbia University, Yale University, and UCLA. Among the top non-U.S. institutions are the University of Oxford (11), the University of Toronto (13), the European University Institute in Italy (18), the University of Essex in England (25) and the London School of Economics and Political Science (35)."</p>

<p>I don't have a link to the actual list though...and this is just polysci, I don't really know which ones are renowned for IR or european studies</p>

33

<p>The American University of Paris is great for international and comparative politics. They offer the PPE program (from Cambridge), too, which looks nice on grad school applications, I hear.</p>