Schools Strong in Political Science & International Relations?

College Search & Selection
1

<p>I'd prefer in the Northeast/Middle States and urban or suburban.</p>

2

<p>Tufts is the first one that comes to mind. George Washington and Georgetown as well.</p>

3

<p>Georgetown, American, Tufts, Syracuse, U Richmond, Drew, William and Mary, Princeton, Johns Hopkins, Brown, Swarthmore, Columbia, Yale, Connecticut College...tons of others.</p>

4

<p>MIT
Tufts
George Washington
Georgetown
American
Probably most of the Ivies</p>

5

<p>University of Chicago is rated very highly in International Studies, with sub specialties in numerous areas, i.e. Latin American Studies. They have great study abroad programs run by the University as well.</p>

6

<p>Clark University in Worcester, MA-- Government & International Relations is one of the most popular majors there.</p>

7

<p>thanks
and
bump</p>

8

<p>American is great, and doesn't get nearly the recognition it should.</p>

9

<p>"University of Chicago is rated very highly in International Studies, with sub specialties in numerous areas, i.e. Latin American Studies. They have great study abroad programs run by the University as well."</p>

<p>Really? I heard their study abroad programs suck. I went to U of C this summer to take Japanese and one of my RAs had been on both a U of C program (and said it sucked) and another program not by UChicago (and she loved it)</p>

<p>And one of my other RAs is now studying abroad outside of chicago hosted study abroad because she was told by many people that Chicago study abroad wasnt that good.</p>

<p>That being said, their international studies (esp. languages)are amazing.</p>

10

<p>My understanding is 'International Studies' is not quite the same thing as 'International Relations', kind of like how Neuroscience is not the same thing as Neurobiology. If anyone can, please elaborate, or tell me if I'm wrong.</p>

11

<p>Since it came up, at Chicago, international students and international relations are two different things. The first is an sort of interdisciplinary major (a very popular one, I may add) that emphasizes language and culture:</p>

<p><a href="http://www.college.uchicago.edu/internationalstudies/requirements.shtml%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://www.college.uchicago.edu/internationalstudies/requirements.shtml&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

<p>The second is a sudivision in the political science major that emphasizes foreign policies of different nations:</p>

<p><a href="http://political-science.uchicago.edu/undergrad-brochure.shtml#course_dis%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://political-science.uchicago.edu/undergrad-brochure.shtml#course_dis&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

<p>In terms of study abroad options, I've heard very good thing about some of our most popular programs (Barcelona, Paris, London, Vienna-- the Dean of Students, John Boyer, tags along and teaches a class). However, I do not think the programs are as extensive as those for other schools. Because Chicago has such a developed core curriculum and students have so many classes that they want to take on campus, I think there is less student interest for study abroad compared to other colleges. However, there's a big push to change that up, and one can fulfill core requirements in civilizations and go abroad at the same time.</p>

12

<p>Macalester in St. Paul, Goucher in Baltimore, also Lewis & Clark, but that's in Portland OR.</p>

13

<p>Tufts, JHU, Gtown, Pomona, Macalester, American, GWU</p>

14

<p>Macalester, American, GWU, Georgetown.</p>

<p>I'm majoring in international relations, and I'll be applying to these schools. All have notable international relations alumni (for instance, Kofi Annan attended Macalester)</p>

15

<p>If you use Fulbright Fellowships as a marker of good international relations programs, then here are some top schools:</p>

<p>University Ranking:
<a href="https://us.fulbrightonline.org/documents/chronicle_1.pdf%5B/url%5D"&gt;https://us.fulbrightonline.org/documents/chronicle_1.pdf&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

<p>LAC Ranking:
<a href="https://us.fulbrightonline.org/documents/chronicle_ba.pdf%5B/url%5D"&gt;https://us.fulbrightonline.org/documents/chronicle_ba.pdf&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

<p>
[quote]
The Fulbright Program aims to bring a little more knowledge, a little more reason, and a little more compassion into world affairs, and thereby to increase the chance that nations will learn at last to live in peace and friendship.

[/quote]

-Senator J. William Fulbright, August, 1946</p>

16

<p>UCSD is you want to consider the west coast.</p>

17

<p>Umm...Princeton's Woodrow Wilson School is the best IR track you will find as an undergrad. No question.</p>

18

<p>^^ Princeton WWS is great, many senior friends of mine at Princeton tell me so, but the only problem is that its not a sure deal for many students. You have to apply and be accepted to the program, and since it is very popular, there is a chance you won't get in. Imagine that while just trying to get admitted to the school in the first place!</p>

<p>Woodrow</a> Wilson School - Undergraduate Program - Admission</p>

19

<p>
[quote]
American is great, and doesn't get nearly the recognition it should.

[/quote]
</p>

<p>Agreed---especially in the area of international studies.</p>

20

<p>In schools that offer both international studies and international relations as majors (such as Penn) the difference is that IS focuses more on the studies of world regions in particular while IR is more on the actual political science/diplomacy stuff.</p>

<p>Other (lesser ;)) schools may use the two interchangeably</p>