Best Political Theory Programs

Ranked in 2021, part of Best Social Sciences and Humanities Schools

In political theory courses,

In political theory courses, students analyze major issues throughout political history, such as justice, power, equality and the relationship between human nature and politics. These are the top graduate schools for political theory. Read the methodology »

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2025 Best Political Science & Government Schools

College Factual looked at 591 colleges and universities when compiling its 2025 Best Political Science & Government Schools ranking. Combined, these schools handed out 47,686 degrees in political science & government to qualified students.

What's on this page: * Degree-Level Rankings

  • Best Overall Political Science & Government Schools List

Featured Political Science & Government Programs

Learn about start dates, transferring credits, availability of financial aid, and more by contacting the universities below.

BA in Political Science

Gain a solid understanding of American political history, the current political landscape, and the major political parties with this online bachelor's from Southern New Hampshire University.

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Choosing a Great Political Science & Government School

Best Political Science & Government Schools

In order to find the schools that are the best fit for you, you may want to filter to one of the degree levels below.

Pick Your Political Science & Government Degree Level

The political science school you choose to invest your time and money in matters. To help you make the decision that is right for you, we've developed a number of major-specific rankings , including this list of the Best Political Science & Government Schools. You can also filter this list by location to find schools closer to you.

In addition to College Factual's rankings, you may want to take a look at College Combat , our unique tool that lets you pit your favorite schools head-to-head and compare how they rate on factors that most interest you. When you have some time, check it out - you may want to bookmark the link so you don't forget it.

More information on how we come up with our rankings can be found here: College Factual's Data Methodology .

Best Schools for Political Science & Government in the United States

Although we recommend filtering by degree level first, you can view the list below to see which schools give the educational experience for the political science degree levels they offer. Only those schools that rank in the top 20% of all the schools we analyze get awarded with a place on this list.

25 Top Schools in Political Science

Georgetown crest

Any student who is interested in political science & government needs to look into Georgetown University. Georgetown is a very large private not-for-profit university located in the large city of Washington. A Best Colleges rank of #11 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means Georgetown is a great university overall.

There were about 308 political science & government students who graduated with this degree at Georgetown in the most recent data year. Degree recipients from the political science & government program at Georgetown University get $19,823 more than the standard graduate in this field when they enter the workforce.

Johns Hopkins crest

Johns Hopkins University is one of the finest schools in the country for getting a degree in political science & government. Located in the large city of Baltimore, Johns Hopkins is a private not-for-profit university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #6 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means Johns Hopkins is a great university overall.

There were about 159 political science & government students who graduated with this degree at Johns Hopkins in the most recent data year. Degree recipients from the political science & government major at Johns Hopkins University earn $58,731 more than the typical graduate in this field when they enter the workforce.

Southern New Hampshire University crest

University of Pennsylvania is a wonderful choice for students pursuing a degree in political science & government. UPenn is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the large city of Philadelphia. A Best Colleges rank of #2 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means UPenn is a great university overall.

There were roughly 133 political science & government students who graduated with this degree at UPenn in the most recent data year. Those political science & government students who get their degree from University of Pennsylvania receive $27,898 more than the standard political science grad.

Columbia crest

Columbia University in the City of New York is a wonderful choice for students pursuing a degree in political science & government. Columbia is a very large private not-for-profit university located in the city of New York. This university ranks 2nd out of 136 schools for overall quality in the state of New York.

There were roughly 308 political science & government students who graduated with this degree at Columbia in the most recent year we have data available. Degree recipients from the political science & government major at Columbia University in the City of New York earn $23,502 above the average college grad with the same degree shortly after graduation.

Duke crest

Duke is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the city of Durham. A Best Colleges rank of #7 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means Duke is a great university overall.

There were roughly 133 political science & government students who graduated with this degree at Duke in the most recent year we have data available. Political Science & Government degree recipients from Duke University earn a boost of approximately $17,395 above the typical earnings of political science & government graduates.

Harvard crest

Located in the midsize city of Cambridge, Harvard is a private not-for-profit university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #4 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means Harvard is a great university overall.

There were roughly 191 political science & government students who graduated with this degree at Harvard in the most recent year we have data available. Degree recipients from the political science & government program at Harvard University get $23,968 more than the typical college grad in this field when they enter the workforce.

UChicago crest

UChicago is a large private not-for-profit university located in the city of Chicago. A Best Colleges rank of #3 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means UChicago is a great university overall.

There were about 131 political science & government students who graduated with this degree at UChicago in the most recent data year. Those political science & government students who get their degree from University of Chicago earn $18,447 more than the average political science graduate.

GWU crest

Located in the large city of Washington, GWU is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population. This university ranks 2nd out of 7 colleges for overall quality in the state of District of Columbia.

There were roughly 469 political science & government students who graduated with this degree at GWU in the most recent data year. Those political science & government students who get their degree from George Washington University earn $21,713 more than the average political science grad.

Dartmouth crest

Located in the town of Hanover, Dartmouth is a private not-for-profit college with a moderately-sized student population. A Best Colleges rank of #12 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means Dartmouth is a great college overall.

There were about 153 political science & government students who graduated with this degree at Dartmouth in the most recent year we have data available. Degree recipients from the political science & government program at Dartmouth College get $35,043 above the typical college graduate with the same degree shortly after graduation.

Northwestern crest

Located in the small city of Evanston, Northwestern is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #5 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means Northwestern is a great university overall.

There were roughly 125 political science & government students who graduated with this degree at Northwestern in the most recent data year. Degree recipients from the political science & government major at Northwestern University earn $17,162 above the average graduate with the same degree shortly after graduation.

Notre Dame crest

Notre Dame is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the large suburb of Notre Dame. This university ranks 1st out of 41 colleges for overall quality in the state of Indiana.

There were roughly 190 political science & government students who graduated with this degree at Notre Dame in the most recent data year. Degree recipients from the political science & government degree program at University of Notre Dame get $17,741 above the average college graduate in this field when they enter the workforce.

UCLA crest

UCLA is a fairly large public university located in the large city of Los Angeles. This university ranks 4th out of 161 schools for overall quality in the state of California.

There were about 707 political science & government students who graduated with this degree at UCLA in the most recent year we have data available. Soon after graduation, political science degree recipients typically earn an average of $34,392 in their early careers.

Yale crest

Yale is a large private not-for-profit university located in the city of New Haven. This university ranks 1st out of 18 schools for overall quality in the state of Connecticut.

There were about 165 political science & government students who graduated with this degree at Yale in the most recent data year. Political Science & Government degree recipients from Yale University get an earnings boost of about $19,891 over the typical income of political science & government graduates.

UC Berkeley crest

Located in the city of Berkeley, UC Berkeley is a public university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #14 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means UC Berkeley is a great university overall.

There were roughly 492 political science & government students who graduated with this degree at UC Berkeley in the most recent data year. Degree recipients from the political science & government program at University of California - Berkeley earn $7,843 above the standard graduate with the same degree when they enter the workforce.

UW - Madison crest

UW - Madison is a very large public university located in the city of Madison. This university ranks 1st out of 46 colleges for overall quality in the state of Wisconsin.

There were roughly 391 political science & government students who graduated with this degree at UW - Madison in the most recent year we have data available. Those political science & government students who get their degree from University of Wisconsin - Madison make $4,488 more than the average political science graduate.

Cornell crest

Located in the small city of Ithaca, Cornell is a private not-for-profit university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #9 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means Cornell is a great university overall.

There were about 157 political science & government students who graduated with this degree at Cornell in the most recent data year. Those political science & government students who get their degree from Cornell University make $22,717 more than the typical political science grad.

U-M crest

Located in the medium-sized city of Ann Arbor, U-M is a public university with a very large student population. This university ranks 1st out of 56 schools for overall quality in the state of Michigan.

There were roughly 254 political science & government students who graduated with this degree at U-M in the most recent data year. Degree recipients from the political science & government program at University of Michigan - Ann Arbor get $2,127 more than the standard college grad in this field shortly after graduation.

The American University crest

Located in the city of Washington, The American University is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population. This university ranks 3rd out of 7 colleges for overall quality in the state of District of Columbia.

There were approximately 246 political science & government students who graduated with this degree at The American University in the most recent data year. Political Science & Government degree recipients from American University earn a boost of around $10,556 over the average earnings of political science & government graduates.

Boston College crest

Located in the small city of Chestnut Hill, Boston College is a private not-for-profit college with a large student population. This college ranks 3rd out of 63 schools for overall quality in the state of Massachusetts.

There were roughly 173 political science & government students who graduated with this degree at Boston College in the most recent data year. Degree recipients from the political science & government degree program at Boston College earn $9,189 above the standard college graduate with the same degree when they enter the workforce.

UMCP crest

Located in the large suburb of College Park, UMCP is a public university with a very large student population. This university ranks 2nd out of 35 colleges for overall quality in the state of Maryland.

There were approximately 345 political science & government students who graduated with this degree at UMCP in the most recent year we have data available. Those political science & government students who get their degree from University of Maryland - College Park earn $5,113 more than the standard political science graduate.

Vanderbilt crest

Located in the city of Nashville, Vanderbilt is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population. This university ranks 1st out of 41 colleges for overall quality in the state of Tennessee.

There were about 124 political science & government students who graduated with this degree at Vanderbilt in the most recent data year. Political Science & Government degree recipients from Vanderbilt University receive an earnings boost of around $9,268 over the average earnings of political science & government graduates.

Stanford crest

Located in the suburb of Stanford, Stanford is a private not-for-profit university with a large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #10 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means Stanford is a great university overall.

There were about 99 political science & government students who graduated with this degree at Stanford in the most recent year we have data available. Political Science & Government degree recipients from Stanford University get an earnings boost of around $21,722 above the typical income of political science & government majors.

NYU crest

NYU is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the large city of New York. This university ranks 3rd out of 136 colleges for overall quality in the state of New York.

There were approximately 248 political science & government students who graduated with this degree at NYU in the most recent data year. Degree recipients from the political science & government major at New York University earn $13,208 above the average college graduate in this field shortly after graduation.

USC crest

Located in the city of Los Angeles, USC is a private not-for-profit university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #13 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means USC is a great university overall.

There were roughly 139 political science & government students who graduated with this degree at USC in the most recent year we have data available. Graduates who receive their degree from the political science program make about $38,063 in their early career salary.

Northeastern crest

Located in the large city of Boston, Northeastern is a private not-for-profit university with a very large student population. This university ranks 6th out of 63 colleges for overall quality in the state of Massachusetts.

There were roughly 150 political science & government students who graduated with this degree at Northeastern in the most recent year we have data available. Political Science & Government degree recipients from Northeastern University get an earnings boost of approximately $14,941 above the average earnings of political science & government graduates.

Rest of the Top 50 Best Political Science & Government Schools

UC Davis crest

Additional Award Winners

This list shows the remainder of the colleges awarded a Best Political Science & Government Schools badge. Showing in this list means the college was ranked in the top 20% of the 591 different United States political science & government schools we analyzed.

Honorable Mentions

These are some additional schools worth mentioning that are also great but just didn't quite make the cut to earn our top Best Political Science & Government Schools award.

Political Science & Government by Region

View the Best Political Science & Government Schools for a specific region near you.

Other Rankings

Associate degrees in political science, master's degrees in political science, best value in political science & government, best for non-traditional students in political science & government, best online in political science & government, most popular online in political science & government, bachelor's degrees in political science, doctor's degrees in political science, highest paid grads in political science & government, best for veterans in political science & government, most popular in political science & government, most focused in political science & government.

View All Rankings >

Rankings in Majors Related to Political Science

Political Science & Government is one of 13 different types of Social Sciences programs to choose from.

Political Science Concentrations

View All Political Science Concentrations >

Most Popular Majors Related to Political Science

View All Political Science Related Majors >

Notes and References

  • The bars on the spread charts above show the distribution of the schools on this list +/- one standard deviation from the mean.
  • The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System ( IPEDS ) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) serves as the core of the rest of our data about colleges.
  • Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s ( College Scorecard ).
  • Credit for the banner image above goes to UKWiki at English Wikipedia .

More about our data sources and methodologies .

Popular Reports

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Doctor of Political Science and Government Programs in America

1-25 of 126 results

MIT School of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences

  • Cambridge, MA ·
  • Massachusetts Institute of Technology ·
  • Graduate School

Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Graduate School, CAMBRIDGE, MA.

Stanford University Department of Humanities and Sciences

  • Stanford, CA ·
  • Stanford University ·

Stanford University, Graduate School, STANFORD, CA.

Yale Graduate School of Arts and Sciences

  • New Haven, CT ·
  • Yale University ·
  • · Rating 4.5 out of 5   2 reviews

Yale University, Graduate School, NEW HAVEN, CT. 2 Niche users give it an average review of 4.5 stars. Featured Review: Master's Student says The resources at Yale are outstanding. While some of the required courses are slow-moving and less informative, I do have more academic freedom in my second year to the program to take classes that I... Read 2 reviews.

Kenneth P. Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences

  • University of Pittsburgh ·
  • Graduate School ·
  • PITTSBURGH, PA

American University

  • WASHINGTON, DC
  • · Rating 4.51 out of 5   163

School of Public Affairs

  • American University ·
  • · Rating 4 out of 5   6

Harvard Graduate School of Arts and Sciences

  • Harvard University ·
  • · Rating 4.56 out of 5   9 reviews

Harvard University, Graduate School, CAMBRIDGE, MA. 9 Niche users give it an average review of 4.6 stars. Featured Review: Other says I am Harvard Extension School student pursuing a master degree, ALM, in sustainability. I have achieved a 3.89 in this program so far and have qualified, applied, and accepted as a 'Special Student'... Read 9 reviews.

Princeton University

  • Princeton, NJ ·
  • · Rating 4 out of 5   4 reviews

Graduate School, PRINCETON, NJ. 4 Niche users give it an average review of 4 stars. Featured Review: Master's Student says The best part of the Princeton University mechanical engineering graduate degree is the excellent faculty that teach the courses. They are incredibly knowledgeable and also very willing to help... Read 4 reviews.

Sanford School of Public Policy

  • Durham, NC ·
  • Duke University ·
  • · Rating 4.75 out of 5   4 reviews

Duke University, Graduate School, DURHAM, NC. 4 Niche users give it an average review of 4.8 stars. Featured Review: Current Master's student says My academic experience at Duke has been the most rewarding in my life. What makes Duke so great is the opportunity through the Sanford Policy School to exchange and engage ideas with professors and... Read 4 reviews.

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Brown University Graduate School

  • Providence, RI ·
  • Brown University ·
  • · Rating 5 out of 5   4 reviews

Brown University, Graduate School, PROVIDENCE, RI. 4 Niche users give it an average review of 5 stars. Featured Review: Master's Student says This is my first semester in the biotechnology program. The program manager is helpful and commutative. I have found a great lab match for my research interests. My classes are interesting. I have... Read 4 reviews.

School of Arts & Sciences - University of Pennsylvania

  • Philadelphia, PA ·
  • University of Pennsylvania ·

University of Pennsylvania, Graduate School, PHILADELPHIA, PA.

Rice University School of Humanities

  • Houston, TX ·
  • Rice University ·

Blue checkmark. Rice University, Graduate School, HOUSTON, TX.

Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences

  • Evanston, IL ·
  • Northwestern University ·

Northwestern University, Graduate School, EVANSTON, IL.

College of Arts and Science

  • Nashville, TN ·
  • Vanderbilt University ·

Vanderbilt University, Graduate School, NASHVILLE, TN.

Washington University in St. Louis - Arts & Sciences

  • St. Louis, MO ·
  • Washington University in St. Louis ·

Washington University in St. Louis, Graduate School, ST. LOUIS, MO.

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  • Online Political Science and Government Programs
  • Public Administration Graduate Programs

College of Arts and Letters - University of Notre Dame

  • Notre Dame, IN ·
  • University of Notre Dame ·

University of Notre Dame, Graduate School, NOTRE DAME, IN. 2 Niche users give it an average review of 4.5 stars. Featured Review: Doctoral Student says The faculty at Notre Dame is excellent. The student to professor ratio makes for a wonderful one to one interaction between students and teachers. At Notre Dame, my interests, dreams, goals, research... Read 2 reviews.

Social Sciences Division - University of Chicago

  • Chicago, IL ·
  • University of Chicago ·
  • · Rating 3.75 out of 5   4 reviews

University of Chicago, Graduate School, CHICAGO, IL. 4 Niche users give it an average review of 3.8 stars. Featured Review: Master's Student says The University of Chicago offers many clubs you can attend. Do to COIVD most of the clubs meet online and some in person one day out of the week. There's boxing, archery, fencing, and one of my... Read 4 reviews.

Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences

  • Los Angeles, CA ·
  • University of Southern California ·

University of Southern California, Graduate School, LOS ANGELES, CA.

Cornell University College of Arts & Sciences

  • Ithaca, NY ·
  • Cornell University ·

Cornell University, Graduate School, ITHACA, NY.

Rackham School of Graduate Studies

  • Ann Arbor, MI ·
  • University of Michigan - Ann Arbor ·
  • · Rating 4.86 out of 5   7 reviews

University of Michigan - Ann Arbor, Graduate School, ANN ARBOR, MI. 7 Niche users give it an average review of 4.9 stars. Featured Review: Master's Student says The Landscape Architecture program at UMich School for Environment and Sustainability is rooted in advancing sustainable design and ecological function, rather than pure aesthetics. We have some... Read 7 reviews.

Graduate School of Arts & Sciences - Georgetown University

  • Nw Washington, DC ·
  • Georgetown University ·
  • · Rating 5 out of 5   2 reviews

Georgetown University, Graduate School, NW WASHINGTON, DC. 2 Niche users give it an average review of 5 stars. Featured Review: Master's Student says The program is highly practical. The professors explain concepts in class and give us home works to submit on each topic discussed on a weekly basis. This enables us to grasp the concepts more. We... Read 2 reviews.

UCLA College of Letters and Science

  • University of California - Los Angeles ·
  • · Rating 3 out of 5   1 review

University of California - Los Angeles, Graduate School, LOS ANGELES, CA. 1 Niche users give it an average review of 3 stars. Read 1 reviews.

Krieger School of Arts & Sciences

  • Baltimore, MD ·
  • Johns Hopkins University ·
  • · Rating 4.52 out of 5   21 reviews

Johns Hopkins University, Graduate School, BALTIMORE, MD. 21 Niche users give it an average review of 4.5 stars. Featured Review: Master's Student says Starting this fall, my graduate journey is set to begin on an exciting note. I’ve already connected with two professors who have proven to be incredibly supportive and kind. I can't wait to dive into... Read 21 reviews.

The Graduate School of Arts & Sciences - University of Virginia

  • Charlottesville, VA ·
  • University of Virginia ·
  • · Rating 4 out of 5   1 review

University of Virginia, Graduate School, CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA. 1 Niche users give it an average review of 4 stars. Featured Review: Alum says Very good in some areas, excellent in other areas, many academic choices available in all areas of study Read 1 reviews.

Laney Graduate School

  • Atlanta, GA ·
  • Emory University ·

Emory University, Graduate School, ATLANTA, GA. 2 Niche users give it an average review of 5 stars. Featured Review: Master's Student says I chose the graduate programs at Emory because they are ranked among the best in the country. The school of nursing also provides the clinical experiences, something many of the online only nurse... Read 2 reviews.

UC Berkeley College of Letters & Science

  • Berkeley, CA ·
  • University of California - Berkeley ·

Blue checkmark. University of California - Berkeley, Graduate School, BERKELEY, CA.

College of Arts & Sciences - University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

  • Chapel Hill, NC ·
  • University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill ·

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Graduate School, CHAPEL HILL, NC.

College of Social Sciences & Humanities - Northeastern University

  • Boston, MA ·
  • Northeastern University ·
  • · Rating 1 out of 5   2 reviews

Northeastern University, Graduate School, BOSTON, MA. 2 Niche users give it an average review of 1 stars. Read 2 reviews.

Braniff Graduate School of Liberal Arts

  • University of Dallas ·

University of Dallas

  • · Rating 4.27 out of 5   11

Miami University

  • · Rating 4.59 out of 5   32

Showing results 1 through 25 of 126

Graduate Program

Pushing the Scholarly Frontier

PhD in Political Science

Our doctoral students are advancing political science as a discipline. They explore the empirical phenomena that produce new scholarly insights—insights that improve the way governments and societies function. As a result, MIT Political Science graduates are sought after for top teaching and research positions in the U.S. and abroad. Read where program alumni are working around the world.

How the PhD program works

The MIT PhD in Political Science requires preparation in two of these major fields:

  • American Politics
  • Comparative Politics
  • International Relations
  • Models and Methods
  • Political Economy
  • Security Studies

We recommend that you take a broad array of courses across your two major fields. In some cases, a single course may overlap across the subject matter of both fields. You may not use more than one such course to "double count" for the course distribution requirement. Keep in mind that specific fields may have additional requirements.

You are free to take subjects in other departments across the Institute. Cross-registration arrangements also permit enrollment in subjects taught in the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences at Harvard University and in some of Harvard's other graduate schools.

Requirements

1. number of subjects.

You will need two full academic years of work to prepare for the general examinations and to meet other pre-dissertation requirements. Typically, a minimum of eight graduate subjects are required for a PhD.

2. Scope and Methods

This required one-semester seminar for first-year students introduces principles of empirical and theoretical analysis in political science.

3. Statistics

You must successfully complete at least one class in statistics.
You must successfully complete at least one class in empirical research methods.

5. Philosophy

You must successfully complete at least one class in political philosophy.

6. Foreign language or advanced statistics

You must demonstrate reading proficiency in one language other than English by successfully completing two semesters of intermediate-level coursework or an exam in that language, or you must demonstrate your knowledge of advanced statistics by successfully completing three semesters of coursework in advanced statistics. International students whose native language is not English are not subject to the language requirement.

7. Field research

We encourage you to conduct field research and to develop close working ties with faculty members engaged in major research activities.

8. Second Year Paper/workshop

You must complete an article-length research paper and related workshop in the spring semester of the second year. The second-year paper often develops into a dissertation project.

9. Two examinations

In each of your two elected fields, you must take a general written and oral examination. To prepare for these examinations, you should take at least three courses in each of the two fields, including the field seminar.

10. Doctoral thesis

As a rule, the doctoral thesis requires at least one year of original research and data collection. Writing the dissertation usually takes a substantially longer time. The thesis process includes a first and second colloquium and an oral defense. Be sure to consult the MIT Specifications for Thesis Preparation as well as the MIT Political Science Thesis Guidelines . Consult the MIT academic calendar to learn the due date for final submission of your defended, signed thesis.

Questions? Consult the MIT Political Science Departmental Handbook or a member of the staff in the MIT Political Science Graduate Office .

UCLA Political Science

Ph.D. Program

Thank you for visiting the graduate program website and for giving us the opportunity to introduce ourselves. We take special pride in our Department’s high national ranking in the discipline — and in the shared determination of our faculty to continue to build an exciting intellectual community. Our graduate program combines outstanding faculty and students, a broad-ranging curriculum oriented toward research, and the resources of one of the nation’s great universities. In addition to housing many leading departments in the social science, humanities and natural sciences, UCLA offers one of the world’s foremost research libraries, exceptional computing facilities, and an extensive network of interdisciplinary centers and institutes that foster linkages across disciplinary boundaries.

Our Department is a fairly large one, staffed by approximately 45 core faculty. Each year we aim for an entering class of about 15 to 20, which allows for considerable personal attention to each of our students. Currently, we have about 150 students in residence. We consider ourselves a “full service” department: our large and intellectually diverse faculty offers coursework and opportunities for research in all of the major sub-fields of the discipline. In addition, our graduate students have found that our curriculum facilitates intensive study in a number of cross-cutting areas – empirical and theoretical, contemporary and historical. Among these interdisciplinary concentrations are political economy, American political development, race and politics, and the philosophical, historical, and literary dimensions of political theory. Because UCLA is home to a large number of centers for language and area studies our students often focus their doctoral research on the politics of specific world regions while drawing theoretical and empirical leverage from sources that transcend conventional boundaries.

Our emphasis on rigorous academic training and independent research creates a diverse and intellectually exciting graduate student community. Most of our doctoral graduates go on to careers in academic institutions, but many have also found challenging employment in the public sector or in private organizations that emphasize research and analytic skills. In the past decade or so, our graduates have obtained tenure-track academic positions at Princeton, Yale, Harvard, Harvard’s Kennedy School, Stanford, Pittsburgh, Rochester, Michigan, UC Berkeley, and UC San Diego. Others have joined such institutions as the World Bank, the State Department, the Federal Reserve Bank, RAND, and the Carnegie Endowment.

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