About Our Department
The Department of Political Science at Washington University in St. Louis strives to be a preeminent hub of political science scholarship. We are widely recognized for our strengths in theory, methods, and our growing field of international relations. Our faculty are leading scholars in their fields, and our PhD students go on to be some of the most productive in the discipline. Our undergraduate student body at WashU is among the top in the country, and our majors have their choice of careers, graduate programs, and professional schools. The department is nationally and internationally recognized for its research productivity. As of 2023, our graduate program is ranked #12 nationally by the US News and World Report.
Research & Teaching
Our faculty specialize in a variety of research areas within political science, including American politics, formal theory, international conflict, international political economy, methodology, and political theory. Across all these areas, faculty regularly bring their expertise to both undergraduate and graduate students in the classroom. Students have regular opportunities to co-author publications and research with our faculty.
Community
The department regularly hosts lectures, workshops, and conferences to foster our intellectual community. Through becoming involved in residential life on the South 40, Faculty Associates and Faculty Fellows extend their interactions with students outside the classroom.
Commitment to Diversity and Inclusion
The Department of Political Science at Washington University is deeply committed to creating a diverse and inclusive learning environment, and to generating new scientific knowledge on diversity and equity in society. We believe that a diverse and inclusive academic community is essential to producing excellent scholarship and promoting student learning. We believe that all members of our community should feel welcome and respected, regardless of their background or identity, and we strive to ensure that all members of our community have the opportunity to succeed. We recognize that there have been systemic barriers that have prevented people from marginalized groups from participating fully in academia. We are working to dismantle these barriers and to create a more equitable environment for all. We are committed to creating a more diverse, equitable, and inclusive Department of Political Science. This is essential to our mission of producing excellent scholarship and preparing students to be informed and engaged citizens in a globalized world.
Featured News
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events
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‘No Blank Check’ Book Talk with Andrew Reeves
CPAC Conference
WashU Political Science Expands and Welcomes Distinguished Faculty in International Political Economy and Conflict
NSF grant supports deep dive into police body camera metadata
Q&A with Johnathan Smith, undergraduate representative to the Board of Trustees
Gabel wins grant to study minority representation strategies
Graduate Placement Success
We pride ourselves on our job placement on the academic job market. Our placement record is among the top in the discipline: We place about 90 percent of our students with the majority in tenure-track positions.
Graduate Placement Information
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