Top Graduate Schools for International Relations

Considering graduate school? Graduate school is an excellent way to hone your expertise within the broad field of international relations (security studies, humanitarian affairs, etc). Please consult with your academic advisor about what kind of program is right for you, the necessary preparation and the timing. Below is a list of the top PhD and Master's programs in the United States and abroad.

Please note that LMU does not endorse any of these programs.

Top 10 Ph.D. Programs in the U.S.

  1. Harvard University: Kennedy School
  2. Princeton University: Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs
  3. Stanford University: Ford Dorsey Master's in International Policy
  4. Columbia University: School of International and Public Affairs
  5. University of Chicago
  6. Yale University: Jackson Institute for Global Affairs
  7. University of California San Diego: School of Global Policy and Strategy
  8. Massachusetts Institute of Technology
  9. University of Michigan
  10. University of California Berkeley

Source: ForeignPolicy.com: The Best International Relations Schools in the World

Top Ten Master's Programs for International Relations in the U.S.

  1. Georgetown University: School of Foreign Service
  2. Johns Hopkins University: The School of Advanced International Studies
  3. Harvard University: Kennedy School
  4. Princeton University: Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs
  5. Tufts University: The Fletcher School, a Graduate School of International Affairs
  6. Columbia University: School of International and Public Affairs
  7. George Washington University University: The Elliot School of International Affairs
  8. American University: School of International Service
  9. University of Chicago
  10. Stanford University: Ford Dorsey Master's in International Policy

Source: ForeignPolicy.com: The Best International Relations Master's Programs

Top 10 International Universities for Master's in Politics and International Studies

  1. University of Oxford
  2. London School of Economics and Political Science
  3. Sciences Po - Paris
  4. University of Cambridge
  5. The Australian National University
  6. University of Toronto
  7. National University of Singapore
  8. Freie University Berlin
  9. University of Tokyo
  10. University of Sydney

Source: Top University Rankings: Politics and International Studies

United Kingdom: Top 10 Universities for Master's Programs in International Relations

  1. London School of Economics
  2. University of Oxford
  3. King's College London
  4. University of Aberdeen
  5. University of York
  6. University of Cambridge
  7. University of Edinburgh
  8. University of St. Andrews
  9. University of Manchester
  10. Queen's University Belfast

Source: Study In UK