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UCSD among Top Universities for International Studies

10/31/2005
Barry Jagoda,

America’s international relations professors place the University of California, San Diego among the nation’s top ten in a new listing of the best schools for studying foreign affairs. The survey of over 1,100 college and university scholars asking professors to name the best schools for both academic and policy careers has just been published by the influential journal “Foreign Policy.”

UCSD was ninth in the nation on a list of the best schools for students pursuing an international relations career in academia. Harvard University topped the list in that category. UCSD was tenth on the list suggested for students aspiring for a career in public policy, while Johns Hopkins University was named first for public policy studies.

"We have stellar international affairs programs, and we are pleased to have this recognition from scholars in the field, those who are in the best position to recognize outstanding departments and superb teachers," said UCSD Chancellor Marye Anne Fox.

Under Fox's leadership a renewed university-wide focus on globalization and international activities is currently underway. UCSD is the only institution west of the Mississippi that appears on the top ten lists in both the Ph.D program category and the public policy school offering.

The complete rankings are below:

Top 10 International Relations Schools for Academic Careers:


  1. Harvard University

  2. Columbia University

  3. Stanford University

  4. Princeton University

  5. University of Chicago

  6. Yale University

  7. University of Michigan

  8. University of California, Berkeley

  9. University of California, San Diego

  10. Cornell University

Top 10 International Relations Schools for Policy Careers:


  1. Johns Hopkins University

  2. Georgetown University

  3. Harvard University

  4. Tufts University

  5. Columbia University

  6. Princeton University

  7. George Washington University

  8. American University

  9. Syracuse University

  10. University of California, San Diego

The survey is based on responses from 1,100 professors who teach or research international relations. Scholars were contacted at 1,157 U.S. colleges and universities by researchers from the College of William and Mary. Complete results are featured in the article, “Inside the Ivory Tower” published in the November/December issue of “Foreign Policy ” and available (after Nov. 1) at www.ForeignPolicy.com.

This newest academic ranking follows recent announcements by Newsweek/Kaplan in which UCSD was named the “hottest university for science,” an annual report by US News and World Report which rated UCSD as the seventh best public university in the nation and a ranking of world universities published by the Institute of Higher Education, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, listing UCSD as thirteenth among 1,000 international institutions ranked.

Established in 1986, UCSD's Graduate School of International Relations and Pacific Studies (IR/PS) is the premiere and only U.S. professional school offering business-savvy training with a focus on policy, economics and technology in the Pacific Rim. IR/PS is shaping the Pacific Century by training its leaders, creating ideas and supporting networks to build a Pacific community. More information on the graduate program and its faculty can be found on its web site at: http://irps.ucsd.edu..

Media Contact: Barry Jagoda, (858) 534-8567, bjagoda@ucsd.edu

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