Welcome to the UCLA Political Science Department.
In 2011 the
Department of Political Science celebrated ninety-one years of teaching,
research and public service within one of the nation’s finest universities.
Instruction in Political Science began on September 14, 1920 with a staff of
one assistant professor, Dr. Charles E. Martin, offering three year-long
courses (Comparative Government, U.S. Foreign Policy, and International Law).
Today the
department is among the best in the country. The most recent ranking by the
highly respected National Research Council ranks us nationally in the top ten.
Among the department's many strengths, we have gained notable distinction in
political economy, comparative politics including the politics of developing
nations, and political theory.
The department's
greatest resource is its distinguished faculty. The faculty's teaching and
research continues to put the program at the forefront of its field. The
department’s leadership in the field has recently been recognized by the
arrival of the American Political Science Review, to be led by a collective
editorship of department members. In
2011 the department includes 50 faculty members, 10 emeritus professors, 4
visiting faculty, 42 teaching assistants and 13 support staff.
The department's
primary goal remains focused on providing the best possible education for
students seeking to develop an expertise in the field of political science by
instilling solid skills in research and analytic reasoning. Political
Science is the second largest undergraduate major at UCLA.
Our graduate
program is structured to enhance creativity and the exploration of new
ideas. Our PhDs are competitive in
every field at all types of institutions, and have been placed in tenure track
jobs in top ten departments and the top five departments in American,
Comparative, and International Relations.
Established
subfields in our department include: American Politics, Comparative Politics,
International Relations, Methods and Models, Political Theory, and Race,
Ethnicity, and Politics. The UCLA Political Science Department is home to
six members of the American
Academy of Arts and
Sciences, four Guggenheim Fellows, and many other prestigious honorees.
