Welcome to the Department of Political Science at Vanderbilt University! We’re a community of more than 40 faculty, 40 graduate students, and over 400 undergraduate majors studying political science, public policy studies, and national security.

Our faculty include highly respected scholar and teachers. We have particular strengths in the study of American politics and policymaking; the politics of developing democracies; and war and conflict around the world. The curricula in our three majors allow students to choose among courses about every region of the world and many different topics—human rights, elections, education, climate change, migration, prisons, the military, and many more. Because our faculty employ cutting-edge methodologies in their research, students can also learn how to use, analyze, and interpret data.

For students who want to dive deeper, we offer research opportunities with individual faculty and in our research centers and groups: the Center for the Study of Democratic Institutions, the Center for Global Democracy, the RIPS Lab(Research on Individuals, Politics and Society), and the Laboratory for Research on Conflict and Collective Action. We actively partner with Vanderbilt’s Institute of National Security and College of Connected Computing.

Above all, we cultivate a welcoming environment in which faculty engage with students inside and outside of the classroom. We want students to make meaningful connections, learn deeply, and gain knowledge and skills that further their ambitions long after they graduate. Vanderbilt students who earn a degree in political science, public policy, or national security will go on to careers in law, government, industry, academia, public policy, education, and many other sectors.

This mix of path-breaking research and dedication to teaching is our distinctive strength. If you are considering Vanderbilt and have the chance to visit us here in Nashville, we’ll be delighted to talk more about what the Department of Political Science can offer you.