SFS Tops List of International Relations Programs Nationwide

International relations professors at universities nationwide recently voted Georgetown as one of the best institutions to study international relations at both the undergraduate and graduate levels.

In the report, which is published every two years by the Institute for the Theory and Practice of International Relations at the College of William and Mary, the School of Foreign Service maintained its number one ranking in the masters program, placed fifth in the SFS undergraduate program and 15th for the Ph.D program, which is run through the College.

The report surveyed international relations professors from every four-year college and university in the United States, obtaining 1,743 responses, to rank the five best universities for undergraduate, graduate and doctorate students who wish to pursue a career in international relations. The results of this survey were included in the article titled “Inside the Ivory Tower” from the March/April 2009 issue of Foreign Policy magazine.

Jennifer Ward, the associate dean for programs and studies in the School of Foreign Service, explained that the SFS deans are very pleased with Georgetown’s success in the recent rankings.

“We are thrilled. It’s nice to know that we’re number one again in the master’s program and within the top five at the undergraduate level,” Ward said. “We are very happy to receive such recognition at both the national and international level.”

At the graduate level, Georgetown received 54 percent of the votes of participating faculty to achieve the top position, followed by Johns Hopkins University with 49 percent, Harvard University with 38 percent, Tufts University with 37 percent and Columbia University with 29 percent. Georgetown also came in on top in 2007, rising from number two in the 2005 survey. As has been the case in the past, the survey considered the six different masters degree programs in the SFS collectively rather than focusing on one individual program.

At the undergraduate level, Georgetown ranked fifth with 12 percent of the votes, preceded by Harvard at first with 21 percent, followed by Princeton at second with 16 percent, Yale in third with 12 percent and Stanford at fourth with 12 percent.

While Foreign Policy magazine ranked Georgetown fifth, the original 92-page report published by the Institute for the Theory and Practice of International Relations lists Georgetown as third in the undergraduate ranking, tied with Yale, and Stanford at fifth. The reason for the discrepancy is unclear. What is known, however, is that Georgetown, Stanford and Yale are virtually tied for third place in the undergraduate ranking. Georgetown was ranked fourth in the 2007 survey and undergraduate rankings were not included in the first report published in 2005.

The survey also named the top Ph.D programs for the pursuit of a career in international relations, in which Georgetown placed 15th with 6 percent of the votes. Georgetown ranked 13th in the 2007 survey and 14th in 2005.

Both faculty members and students expressed delight with the results of the report.

“The SFS is a flagship institution for the study of international relations and the rankings speak very highly of the university,” said Charles King, Ion Ratiu chair of Romanian studies in the SFS. “Based on the way in which this survey was carried out, Georgetown’s reputation in the field of international relations is really the main [criterion]. The reputation of a school is an important factor in recruiting top faculty because scholars want colleagues who are engaged in cutting-edge, quality work. In the field of international relations, faculty know this coming to Georgetown.”

Ward notes that this ranking is especially important to the SFS. “Unlike Georgetown College where many of the departments are ranked regularly, this is the only national ranking that the [SFS] has that directly measures its standing,” she said.