Political Science

The essential function of the Political Science program at the Graduate Center is to educate professional political scientists, capable of independent research and qualified for careers in academic institutions, government agencies, non-profit organizations, and the private sector.

Our program includes over 55 faculty, who conduct innovative research and teach courses on a wide range of important political phenomena.

Students in the Political Science program are trained to become professional political scientists. Students develop a substantive knowledge of politics and increase their analytical and critical skills. The program offers an M.A., an en-route M.A. to the Ph.D., and a Ph.D.

Students focus their studies in one of five subfields, and can specialize in Writing Politics, which trains them to write serious political analysis for audiences outside of the discipline.

The Graduate Center’s location in the heart of Manhattan allows students to participate in opportunities unique to New York City. Home to the United Nations, policy research institutes, nonprofit organizations, and the heart of one of the world’s most diverse and dynamic cities, there is nothing quite like studying politics in New York.