Graduate programs across the University of California San Diego continue to shine among the nation’s best in U.S. News & World Report’s 2025 Best Graduate Schools rankings. The graduate program in political science continues to be recognized as a high-performing program, and the Jacobs School of Engineering rose one spot to No. 10 in overall engineering.
UC San Diego Political Science Department Best Practices on Equity, Diversity and Inclusion
Best Practices on Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion
For the process we used to produce our EDI Best Practices, click here
Non-Discrimination Statement: In accordance with applicable Federal and State law and University policy, the Department of Political Science does not discriminate, or grant preferences, on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, sex, disability, and/or other protected categories.
More information about Proposition 209 can be found [HERE].
More information about the University of California Anti-Discrimination Policy can be found [HERE].
UC San Diego Graduate Programs Recognized Among the Nation’s Best by U.S. News & World Report
Political Science ranks 8th and Jacobs School of Engineering ranks 10th in the nation
Cutting-edge Tools to Change the Political World
Our department combines world-class research with an innovative and intensive approach to teaching undergraduates and PhD students.
Founded in 1974, we are by far the youngest of the globe’s top departments – we are rated as the #7 program by the National Research Council, #9 by US News and World Report, and #6 in the London School of Economics and Political Science rankings.
UC San Diego Political Science took its place among our ivy-covered peers not by following their traditions but carving out our own paths, helping to change the way that our discipline approaches the study of the political world.
We bring the same passion for non-tradition into our classrooms, where we try to provide our students with courses on subjects they never knew existed, assignments that challenge them to perform professional-level work, and research tools they can use to explore their own questions.
Undergraduate Program
We offer a general political science major along with eight areas of concentration - American politics, comparative politics, data analytics, international relations, political theory, public law, public policy, and race, ethnicity and politics.
Graduate Program
Our full-time doctoral program is consistently recognized as one of the top ten programs in the nation. 15-20 new graduate students enter the program each year, spending an average of five years earning the PhD.
