Political Science

Political Science at Brown University

The Political Science department enjoys a reputation for intellectual pluralism, creativity and research productivity.

Political Science is one of the largest and most dynamic concentrations at Brown. Undergraduates gain skill in critical thinking, empirical analysis, and normative inquiry, preparing them for leadership careers in the public, nonprofit and private sectors. Our doctoral program features close interaction with professors and offers state-of-the art training in American politics, comparative politics, international relations, and political theory.

The department is enriched by its close ties to key research centers, institutes, and programs at Brown, including the Watson Institute for International and Public Affairs, the Center for Philosophy, Politics, and Economics, the Center for the Study of Race and Ethnicity in America, Modern Culture and Media, Cogut Institute for the Humanities, and Urban Studies.

The department graduates approximately 75 undergraduate concentrators annually, making it one of the larger social science concentrations at Brown.
Brown's community of graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, visiting scholars, and faculty members in political science is a close and collegial one.
Brown's Political Science faculty are deeply committed to excellence in both undergraduate teaching and graduate training.

Recent News

Brown University’s Wendy Schiller and Coastal Carolina University’s Kaitlin Sidorsky call for more targeted laws and federal/state cooperation to address a widespread problem of gun-based domestic violence against women.
When a plan to coerce another state is devised, it’s easy to fall into the trap of assuming the state’s leader is rational, has access to good information, and is responsive when the country as a whole suffers. Rose McDermott of Brown University, however, points out that many states are led by personalistic dictators. They are often willing to allow their countries to undergo hardship, and their foibles and vanities make coercion far harder.

Contact Us

Political Science
Brown University

111 Thayer Street
Third Floor
Providence, RI 02912

Phone 401-863-2825
Fax 401-863-7018
brownupolisci@brown.edu

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