Political Science | College of Liberal Arts and Sciences

Political Science students sitting on lawn of Pentacrest in front of Schaeffer Hall studying

Preparing tomorrow's leaders

A versatile set of skills to apply to a wide range of careers in politics, government, and beyond.

Why Iowa?

A degree in political science or international relations at Iowa is your start to a rewarding career that makes an impact in the world.

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Build a foundation

A degree in political science or international relations from the University of Iowa is your start to an enjoyable and rewarding career that makes a difference in people’s lives.

Build a foundation

students in political science class at MacBride

Expand your horizons

Learn by doing–work closely with faculty to develop critical skills in research and teaching.

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Learn from experts

Learn from the best–our faculty are experienced leaders and committed teachers and researchers.

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See yourself here

At Iowa, you’ll sharpen your research expertise and develop the leadership skills to influence policy, institutions, and democratic practice.

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"The University of Iowa has prepared me for my future by teaching me what professionalism is and a way to navigate life and have a balance between work life, school, and friendships."

– Andrea Longstreet, political science major

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Build knowledge. Conduct research. Create new work. Stand out among your peers. You're going places, and it all starts here.

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~ 9,000

Alumni

20 +

Graduate students

2025 data

400 +

Political science majors

2025 data

70 +

International relations majors

2025 data

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Shop for University of Iowa Department of Political Science swag and merch in our online store.

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News and announcements

Mayra Gomez, a senior majoring in political science with minors in Latina/o/x studies and gender, women’s, and sexuality studies, and a member of the honors program, is studying abroad in fall 2026 on the USAC Santiago program.

4 University of Iowa students awarded Leona Zaharis Scholarship to study abroad

Monday, August 3, 2026

International Programs

Political Science and International Relations Alum receives 2026-27 Fulbright English Teaching Assistant award

Thursday, May 21, 2026

International Programs

Emma Anderson, a political science and international relations alum, receives 2026-27 Fulbright English Teaching Assistant award.

Political Science student Tim Dickson graduates after 40 years

Thursday, May 21, 2026

Stories

Tim Dickson, a political science student, completes his degree after fulfilling a promise to his mother by returning to the University of Iowa.

Events

Intro to Networks in R with Dr. Elizabeth Menninga

Wednesday, September 23, 2026 9:30am to 11:30am

Social Sciences Research Building

This workshop is an introduction to social network analysis. Participants will discuss core concepts (e.g., density and transitivity) as well as descriptive and inferential techniques, such as community detection, that can be used to understand and analyze networks. All coding will be done in R. Familiarity with R is encouraged but not required to participate in the workshop.

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