Political Science | College of Liberal Arts and Sciences | The University of Iowa

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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~ 9,000

Alumni

20 +

Graduate students

2025 data

400 +

Political science majors

2025 data

70 +

International relations majors

2025 data

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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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News and announcements

University of Iowa student Sean stands in front of a historical building in Rome.

How studying abroad transformed the college experience for these CLAS students

Thursday, August 13, 2026

College of Liberal Arts and Sciences

Through internships, coursework, and cultural immersion, these CLAS students discovered new perspectives and meaningful learning experiences that extended far beyond campus.

University of Iowa professor Seongjoon Ann smiles at the camera.

CLAS's top stories from summer 2026

Thursday, August 13, 2026

College of Liberal Arts and Sciences

CLAS's most popular articles from the summer of 2026 share a theme: people and ideas thrive with the right support. From humanities research funding to mathematics outreach, these stories show how expertise, mentorship, and community create new possibilities across CLAS and beyond.

Colin Case Uncovers Patterns of Behavior of U.S. Congressional Primary Candidates

Tuesday, August 11, 2026

Center for Social Science Innovation

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.

Four 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.

Thomas Knudsen and President Barbara Wilson at 2026 Finkbine Dinner

Political science student Thomas Knudsen honored at Finkbine Dinner

Wednesday, April 8, 2026

Division of Student Life

Thomas Knudsen, a political science student in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, was recognized at the Finkbine Dinner for his leadership, academic excellence, and impact through civic and campus engagement.

Brian Lai selected for the 2026 Hubbard-Walder Award

Wednesday, April 1, 2026

Office of the Executive Vice President and Provost

Brian Lai is an associate professor of Political Science who was selected for the 2026 Hubbard-Walder Award.

Hawkeye Poll Examines Americans' Trust in News from Traditional and Social Media Sources

Friday, March 27, 2026

Hawkeye Poll

Results from a recent University of Iowa Hawkeye Poll on Americans' Trust in News from Traditional and Social Media Sources.

Hawkeye Poll Examines How Americans Use Artificial Intelligence in the Digital Age

Tuesday, March 3, 2026

Hawkeye Poll

Results from a recent University of Iowa Hawkeye Poll on How Americans Use Artificial Intelligence in the Digital Age.

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.

RSVP Deadline: AMA with Walter Biggins, Obermann Editor-in-Residence

Wednesday, September 30, 2026 (all day)

111 Church Street

UI faculty, students, and staff are invited to attend ask-me-anything group discussions with Walter Biggins—editor-in-chief at University of Pennsylvania Press—at 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. on Monday, Oct. 1 at the Obermann Center for Advanced Studies. Questions might address finding an editor, pitching a book, writing a book proposal, how the publishing process works, etc.

There will be two back-to-back discussions; you may attend one or both.

Please RSVP by Wednesday, September 30.

Free and open to all.

Bi...

Registration Deadline: Junior Faculty and Graduate Student Session with Walter Biggins, Obermann Editor-in-Residence

Wednesday, September 30, 2026 (all day)

111 Church Street

University of Iowa junior faculty and graduate students at all stages are invited to join Walter Biggins—editor-in-chief at the University of Pennsylvania Press—for a light breakfast and a conversation about turning an article, thesis, or dissertation into a book on Tuesday, Oct. 6, from 9–10:30 a.m. at the Obermann Center for Advanced Studies library. Please bring any questions you have about that process or about scholarly publishing in general.

Register by Wednesday, September 30.

Biggins is...

Intro to Data Visualization in Stata with Olive Kuester

Wednesday, October 21, 2026 1:30pm to 3:30pm

Virtual

This virtual workshop introduces participants to the basics of creating clear and effective data visualizations in Stata. Through demonstrations, example code, and hands-on exercises, participants will learn how to prepare data for visualization, create and customize common figures (including bar graphs, scatterplots, and other commonly used visualizations), and communicate findings through well-designed figures. The workshop will use Stata to demonstrate visualization techniques, but the principles for choosing, preparing, and effectively presenting visualizations are applicable across other statistical programs. This workshop is intended for students, researchers, and anyone who works with data and wants to improve their ability to present results visually. Basic familiarity with Stata is encouraged, but not required.

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