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The study of world politics (international relations) in the graduate program of the Department of Political Science focuses on three areas of concentration: (1) international organization and global governance; (2) international political economy; and (3) conflict and security. In all three areas, the Department's faculty is supplemented by professors in the University’s professional schools, especially the Graduate School of Public and International Affairs (GSPIA).
Regardless of specialization, our faculty members believe that as the line separating domestic from international and transnational politics becomes increasingly tenuous, sophisticated study of politics requires analytical perspectives that cross these divisions. The Department’s world politics faculty therefore emphasizes the linkages between international, transnational, and domestic politics.
These concentrations and perspectives, in conjunction with the Department's and University's strengths in the study of national and regional politics, provide a unique opportunity for students to acquire the knowledge necessary to analyze the most pressing political issues of the twenty-first century.
International Organization and Global Governance (IO)
Within the Department, Daniela Donno examines how international organizations influence domestic politics, particularly with regard to international democracy promotion; and Michael Goodhart, a political theorist, explores the relations between globalization and international governance, including the issue of global civil society. Among our comparative politics faculty, Ronald Linden, Guy Peters, Ilya Prizel, and Alberta Sbragia work on European and comparative regional integration; while, in GSPIA, John Keeler's interests lie in EU politics and transatlantic relations and Paul Nelson focuses on nongovernmental organizations and transparency issues in international organizations.
International Political Economy (IPE)
Jude Hays works on international political economy. The Department also possesses considerable strength in political economy among faculty who specialize in European politics (Despina Alexiadou, Ronald Linden, Guy Peters, Alberta Sbragia) and Latin American politics (Barry Ames). Among the GSPIA faculty, Nita Rudra looks at the politics of welfare and at labor in developing countries and Martin Staniland explores politics and economic issues in the European Union.
Conflict and Security (CS)
Within the Department, Charles Gochman explores questions relating to the onset and escalation of interstate and intrastate violence. Burcu Savun examines how different types of conflict resolution techniques such as third-party mediation, foreign aid, and agreement design affect the durability of peace in the aftermath of civil wars, and also explores the determinants of terrorism, with a particular interest in the relationship between democracy and terrorism. Students have the opportunity to take classes in GSPIA, where a number of faculty members are engaged in both traditional and non-traditional security studies, including Michael Brenner, William Keller, Janne Nolan, Taylor Seybolt, and Phil Williams.
Regional Specialization
In keeping with our commitment to bridging the international-domestic divide, the Department includes numerous specialists on Europe, Russia, and Latin America.
Students may select world politics (WP) as their first, second, or third field of study. It is our intention that students of world politics be conversant in the politics of a geographic region and our hope that other students will be able to connect international developments to their areas of specialization. We therefore encourage students whose primary field of study is American politics, comparative politics, or political theory to adopt world politics as their second or third field.
As indicated in the program description, the study of world politics in the Department is divided into three areas of concentration: International Organization and Global Governance (IO), International Political Economy (IPE), and Conflict and Security (CS). The Department regularly offers advanced seminars in each area. Additionally, students may fulfill world politics requirements by enrolling in GSPIA courses. A committee of WP faculty will decide which courses outside the Department satisfy the WP requirements.
All students studying world politics are required to enroll in “Theories of International Relations” (PS 2501) so that, whatever their principal substantive, theoretical, or geographic focus, they will be able to locate their work within the theoretical literature of the field. Additional course requirements differ for students who choose world politics as a first, second or third field. “First field” students must complete a minimum of six courses, distributed as follows: Theories of International Relations (PS 2501), two courses in each of two areas of concentration within WP, and a sixth course in any area of concentration within WP. “Second field” students must complete a minimum of four WP courses, distributed as follows: Theories of International Relations (PS 2501), two courses in one area of concentration within WP, and one course in another area of concentration within WP. “Third field” students must complete a minimum of three WP courses, distributed as follows: Theories of International Relations (PS 2501), plus any other two WP courses.
More information on the graduate program of the Department of Political Science can be found in the Graduate Student Handbook.
Students in world politics can take full advantage of the intellectual and financial resources offered by the interdisciplinary University Center for International Studies (UCIS), which houses the Asian Studies Center, the Center for Latin American Studies, the Center for Russian and East European Studies, and the European Studies Center. In addition, UCIS is home to the European Union Center of Excellence, one of only eleven in the United States designated and funded by the European Union. UCIS also operates programs in African Studies and in Global Studies.
The professional schools at the University of Pittsburgh are also home to several centers for international research, including the Matthew B. Ridgway Center for International Security Studies and the Ford Institute for Human Security (both within the Graduate School of Public and International Affairs), the Center for International Legal Education (School of Law), the Institute for International Studies in Education (School of Education), and the International Business Center (Katz Graduate School of Business). The Department of History in the School of Arts and Sciences is home to the World History Center.
The Political Science Department encourages applications for graduate study from individuals interested in world politics. Click here for further information on the applications process.
Revised: September 2, 2011
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