University of Southern California - Politics & International Relations

Combining the research and teaching strengths of the Department of Political Science and the School of International Relations at the University of Southern California, POIR offers a breadth and flexibility rarely found in separate political science and international relations programs. In addition to standard fields of specialization, POIR offers two innovative, interdisciplinary fields: Culture, Gender, and Global Society; and Urban and Ethnic Studies in Global Society. Students may also petition to create their own fields, such as (to give recent examples) international human rights, environmental policy, or economics. The goal is to combine rigorous training in the core literatures of IR and Political Science with flexible, student-centered training in research on the frontiers of the disciplines.