Department of Government

Harvard's Government Department is one of the leading political science communities in the United States. Our faculty represent a broad spectrum of backgrounds, methodologies and approaches. We have strength in teaching and research not only in the four fields of political science-American politics, political theory, comparative politics, and international relations-but also in the areas of formal theory, methodology, and political economy. Our graduate program is designed to train students for careers in university teaching and advanced research in political science. Our 165 Ph.D. candidates receive hands-on training not only by conducting dissertation research but also by assisting faculty in research projects and undergraduate teaching. Our diverse graduate student body benefits from intellectual opportunities in strong programs at Harvard in political science and cognate disciplines, some of the top area studies training programs in the world and a remarkable array of research institutes and seminars that draw scholars from around the globe. Our 570 undergraduate Government majors make political science the second largest concentration at Harvard College.

Together our faculty, graduate students and undergraduate concentrators comprise a vibrant community of political science scholars at Harvard.