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International Relations

Outstanding faculty

Notre Dame’s diverse international relations faculty explore a wide range of research interests across international relations theory, international security, and international political economy, with a focus on peace and conflict studies. Our faculty members are exceptionally strong in security studies and direct The O'Brien Notre Dame International Security Center (ONDISC) — the institutional and intellectual anchor for the study of national security policy at Notre Dame. International relations faculty publish regularly in the top journals in political science and with leading university presses.

Graduate study in international relations

International relations is a question-driven field, and we encourage graduate students to use their questions to drive their research while at Notre Dame. The department has in-house methods consultants, and we provide funding for graduate students to receive specialized quantitative and qualitative training.

Notre Dame, our department, and NDISC all help create a collegial and encouraging atmosphere for graduate students. Collaborations are easy to arrange with faculty mentors, and graduate students in international relations run a workshop to present work in progress to faculty and fellow students. There are many opportunities available through NDISC, including the Hans J. Morgenthau Fellowship and the Emerging Scholars Program.

Our Ph.D. students have received placements in pre- and postdoctoral positions at institutions including MIT, Dartmouth, European Union Institute, and Lawrence Livermore Labs. Among recent hires are placements at Baylor University, University College London, Oklahoma State, and Old Dominion.

Undergraduates

For our undergraduates, they receive much more attention from the University and faculty than at comparable research universities. Motivated students can achieve almost anything they wish with regard to research at home and abroad, and our alumni have won the Rhodes, Fulbright Boren, and other major fellowships.

Even though our strength is in security, international relations undergraduates enjoy a well-rounded experience in the field of study, full of incredible opportunities in courses and beyond the classroom.

Faculty

  1. Ricky Clark headshot. A young man wearing black-rimmed glasses, a navy blue suit, white shirt, and a navy blue and green striped tie with a silver tie bar. He has short, light brown hair and is smiling against a light gray background.

    Richard Clark

    Assistant Professor

  2. Michael Desch headshot. A man with a full white and gray beard, wearing amber-colored glasses, a green tweed jacket, a plaid collared shirt, brown sweater vest, and a dark green textured tie. He is smiling against a gray background.

    Michael C. Desch

    Packey J. Dee Professor of International Relations

  3. Eugene Gholz headshot. Headshot of a fair-skinned man with a salt and pepper goatee, wearing glasses, a lilac shirt, and a patterned purple tie with a gray suit jacket. He has short dark hair and is smiling at the camera. Framed artwork is visible in the background, out of focus.

    Eugene Gholz

    Associate Professor

  4. Victoria Hui headshot. An Asian woman with black hair and glasses smiles warmly at the camera. She is wearing a green velvet shirt and a delicate necklace.

    Victoria Tin-bor Hui

    Associate Professor

  5. Steven Landis headshot. A man with short dark blonde hair, a trimmed beard, and a broad smile. He wears a light blue dress shirt and a blue and white checkered tie. The background is a solid light gray.

    Steven T. Landis

    Assistant Teaching Professor

  6. Dan Lindley headshot. A man wearing a light beige and white pinstriped dress shirt and a blue tie with a small floral pattern. He has light brown hair and blue eyes, and he's smiling. The background is a plain gray.

    Dan Lindley

    Associate Professor

  7. Joseph Parent headshot. A fair-skinned man wearing a dark suit jacket, white shirt, and orange and white striped tie smiles at the camera in an office setting. Framed photos hang on the wall behind him.

    Joseph M. Parent

    Professor

  8. Dan Philpott

    Daniel Philpott

    Professor

  9. Emilia Justyna Powell headshot. A woman with long, dark hair and fair skin smiles at the camera against a brown backdrop. She is wearing a navy blue shirt with gold polka dots and a gold design on the front.

    Emilia Justyna Powell

    Professor

  10. Sebastian Rosato headshot. A headshot of a man with short, dark hair and fair skin wearing a light blue and white checkered shirt, black v-neck sweater, and thin, rectangular glasses. He is against a light gray background.

    Sebastian Rosato

    Professor
    Director of Graduate Studies

  11. Susan Rosato headshot. A Caucasian woman with long blonde hair smiles brightly at the camera. She is wearing a black blouse with white polka dots.

    Susan Pratt Rosato

    Teaching Professor

  12. Kenneth Scheve

    Kenneth Scheve

    I.A. O'Shaughnessy Dean, College of Arts and Letters

  13. Jazmin Sierra headshot. A woman with shoulder-length brown hair. She is smiling and wearing a dark blue, button-down shirt. She is positioned against a plain, light gray backdrop.

    Jazmin Sierra

    Assistant Professor

Concurrent Faculty

  1. Woman with short, curly red hair, glasses, and a black jacket smiles in front of a bookshelf.

    Mary Gallagher

    Marilyn Keough Dean, Keough School of Global Affairs

Partners

All of our subfields, from international politics and economics to international law to international security, benefit from ties across the University. These entities offer opportunities for our graduate students to become Institute Fellows, to obtain research funding, as well as presentation and teaching opportunities.

Notre Dame, through NDISC, offers one of the leading programs in international security at any civilian university. Our competitive Fellows program is open to eligible political science majors and includes unique opportunities such as trips to key national security sites, leadership exercises with Marine Corps ROTC, and formal etiquette training. Fellows benefit from exclusive access to prominent speakers and events, along with our strong alumni network and excellent placement record in national and international security roles. Many of our graduates are on a first-name basis with government recruiters. Additionally, we offer an interdisciplinary minor in international security that is open to all students and doesn’t require a senior thesis.

Events

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