The University of Southern California Department of Political Science and International Relations (USC DPSIR) is a department of the University of Southern California Dornsife College of Letters, Arts, and Sciences. ¹

Background

USC Department of Political Science and International Relations offers five majors: international relations, international relations – global business, international relations and the global economy, political science, and intelligence and cyber operations. USC DPSIR offers two minors: international relations and political science. ¹ In 2024, College Factual rated USC DPSIR as having the 24th-best undergraduate political science degree in the country. ²

USC DPSIR oversees the Center for International Relations for empirical research into international relations trends. ³

In 2018, USC Dornsife launched the Center for the Political Future under USC DPSIR to research how to overcome political division in the United States. The Center was established and led by longtime Democratic strategist Robert Shrum and Republican strategist Michael Murphy. The first fellows of the center were Dan Schwerin, former director of speechwriting for Hillary Clinton’s 2016 presidential campaign; former national political director of the Republican National Committee Gentry Collins; and Symone Sanders, national press secretary for U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders’s (I-VT) 2016 campaign for the Democratic presidential nomination. ⁴

USC DPSIR is a founding member of the Association of Professional Schools of International Affairs. ³

Research

The USC Department of Political Science and International Relations finances numerous faculty research programs. The Security and Political Economy Lab conducts “policy-relevant research on issues at the intersection of climate change, security, and economic development.” As of September 2025, projects at the lab include studies on the resource curse, or the economic failings of resource-rich countries; analysis of the impact of military coercion in international affairs on economic growth; and a pro-bono research consulting group that works with NGOs. ⁵

In 2008, USC DPSIR launched the Near Crisis Project. The program analyzes data sets relevant to the build-up to international crises like World War I and then uses the analysis to make predictions about future crises. ⁶

In October 2025, USC DPSIR is hosting the Arctic Strategy Workshop to discuss the geopolitical and environmental importance of the North Pole. The conference is funded by the National Science Foundation. ⁶

USC DPSIR awards the J. Ann Tickner Book Prize to book authors focused on the intersection of international relations and feminism. In 2016, the Prize was awarded to Laura Sjoberg for her book, Gendering Global Conflict: Toward a Feminist Theory of War. ⁶

Israel-Hamas Conflict

After the October 7, 2023 terrorist attack by Hamas against Israel, USC posted a statement making “experts in international relations” available to discuss the Israel-Hamas conflict with media outlets. ⁷

1. “Undergraduate programs.” USC DPSIR. Accessed September 16, 2025. https://dornsife.usc.edu/poir/undergraduate-programs/.
2. “2025 Best Political Science & Government Schools.” Political Science & Government. Accessed September 16, 2025. https://www.collegefactual.com/majors/social-sciences/political-science-and-government/rankings/top-ranked/.
3. “Centers and Affiliations.” USC DPSIR. Accessed September 17, 2025. https://dornsife.usc.edu/poir/research/centers-and-affiliations/.
4. Gersema, Emily. “USC Dornsife launches center to overcome political polarization.” USC Dornsife. September 4, 2018. Accessed September 16, 2025. https://dornsife.usc.edu/news/stories/usc-dornsife-center-against-partisan-polarization/.
5. “Current Projects.” USC DPSIR. Accessed September 17, 2025. https://www.uscspec.org/research.
6. “Current Projects.” USC DPSIR. Accessed September 17, 2025. https://dornsife.usc.edu/poir/research/current-projects/.
7. “Israel-Hamas war: USC experts in international relations available.” USC. November 14, 2023. Accessed September 17, 2025. https://today.usc.edu/israel-hamas-war-usc-experts-in-international-relations-available/.