About MIT Political Science

The Department of Political Science is one of the leading centers for the study of politics in the world. Our strengths span the traditional subfields of the discipline—including American politics, comparative politics, international relations and security studies, political economy, political theory, and political methodology—and also transcend those subfields with research and teaching that incorporate computer science and AI, history, and economics. The department prepares students to be rigorous analytical thinkers, effective communicators, and engaged citizens.

The Department has an internationally-recognized graduate program and a world-class undergraduate program that includes a major, three minors, and a HASS concentration.

The Department’s research occurs within individual faculty research programs as well as a number of interdisciplinary centers and initiatives.

Centers and Initiatives

  • MIT Center for International Studies (CIS)
  • MIT Security Studies Program (SSP)
  • MIT International Science and Technology Initiatives (MISTI)
  • MIT Election Data and Science Lab (MEDSL)
  • The Global Diversity Lab at MIT (GDL)
  • MIT Governance Lab (GOV/LAB)
  • LobbyView
  • Political Experiments Research Lab (PERL)
  • Political Methodology Lab (PML)
  • MIT Washington DC Internship Program
  • Consortium on the American Political Economy (CAPE)
  • MIT Industrial Performance Center (IPC)