The School of Politics and International Relations has a long history of excellence in research, in undergraduate education and in postgraduate supervision. The ANU was the only university in the country to receive a score of 5, denoting an “outstanding performance well above world standards”, for political science in both the 2010 and 2012 Excellence in Research in Australia assessment. In the 2017 QS Top University rankings of the world’s top 200 universities, ANU was ranked 6th for politics and international relations.

Located in the national seat of government, Canberra, the ANU is Australia’s premiere research university. Students and researchers in the School enjoy easy access to Australia’s national political institutions, to the associated lobby groups, and to the National Library.

The School of Politics and International Relations has produced path-breaking work on political parties, public administration, trade unions, pressure groups, elections and political behaviour. For many years the School has also focused on Australian and international public policy and public sector management and in 2002 was a foundation member of the Australia and New Zealand School of Government (ANZSOG). The School contains the ANU Centre for European Studies, the Australian National Centre for Latin American Studies, the Australian Centre for Federalism, the Centre for the Study of Australian Politics as well as housing the innovative Australian National Internships Program, which includes the successful Washington Internships Program.

The major areas for research, teaching and postgraduate supervision in the School are:

• Australian politics
• international relations
• comparative politics
• political theory
• human rights
• globalization
• Europe
• Latin America, and
• public policy.

We welcome enquiries from potential undergraduate and postgraduate students, and possible academic visitors.

Learn More

Read the School Handbook.

Examine the School Business Plan.