Don't just learn from research.
Learn to conduct it.
Research is an integral part of studying international relations, politics, and foreign affairs. In addition to research done in the regular course of study, the Institute for Politics and Strategy offers additional opportunities to conduct and publish research.
Latest Research
Activists Against Autocrats: TSMO Networks and Democratic Diffusion, September 16, 2021
In a new paper published in Frontiers in Political Science, Dr. John Chin theorizes that transnational social movement organizations empower and connect civil societies, and thus promote democracy from the bottom up.
Why Donald Trump Should Be a Fervent Advocate of Using Ranked-Choice Voting in 2024, October 22, 2021
The motivation for this article, by IPS Professor Dr. Jonathan Cervas and UC Irvine's Dr. Bernard Grofman and is to provide contrary evidence for two main misconceptions. First, that third-party candidates are “spoiling” elections for the Democrats. Our evidence clearly shows ... Read more
The Quest for Uncontested Power: Presidents' Personalities and Democratic Erosion in Latin America, 1945–2012, August 23, 2021
By examining twenty-five presidents from 1945 and 2012 who tried to change their respective constitutions to increase their powers, Dr. Ignacio Arana found that the personalities of presidents are a strong force behind their attempts to consolidate their authority.
Additional Resources
Dietrich College Senior Honors Program
Through the Dietrich College Senior Honors Program students complete an honors thesis and graduate with College Honors. For more information contact Associate Dean for Undergraduate Studies, Joseph Devine.
Dietrich Honors Fellowship
Fellows spend the summer before their senior year undertaking early-stage research and development of their thesis topics, leading to completion of their thesis by the end of the spring term. For more information contact Associate Dean for Undergraduate Studies, Joseph Devine.
Meeting of the Minds
An annual undergraduate research symposium organized by the Undergraduate Research Office each spring. All students engaged in undergraduate research are encouraged to apply.
Research Training for Undergraduates
Through this academic course, qualified first- and second-year students have the opportunity to work directly with a Dietrich faculty member on an ongoing research project. For more information contact Deputy Director Emily Half.
SURA
The Summer Undergraduate Research Apprenticeship (SURA) course awards tuition-free elective credit to first-year and sophomore undergraduates at Carnegie Mellon for existing faculty projects focused on undergraduate research or creative inquiry under the direction of a Carnegie Mellon faculty member.
SURG, SURF, ISURG
Small Undergraduate Research Grants (SURG), Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowships (SURF), and International Small Undergraduate Research Grants (ISURG) are offered by Carnegie Mellon University's Undergraduate Research Office, these grants and fellowships provide funding for undergraduate students to pursue research in any discipline.