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.
Selected Research
When Do First Ladies Run for Office? Lessons from Latin America, July 26, 2022
Despite the growing importance of this unique type of candidate, political analysts routinely describe them as mere delegates of ex-presidents. IPS Professor Ignacio Arana and co-author Carolina Guerrero Valencia argue in Latin American Politics and Society that this view has overlooked the political trajectory of former first ladies, and they claim that women with elected political experience should be regarded as politicians who use the ceremonial role of first lady as a platform to enhance their careers.
Personalization of Power and Mass Uprisings in Dictatorships, June 22, 2022
"Our theory explains why many dictatorships rarely face mass protest mobilization and why uprisings that are met with violent force often fail in bringing about new democracies," Assistant Teaching Professor John Chin and his co-authors wrote in the British Journal of Political Science.
Using Folded Seats-Votes Curves to Compare Partisan Bias in the 2020 Presidential Election with Partisan Bias in the Five Other Presidential Elections in the 21st Century, April 12, 2022
"Bias that consistently results in non-majoritarian outcomes makes a mockery of the principle of “one person, one vote” and risks the legitimacy of any system claiming to be democratic," Dr. Jonathan Cervas and Bernard Grofman wrote in Presidential Studies Quarterly.
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.