Top 25 International Relations master's degree programs

According to The College of William & Mary's Teaching, Research, and International Policy (TRIP) project's most recent survey of international relations (IR) faculty:

- Staff

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Georgetown University (Andy Nelson / The Christian Science Monitor)

1. The top five

1. Georgetown University Department of Government

(est. 1922; government.georgetown.edu).

Georgetown offers joint degrees in international relations and a master of science in foreign service through its Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service. It was the first to confer a degree in "international affairs."

2. Johns Hopkins University, The Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies

(1943; www.sais-jhu.edu).

In addition to its Washington, D.C., campus, SAIS has locations in Bologna, Italy, and Nanjing, China.

3. Harvard University Kennedy School of Government

(1936; www.hks.harvard.edu).

The Kennedy School's John F. Kennedy Jr. Forum has hosted speaking events by figures such as Mikhail Gorbachev, Desmond Tutu, and George H.W. Bush over the years.

4. Tufts University Fletcher School

(1933; fletcher.tufts.edu).

The Fletcher School has admitted students from more than 70 countries.

5. Columbia University School of International and Public Affairs

(1946; sipa.columbia.edu).

Nearly half of its employed 2010 graduates are working in the private sector: consulting, banking, and business.