A recent survey published in Foreign Policy magazine ranked the School of International Service degree programs as some of the best in the nation.
The undergraduate degree program tied for 10th with local rival George Washington University. The master's program earned eighth place and the Ph.D. program was ranked as the 23rd-best in the nation.
Not only has AU gained in the rankings from last year (when the first survey was conducted), but it gained the most in the rankings overall.
To anyone who knows and loves SIS, it's really no surprise that it was ranked so highly. The school's curriculum is very comprehensive and offers plenty of specializations, and AU's location in D.C. offers innumerable opportunities for internships at embassies, the State Department and international nonprofits and think tanks. SIS alumni are doing incredibly well in the real world and are bringing that success back to AU students. The international relations program is what attracts many students to AU and keeps them here for four years.
Overall, the ranking is a reward for AU's continued improvement over the last few years. Even though AU may not rank at the very top of U.S. News and World Report rankings, it excels in certain areas, like SIS. This study, which ranked the undergrad program above those at Ivy League schools like Cornell and Brown, gives the entire AU community something to be proud of.
The university is working to expand these programs by hiring outstanding faculty and building better facilities for SIS, SOC and Kogod. These improvements will continue the trend of higher-caliber incoming freshmen classes
Keep up the good work, SIS. You make us proud.
