Nestled along the Pacific Ocean on 1,200 acres of coastal sage, UCSD is a powerful magnet for those seeking a fresh, next-generation approach to education and research. Since its founding, four decades ago, UCSD - one of the ten campuses in the top-tier University of California system - has rapidly achieved the status as one of the top institutions in the nation for higher education and research and has received many international rankings attesting to this quality: Foreign Policy ranked UCSD 9th in the nation for international relations studies and 10th for international public policy studies.

The 2005 Academic Rankings of World Universities conducted by Shanghai Jiao Tong University ranked UCSD 13th internationally.

2004 Global Rankings compiled by The Times (London) Higher Education Supplement placed UCSD 42nd among the world's best universities.

U.S. News and World Report ranks UCSD 7th best public university in the nation.

About IR/PS

The School of International Relations and Pacific Studies (IR/PS) is the University of California's only professional school of international relations as well as the only such program in the U.S. focused on the Pacific region - Asia and the Americas. The school is small enough to have a family-like quality, but boasts the resources of a larger institution. An innovative curriculum blends the best of three professional school traditions - international relations, public policy, and management. IR/PS is an entrepreneurial school creating tomorrow's traditions in international affairs.

Exceptional Faculty

Our faculty is internationally renowned in many sectors, and is widely recognized for their boldness and innovation within their respective disciplines. IR/PS faculty integrates an enthusiasm for teaching with rigorous scholarship and professional relationships with government and industry. Members of our faculty lead research centers found on both the IR/PS and UC San Diego campus.

Stellar Students

IR/PS attracts students of the highest caliber from a wide range of backgrounds from every region of the Pacific and beyond. IR/PS trains men and women to assume positions of leadership in business, government, and nonprofit organizations throughout the world. Internships are important for career development and 90% of our students pursue internships between the first and second year. One student about his summer internship said:

"I interned at the Nicaraguan Ministry of Economics formulating national strategies for the next round of WTO negotiations. My understanding of international trade structures is much enhanced and the experience has generated insights into the difficulties that developing countries face in their attempts to move forward and deal with endemic poverty."
       Sean Porter - Michigan, USA

The Program

Master's degree students choose from seven career track concentrations in addition to five regional concentrations. The career tracks provide students with the opportunity to focus on a specialized professional career path and to work closely with other students and faculty who share similar interests. The following international career tracks are available:

• Management
• Politics
• Economics
• Development & Nonprofit Management
• Public Policy
• Environmental Policy
• Country And Regional Studies

Additionally the regional programs were established in recognition of the growing importance of Latin America, China, Japan, Korea, and Southeast Asia to the Pacific region. All students must complete a regional specialization, and may choose from among the five concentrations where they study the economy and political system of the country or region.

Regional Specializations

The regional programs at the Graduate School of International Relations and Pacific Studies were established in recognition of the growing importance of China, Japan, Korea, Latin America, and Southeast Asia to the Pacific region. All students must complete a regional specialization, and may choose from among the five concentrations where they study the economy and political system of the country or region. Each regional program is led by IR/PS faculty and of designated courses on the economy and political system of a student's chosen country or region. All students must complete a regional specialization in one of the following choices:

• Southeast Asia
• China
• Korea
• Japan
• Latin America

We invite you to visit IR/PS and discover first-hand the opportunities IR/PS offers in the enormously dynamic and increasingly integrated Pacific region.