Boston College vs. Georgetown for International Relations: Which Has the Stronger Program?

For international relations specifically, Georgetown has the stronger and more specialized program. Its School of Foreign Service is one of the university’s defining undergraduate schools, with dedicated majors such as International Politics, International Economics, and Science, Technology, and International Affairs. Georgetown’s Washington, D.C., location also puts students close to embassies, federal agencies, think tanks, international organizations, and policy internships during the academic year.

The School of Foreign Service curriculum is built around foreign language study, economics, history, political science, and regional or functional specialization. Its alumni network is especially deep in diplomacy, national security, development, international business, and global journalism. For a student who already knows they want IR rather than a broader liberal-arts path, that concentration and access are meaningful advantages.

Boston College can still provide a strong foundation through political science, economics, history, language study, and its International Studies Program. BC’s Jesuit education also gives international questions an appealing ethical and social-justice dimension, and Boston offers opportunities through nonprofits, research institutions, and globally oriented companies. However, BC does not have an undergraduate school equivalent to Georgetown’s School of Foreign Service or Georgetown’s day-to-day proximity to U.S. foreign-policy institutions.

Choose Georgetown unless factors outside academics, such as campus environment, cost, or personal fit, substantially favor Boston College. For direct preparation in international relations, especially diplomacy, policy, security studies, or international political economy, Georgetown offers the more distinctive platform.