Is the University of Maryland or American University better for studying international relations?

For a student focused specifically on international relations, American University is the more targeted choice. Its School of International Service is built around international affairs, with specialized coursework and faculty across areas such as diplomacy, global governance, development, security, and regional studies. American’s Washington, D.C., location also makes semester-long internships and networking with embassies, federal agencies, policy organizations, and international nonprofits unusually accessible during the academic year.

American’s IR curriculum and campus culture are more concentrated around globally oriented careers, so it can be easier to find peers, student organizations, speakers, and advising aligned with diplomacy, policy analysis, development work, and international advocacy. The school’s programs also emphasize language study, experiential learning, and connections to practitioners in the field, which are meaningful advantages when building an early résumé.

The University of Maryland is still a credible option, particularly through Government and Politics, International Studies, and related language or area-studies programs. It offers the resources of a large public research university, broad course selection, and proximity to D.C. from College Park. Maryland may be especially appealing if you want to combine IR with fields such as economics, computer science, public policy, data analysis, or a STEM subject, or if its cost is substantially lower. But for a student whose primary goal is a clearly defined international relations education and direct access to the D.C. foreign-policy ecosystem, American provides the more focused academic and career environment.