Is Georgetown or Amherst better for studying international relations as an undergraduate?

The biggest practical tradeoff is Georgetown’s direct access to Washington, D.C.’s foreign-policy ecosystem versus Amherst’s smaller, more flexible liberal-arts education. For diplomacy and global security specifically, Georgetown offers a more purpose-built undergraduate path through the Walsh School of Foreign Service. Its location also makes internships during the academic year at government agencies, embassies, international organizations, and policy think tanks far more accessible.

Georgetown’s curriculum is especially well aligned with a student who wants to study security policy, regional affairs, foreign languages, economics, and international politics in an explicitly international-relations setting. You would be surrounded by many classmates pursuing related careers, and the school’s Washington-based speakers, alumni network, and experiential opportunities are unusually relevant to diplomacy.

Amherst can provide an excellent intellectual foundation for international relations through political science, economics, history, languages, and area studies. Its small classes and close faculty mentorship can be a real advantage, particularly for a student who wants to explore broadly, write extensively, and perhaps combine international affairs with another discipline. The Five College Consortium expands course options, including offerings at nearby institutions, but Amherst does not have the same concentrated IR infrastructure or day-to-day access to policy institutions as Georgetown.

For your stated interests in diplomacy and global security, Georgetown is the stronger undergraduate choice. Amherst would be compelling if you value the intimate liberal-arts environment more highly and want a less preprofessional, more self-designed route into international affairs.