We encourage our graduate students to attend and present at different professional conventions such as ones held by the American Political Science Association (APSA), Midwest Political Science Association (MPSA), and International Studies Association (ISA), as well as to join these professional associations. Below, you will find information about some of the conventions attended by political science graduate students at UC.

Information on APSA

The American Political Science Association, founded in 1903, is the leading professional organization for the study of political science and serves more than 15,000 members in over 80 countries. With a range of programs and services for individuals, departments and institutions, APSA brings together political scientists from all fields of inquiry, regions, and occupational endeavors within and outside academe in order to expand awareness and understanding of politics. For further information, please visit the APSA web site.

APSA organizes two big annual conventions:

• The APSA Annual Meeting in September
• The APSA Annual Teaching & Learning Conference in February

Information on MPSA

The Midwest Political Science Association (MSPA) is a national organization of over 3000 political science faculty, students, and public administrators. Founded in 1939, the MPSA is dedicated to the advancement of scholarship in all areas of political science. National Conference: In April of each year, the MPSA holds one of the largest political science conferences at the Palmer House Hilton in Chicago, IL, with over 3000 presenters from around the country and around the world. For further information on MPSA and its annual conference, please visit the MPSA web site.

Information on ISA

The International Studies Association (ISA) was founded in 1959 by a group of scholars and practitioners. Representing eighty countries, ISA has over 3000 members worldwide and is the most respected and widely known scholarly association in this field. The four geographic subdivisions of ISA, called Regions (Canada, Midwest, Northeast, South, and West), provide opportunities to exchange ideas and research with local colleagues. Over twenty special interest groups, called Sections, offer additional contact between members interested in specific areas within the field of international studies. Together, these Regions and Sections allow the scholars to create communities of scholars dedicated to international studies. The international conferences and annual convention attract scholars from all over the world. ISA cooperates with 53 international studies organizations in 32 countries, and participates in the International Social Science Council and has a non-governmental consultative status with the United Nations.

ISA publishes the international Studies Quarterly (ISQ) Journal. With a broad interdisciplinary and multinational perspective, the International Studies Review (ISR) tracks worldwide trends, synthesizing theory and literature in the field. International Studies Perspectives began publication in 2000 and is focused on teaching, research, and a peer-reviewed outlet for the highest quality academic research into the processes, outcomes, and theories of foreign policy. For further information on ISA and its conventions, please visit the ISA web site.