School of Social and Political Sciences
The School of Social and Political Sciences (SSPS) is one of the fastest-growing and most dynamic communities of social scientists in the world. Since 2009, SSPS has recruited over 40 new permanent staff, including 10 full professors. Our research is globally recognized as excellent. Social sciences at Sydney is currently ranked 24th in the world by QS and the individual disciplines we cover are usually ranked in the top 30 globally.
SSPS is home to the Departments of Anthropology, Government and International Relations, Political Economy, Sociology and Social Policy, the Centre for Peace and Conflict Studies, the Centre for International Security Studies and the Graduate School of Government. Details of the research and teaching strengths of the constituent parts of the School are available on the relevant departmental web pages.
We believe strongly in the close relationship between excellence in research and high quality teaching. Our students and researchers benefit from a number of collaborative networks and research initiatives within the school and with other parts of the University that provide innovative teaching and research opportunities within Australia, and with other parts of the world. School based networks include Biopolitics of Science and Society, Social Transformation and International Migration, Human Rights and Democratisation, Law and Society, Electoral Integrity, Religion, State & Society and Markets and Society. Networks with significant input from members of the School include Social Justice, Climate Change, The China Studies Centre and the Institute for Democracy and Human Rights (IDHR). We also have strong input into the work of the United States Studies Centre.
As regards teaching, our undergraduate and postgraduate courses are sought after for being at the cutting edge of the social sciences. They consist of a range of units and programmes of study that provide an outstanding basis for employment or further research through our MA, MPhil and PhD programs.
Latest News
New Sociology Postgraduates Awarded Highly Competitive Research Fellowships
Dr Sharon Quah and Dr Shawna Tang, recent PhD graduates in the Department of Sociology and Social Policy, have both been awarded prestigious Postdoctoral Research Fellowships in the Asia Research Institute (ARI) at the National University of Singapore.
Vice Chancellor's Teaching Award for Human Rights/Sociology Staff Member
Dr Susan Banki, a member of the Department’s Human Rights Team, has been awarded the Vice Chancellor's Award for Teaching Excellence.
Forecasting the Onset of Genocide and Politicide: Annual Out-of-Sample Forecasts on a Global Dataset, 1988-2003
Our article “Forecasting the Onset of Genocide and Politicide: Annual Out-of-Sample Forecasts on a Global Dataset, 1988-2003” has been accepted by the Journal of Peace Research, with expected publication in July 2013 [http://jpr.sagepub.com/].
Dr Goldsmith received a Medium Grant from the Electoral Integrity Project
Benjamin Goldsmith has received a Medium Grant from the Electoral Integrity Project to investigate “Authoritarian Elections, Electoral Integrity, and Political Violence”
Latest Events
Lunchtime Research Seminars - 21 May 2013
Biopolitics of Science Reading Group - 23 May 2013
Electoral Integrity Project Annual Workshop on “Concepts and Indices of Electoral Integrity” - 3 June 2013 to 4 June 2013
Biopolitics of Science Reading Group - 6 June 2013
Competing Visions in the Muslim World: Rebuilding States and Reinvigorating Civil Societies - 10 June 2013 to 12 June 2013
Biopolitics of Science Reading Group - 1 August 2013