Formed in 1965 as the Department of Politics, the Department of Government has been headed by a distinguished line of Professors: Allen Potter, John Mackintosh, Richard Rose, Jeremy Richardson, Brian W. Hogwood, David Judge, Gerry Stoker, Mario Diani and James Mitchell. The current Head of Department is Professor David Judge.
The department has a long history of international research excellence. In four successive Research Assessment Exercises between 1989 and 2007 it obtained a top '5' rating and was one of only six politics departments in the UK to have attained this distinction. In the latest exercise, RAE2008, 75 per cent of the research conducted within the department was judged to be internationally recognized or excellent in terms of its originality, significance and rigour. In October 2009 the Centre for Higher Education Development in Germany identified the Department at Strathclyde as one of an 'Excellence Group' of political science departments in the EU. The results published in Die Ziet identified 'outstanding achievement in publications, citations and staff mobility'.
At the last national Teaching Quality Assessment in Scotland the Politics Division of the Department of Government achieved the only 'Excellent' grade to be awarded in Scotland.
In successive National Student Surveys our students have recorded an overall satisfaction rating of 91 per cent in 2007 and 2008 and 94 per cent in 2009.
The Department is staffed by internationally recognised experts and offers a congenial setting for postgraduate study.
The Department has a lively graduate body of both research and taught MSc students and offers an extensive programme of training and support to postgraduate students.