Korbel ranked 12th best place in the world to earn a master’s degree in international relations.
Korbel ranked 20th in the world for the best undergraduate degree in international studies.
Korbel ranked 12th best place in the world to earn a master’s degree in international relations.
Korbel ranked 20th in the world for the best undergraduate degree in international studies.
Since 1964, we've offered international studies programs designed to educate skilled, ethical and innovative leaders. We challenge students to think critically about current global issues and develop skills that can help them advance the common good. Today, we're a top-ranked school for international affairs, offering customizable degrees that prepare career-focused students to address specific global challenges.Â
Ben Cherrington was Chancellor of the University of Denver from 1943 to 1946 and Director of the University of Denver's Social Science Foundation from 1926 to 1951. Under Ben Cherrington's leadership, the Korbel School gained a national reputation. Notably, he was among the first educators in the nation to implement the novel idea of studying international relations in terms of "people to people" diplomacy and the concept of cultural exchange between nations.
Founder and first dean of the Graduate school in 1964, Josef Korbel helped shape the field of international studies. He was mentor to two former Secretaries of State: Madeleine K. Albright, his daughter and the first female Secretary of State, and Condoleezza Rice, his star student.
Madeleine Albright was an American diplomat and political scientist who made history as the first female U.S. Secretary of State, serving under President Bill Clinton. A trailblazer in foreign policy, she played a pivotal role in shaping U.S. diplomacy during the post-Cold War era. Born in Prague, Albright was the daughter of Josef Korbel, founder of the Josef Korbel School of International Studies. Her legacy is marked by her fierce advocacy for democracy, human rights, and international cooperation.
Dr. Condoleezza Rice is an American political scientist, diplomat, and educator who served as the 66th U.S. Secretary of State under President George W. Bush. A leading expert in international relations, she also served as National Security Advisor. Dr. Rice earned her Ph.D. in political science from Korbel, where she studied under Dr. Josef Korbel, whose mentorship greatly influenced her career in foreign policy.
In 1964, with the enthusiastic support of Ben Cherrington and Josef Korbel's distinguished academic and administrative acumen, the Graduate School of International Studies was founded. Josef Korbel was our first dean, and was responsible for raising the much-needed funding to build Ben M. Cherrington Hall, which opened in 1965. Josef Korbel died in 1977, but his legacy lives on. The School was renamed May 28, 2008 in his honor.
Ben Cherrington, is credited with laying the foundation for our hallmark strengths: a global perspective, academic integrity, interdisciplinary knowledge and skills, and support for sustainable, humane global initiatives. Under Cherrington's leadership, we gained a national reputation. Thanks to his drive and enthusiasm for organizing conferences, seminars and lectures, Denver became a hub for politicians, diplomats, academics and business leaders from around the world—a distinction that continues today.
In 2019, Frederick "Fritz" Mayer was appointed as the school's dean. Prior to his time at DU, Mayer served as senior international trade and foreign policy advisor to former U.S. Senator Bill Bradley from 1992 to 1993 and as a policy analyst at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Mayer’s areas of expertise and interests include the role of narrative in global environmental politics, global value chains for public policy and governance, the politics of climate change legislation, and energy and trade policy.Â
Korbel has offered programs in international affairs since 1964.
12th best place in the world to earn a master’s degree in international relations by Foreign Policy magazine. Korbel’s undergraduate degree program was ranked 20th in the United States.
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