From the Dean
Welcome to the Hamilton Lugar School.
You will be challenged here to think harder, understand the world more deeply and use what you learn to make a difference in it. I’m confident you’ll find your place at Hamilton Lugar, and I hope you’ll leave ready to change the world in ways that matter. David Bosco, Interim Dean
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800Students in the school
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100+Faculty, including former diplomats and officials
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7:1Faculty to student ratio
Based on 2026 data
What we teach
Study the world from more than one angle
Global problems do not fit neatly into one subject. Neither do our degrees. Study international law, cybersecurity, finance, public health, media, diplomacy, regions of the world and the languages spoken there. The point is not simply to know more about the world. It is to understand how the pieces connect.
Who teaches it
Who teaches it Learn from people who know the work
Our faculty include scholars who have spent decades studying a region or question, along with people who have served in government, diplomacy, intelligence, international organizations and other fields. They bring that experience into the classroom. And they are here for students.
I didn’t expect International Studies to open so many different paths for me. I came in wanting to learn more about other cultures and languages, but I left able to see myself working in everything from international business and media to nonprofits, teaching and work across countries.
What happens here
Do the work before you graduate
Spend a semester in Washington with an internship. Study abroad. Work with an organization trying to solve a real problem. Conduct research with faculty or build skills that take you far beyond Bloomington. At Hamilton Lugar, experience is not something you wait for until after college.
Who we are named for
Two Hoosiers who changed the world
Lee Hamilton spent more than three decades in Congress and later served as vice chair of the 9/11 Commission. Richard Lugar served six terms in the U.S. Senate and helped create the program that dismantled thousands of weapons of mass destruction after the Cold War. Both believed serious global problems demanded knowledge, cooperation and public service. Their names remind us what this school is here to do.
Looking for someone specific? Start here.
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FacultyFaculty Directory
A hundred-odd scholars and practitioners, searchable by department, region, topic and language.
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UnitsDepartments, Centers and Institutes
Explore the academic departments, research centers and institutes that make up the school.
Come and see it, or just write to us
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VisitVisit and Connect
Tour the school, meet students and get a feel for what life here is actually like.
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