Most published research on political science curriculum design focuses on the United States, leaving unclear whether findings generalise internationally. This paper analyses 218 programs at 140 universities across five English-speaking democracies: Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom. I examine which institutional characteristics predict adoption of the Wahlke (1991) sequential learning model which comprises introductory courses, research methods training, and capstone experiences. I find three key patterns. First, structured curricula are substantially more common internationally than in the US: 33% of sampled universities require all three Wahlke elements compared to only 18% of US programs. Second, Introduction to International Relations is the most required course (144 of 218 programs). Third, multivariate analysis reveals that PhD-granting status, larger faculty size, and higher percentages of required coursework significantly predict methods requirements and capstone adoption, indicating that curriculum structure reflects systematic relationships between institutional missions, resources, and pedagogical philosophy.

Richard W Frank is a Senior Lecturer in the School of Politics and International Relations at the Australian National University. His research in the areas of political violence, contentious elections, and human trafficking has appeared in leading journals including Journal of Peace Research, Political Behavior, and Journal of Democracy.  

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