What are some colleges that offer excellent preparatory courses in the fields of Political Science (with a focus on International Politics) or News-based Journalism/Communications?

I went to The George Washington University and we had a really amazing political science program and journalism school. A lot of my friends that graduated have had a lot of great opportunities.

Other than that, I would recommend looking at US news rankings for the program rankings and then you can look into what each school requires in terms of GPA, SAT scores etc.

Hi Zachary, I got my master's degree from American University's School of Communications in Washington, DC. They offer many programs for graduates and undergrads and almost of all of the classes have a political slant to them. Many of the courses I took opened my eyes to the critical role communications professionals have in politics. The school and professors also brought in dynamic speakers. When I attended, this included Bill Clinton and Torie Clarke who served under George W. Bush. The student body is very engaged politically, with communities, and internationally. I'd highly recommend looking into several of their schools, particularly the School of Public Affairs and School of Communication, based on your interests.

This list would be a good place to start your research on schools with good journalism programs:

http://college.usatoday.com/2016/09/30/best-journalism-schools/

You should also take into account factors such as location and internship possibilities. A school in a big city such as New York or Chicago might offer better opportunities for internships at various media organizations and proximity to events for class projects. However, if you're interested in political journalism, Washington, DC, would probably be a great choice for you.

Good luck.