Teaching Awards & Recognition
APSA recognizes and celebrates excellence in teaching by presenting faculty with awards for their excellence in teaching.
2026 Campus Teaching Award Form Open | Deadline: August 14th
The American Political Science Association (APSA) values excellence in teaching political science and recognizes faculty achievements in teaching. Colleges and universities recognize exceptional teaching by presenting faculty members with awards for teaching excellence.
Each year, APSA recognizes political science faculty who have received teaching awards from their own colleges or universities during the past academic year. APSA will feature the winners and titles of their awards in APSA’s member magazine, Political Science Today.
Previous Award Winners:
- See Academic Year 2024-2025
- See Academic Year 2023-2024
- See Academic Year 2022-2023
- See Academic Year 2021-2022
- See Academic Year 2020-2021
- See Academic Year 2019-2020
- See Academic Year 2018-2019
- See Academic Year 2017-2018
- See Academic Year 2016-2017
- See Academic Year 2015-2016
- See Academic Year 2014-2015
Submissions due by August 14, 2026.
Questions? Email teaching@apsanet.org.
APSA Distinguished Teaching Award
The APSA Distinguished Teaching Award honors the outstanding contribution to undergraduate and graduate teaching of political science at two- and four-year institutions. The contribution may span several years or an entire career, or it may be a single project of exceptional impact. The award carries a $1,000 prize. View complete information about this award here.
APSA Award for Teaching Innovation
The APSA Award for Teaching Innovation honors a wide range of new directions in teaching. The award carries a cash prize of $500 and is presented at the APSA Annual Meeting or the APSA Teaching and Learning Conference, depending on the year. View complete information about this award here.
APSA Distinguished Award for Civic and Community Engagement
The APSA Distinguished Award for Civic and Community Engagement honors significant civic or community engagement activity by a political scientist, alone or in collaboration with others, which explicitly merges knowledge and practice and goes beyond research to have an impact outside of the profession or the academy.
The award is presented at the APSA Annual Meeting and carries a $1,000 honorarium. View complete information about this award here.
APSA Award for Teaching Innovation
The APSA Award for Teaching Innovation honors a wide range of new directions in teaching. The award carries a cash prize of $500 and is presented at the APSA Annual Meeting or the APSA Teaching and Learning Conference, depending on the year. View complete information about this award here.
APSA Community College Faculty Award
The APSA Community College Award recognizes a person or persons who have made exemplary contributions to advance the multi-faceted goals of community college faculty.
The award identifies the contributions of faculty for the advancement of: the creation of innovative curriculum, creative teaching, promoting equity in mentorship, advancing civic and community engagement, participating in institutional shared governance, and/or promoting research. The award is presented at the APSA Annual Meeting and carries a cash prize of $750. View complete information about this award here.