83rd Annual Midwest Political Science Association Conference
Thursday, April 23 through Sunday, April 26, 2026
Hybrid Format: In Person at the Palmer House Hilton in Chicago, IL or Online
All Panels/Paper Sessions, Roundtables, Lightning Talks and Working Groups will Feature a Hybrid Format (for In-Person or Virtual Participation). Undergraduate Poster Sessions will be In Person Only.
Conference Program Co-Chairs:
Bethany Lacina, University of Rochester
Cecilia Hyunjung Mo, University of California-Berkeley
Learn more about the conference.
Conference Registration
Registration and pricing is not yet available for the 2026 MPSA Annual Conference. The prices and information listed below are details from the 2025 Annual Conference, are subject to change, and should only be used as a reference point for the 2026 conference.
2025 MPSA Conference Registration Rates
A PDF registration form can be downloaded here.
| Early In-Hotel* or Virtual Registration |
Early Out-Hotel* |
Regular In-Hotel* or Virtual Registration |
Regular Out-Hotel* |
Onsite Registration | ||||
| Through February 5, 2025 |
Through February 5, 2025 |
February 6 – March 19, 2025 |
February 6 – March 19, 2025 |
In-Hotel* or Virtual Registration |
Out-Hotel* | |||
| Member Rates | ||||||||
| Professional Member, Income Level < $50,000 | $240 | $320 | $305 | $385 | $335 | $415 | ||
| Professional Member, Income Level $50,000-$74,999 | $280 | $360 | $340 | $420 | $370 | $450 | ||
| Professional Member, Income Level $75,000-$99,999 | $315 | $395 | $375 | $455 | $405 | $485 | ||
| Professional Member, Income Level $100,000-$149,999 | $350 | $430 | $410 | $490 | $440 | $520 | ||
| Professional Member, Income Level $150,000-$199,999 | $385 | $465 | $450 | $530 | $480 | $560 | ||
| Professional Member, Income Level > $200,000 | $425 | $505 | $485 | $565 | $515 | $595 | ||
| Graduate Student Member | $130 | $180 | $190 | $240 | $220 | $270 | ||
| Undergraduate Student Member | $65 | $105 | $65 | $105 | $65 | $105 | ||
| Retired Member | $75 | $115 | $125 | $165 | $155 | $195 | ||
| Lifetime Member | $315 | $395 | $375 | $455 | $405 | $485 | ||
| Non-Member Rates** | ||||||||
| Non-Member Professional | $605 | $685 | $665 | $745 | $750 | $830 | ||
| Non-Member Graduate Student | $240 | $320 | $305 | $385 | $335 | $415 | ||
| Non-Member Undergraduate Student | $100 | $140 | $100 | $140 | $100 | $140 | ||
| Non-Member Retiree | $150 | $190 | $205 | $245 | $230 | $270 | ||
Please note: Registration fees do not include any meals. Conference registration is non-refundable with the exception of adjustments due to changes made to in-person or virtual participation. Membership purchases are non-refundable. MPSA does not invoice for membership or conference registration and does not accept purchase orders, wire transfers, or bank transfers as payment.
*In-Hotel/Out-Hotel – In-Hotel rates apply to registered guests of the Palmer House, Chicago Hilton, and Chicago residents. In Hotel rates also apply to virtual conference registrations. Out-hotel rates are slightly higher and apply for those staying outside of the official conference hotels.
** Non-member rates include one year of complimentary electronic MPSA membership.
Not on the program? Serve as a discussant and attend the conference for free!
A complimentary registration will be available for those who are attending the hybrid conference (either in person or online) and participating as a discussant.
In order to qualify for a complimentary registration:
- You must sign up for at least one discussant role. (While not required, fulfilling additional discussant or chair roles is greatly appreciated by your colleagues in the discipline looking for feedback on their research.) Click here to view a curated list of open roles and sign up to volunteer. You must be logged in with your MPSA username and password to volunteer. All users must complete their profile before volunteering for a chair or discussant role. You will be prompted to complete your account profile if you have not done so already. Learn more about conference participation roles here.
- You cannot be assigned to any author roles.
- You cannot be a participant on any roundtable outside of the MPSA Professional Development Section 63.
Being added as a chair on a panel in addition to your discussant role(s) will not disqualify you from a complimentary registration. However, holding a chair role alone does not qualify you for a complimentary registration. We highly encourage you to volunteer for chair role(s) in addition to your service as a discussant. You must hold at least one discussant role to qualify.
If you are eligible to receive a complimentary registration, you will be emailed a link to register at no charge.
If you receive a complimentary registration but no longer meet the above requirements, your complimentary registration will be revoked and you will be need to purchase a conference registration.
Conference Registration Fee Waivers
Developing Nations Complimentary Memberships and Conference Fee Waiver Eligibility
To encourage broad participation in the association, the Midwest Political Science Association is offering a limited number of complimentary two-year electronic memberships to developing nations political science scholars residing and working/attending a university in their home country; this country must qualify as a developing nation as defined by the World Bank for the 2015 fiscal year. This program will allow access to MPSA membership benefits including electronic access to the American Journal of Political Science (AJPS), the association’s monthly electronic newsletter, and other member benefits for a period of twenty-four months. Upon being granted a developing nations membership, you will be eligible to apply for a conference fee waiver. Learn more about complimentary Developing Nations memberships and how to apply.
IIE-SRF Complimentary Memberships and Conference Fee Waivers
The MPSA partners with the Institute of International Education Scholar Rescue Fund® (IIE-SRF) to provide complimentary membership and conference registration fee waivers to threatened or displaced scholars. Learn more about the IIE-SRF here. If you are an IIE-SRF fellow, contact Carly O’Connell at coconnell@iie.org for more information on how you can qualify for complimentary MPSA membership and a conference fee waiver.
Presenter Registration Status Flexibility
If you register for in-person attendance and are unable to travel, you can change your registration status to virtual if you are participating on a session featuring a hybrid format (Panel/Paper sessions, Roundtables, Lightning Talks and Working Groups). You may also switch your registration status from virtual to in person as needed. If you have a participatory role (presenter, chair, discussant) on an undergraduate poster session, you will not be able to switch your registration status from in person to virtual as this session type is available for in-person participation only. Information on how to update your participation will be available in early 2026. Adjustments to registration pricing (based on in-hotel/virtual, out-hotel status) will be processed accordingly. If a balance is due, your registration will not be updated until the balance is paid in full. Any refunds due to registration status changes will be issued after the conference.
Conference Policies
The Midwest Political Science Association (MPSA) is committed to providing a safe, harassment-free, hospitable and productive meeting environment for everyone attending our events, regardless of race, gender, sexual orientation, ability, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, age, religion or belief. All conference participants must agree to abide by the MPSA Code of Conduct at Events as well as the MPSA Streaming and Recording Policy.
Future MPSA Conference Dates
- Thursday, April 1 – Sunday, April 4, 2027
- Thursday, March 30 – Sunday, April 2, 2028
- Thursday, April 19 – Sunday, April 22, 2029
- Thursday, March 28 – Sunday, March 31, 2030