top phd programs international relations

15 Best Schools For International Relations

The field of international relations examines how nation-states (and NGOs) interact with each other. It encompasses areas like trade, history, war, diplomacy, foreign policy, security, and politics. As a practice and scholarly endeavor, international relations increased in significance following WWII. It remains important in our highly-globalized world. Today, international relations professionals work in governments, non-profits, and academia. Schools around the world offer international relations programs for those interested in a career. Here are 15 of the best schools:

Table of Contents

• The London School of Economics and Political Science (London, UK)
• Stanford University (Stanford, CA)
• Sciences Po (Paris, France)
• Princeton University (Princeton, NJ)
• George Washington University (Washington, D.C.)
• Tufts University (Boston, MA)
• University of Amsterdam (Amsterdam, Netherlands)
• Georgetown University (Washington, DC)
• Central European University (Vienna, Austria)
• Columbia University (New York, NY)
• Yale University (New Haven, CT)
• University of Chicago (Chicago, IL)
• University of California – Berkeley (Berkeley, CA)
• University of Oxford (Oxford, UK)
• Harvard University (Cambridge, MA)

#1 The London School of Economics and Political Science (London, UK)

Programs offered: Undergrad, master’s, joint degrees, doctorate

The LSE has one of the largest and oldest international relations departments in the world. It has a wide range of program options, like a BSc, five MSc programs, and a research option designed as preparation for research work. Multiple joint degree programs are available, too, such as the BSc in International Relations and History; the BSc in Politics and International Relations; and the MSc in Theory in and History of International Relations. The MPhil/Ph.D. program requires students to produce a “substantial piece of work” meant to be published.

#2 Stanford University (Stanford, CA)

Programs offered: Major, minor, honors

The international relations program is available to undergrads as a major, minor, or honors program. Designed with an interdisciplinary approach, students learn how state and non-state actors interact in international politics. Topics include foreign policy, war, international security , international trade, human rights, and much more. IR majors need to complete 30 units of core courses while minors need 30 units, five of which need to be core courses. Qualified students in the honors program must conduct an independent research project with faculty guidance and complete a thesis. The Political Science major also offers an international relations track while the Global Studies division has three graduate programs (East Asian Studies, Latin American Studies, and Russian, East European & Eurasian Studies), which could be a good fit for future IR professionals.

#3 Sciences Po (Paris, France)

Programs offered: Concentrations, 2-year master, 1-year master, dual degrees

Sciences Po’s Paris School of International Affairs offers four ways to study international relations. Concentrations are available to all PSIA students. Students can choose by region (African Studies, the Americas, Asian Studies, etc) or theme ( diplomacy , human rights, global risks, etc). With the 2-year master’s, students have seven choices within the international affairs field, including international security, international development, and international energy. The accelerated 1-year master’s is for candidates with an undergrad degree and at least five years of full-time professional experience. The dual degree program is offered in partnership with four French universities and 10 international universities.

#4 Princeton University (Princeton, NJ)

Programs offered: Undergrad and graduate

The Princeton School of Public and International Affairs offers a multidisciplinary liberal arts major. Students take courses on a wide range of topics such as economics, sociology, politics, and more. There are five main graduate programs: Master in Public Affairs; Master in Public Policy; Ph.D. in Public Affairs; a joint degree program in Social Policy; and the HMEI-STEP Fellowship program. Graduate students can also get certificates in health and health policy; urban policy; or science, technology, and environmental policy. The Master in Public Affairs program offers an international relations concentration.

#5 George Washington University (Washington, D.C.)

Programs offered: Majors, master’s, dual-degree, joint-degree, graduate certificates

The Elliott School of International Affairs at George Washington University offers multiple degree programs for students interested in international relations. There are five bachelor’s programs (including a B.A. in International Affairs, B.S. in International Affairs, and a minor in International Relations), 12 master’s degree programs (including international affairs, global communication, and international studies), and graduate certificates. The school also offers dual-degree, joint-degree options, and accelerated programs for mid-career professionals.

#6 Tufts University (Boston, MA)

Programs offered: Undergrad, master’s, doctorate

Tufts offers an interdisciplinary B.A. in international relations, which provides students with a solid background in history, politics, international economics, war, and more as they apply to international relations. The Fletcher School also offers part-time/full-time master’s in Global Affairs, Global Business Administration, Law and Diplomacy, and more. The Ph.D. program in International Relations is best for students with at least 2 years of professional experience.

#7 University of Amsterdam (Amsterdam, Netherlands)

Programs offered: Bachelor’s and master’s

The university doesn’t offer a dedicated international relations undergrad degree, but students getting the Political Science degree will be introduced to international relations. The master’s program (which earns students an MSc in Political Science) covers peace and security, human rights, environmental issues, and much more from a global perspective. It relies on interdisciplinary insights and approaches in the international relations field. The Political Science: International Relations program is two semesters with a total of 40 weeks of courses.

#8 Georgetown University (Washington, DC)

Programs offered: Majors, minors, certificates, and graduate degrees

Georgetown’s Walsh School of Foreign Service offers eight majors related to international relations, such as global business, international economics, international political economy, and international politics. The school also offers minors and certificates in areas like diplomatic studies or regional studies, as well as master’s degrees in foreign service, security studies, and more. The Department of Government also offers a Ph.D. program in international relations . The program’s core strengths include international security, international political economy, and methodology.

#9 Central European University (Vienna, Austria)

Programs offered: Master’s and doctorate

CEU offers a full-time MA program in international relations, which can be completed in 1 or 2 years. The 2-year program is meant for graduates of three-year undergrad programs intending to pursue doctorates. In both tracks, students receive a big-picture view of international relations with a “close focus” on essential elements . Elective courses are divided into three modules: international relations theory and international law; international political economy and development; and international political sociology and history. Class size is small with no more than 20 students. The school also offers a Ph.D. in Political Science with an international relations track. Concentrations in security studies, international political economy, and political and IR theory are available.

#10 Columbia University (New York, NY)

Programs offered: Majors, master’s, and Ph.D.

For students wishing to study international relations at Columbia, their best bet is to go through the Political Science department, which has undergrad programs, master’s programs, and a Ph.D. program. Areas of focus include international security policy; international finance and economic policy; and human rights and humanitarian policy. There’s also a master’s program in Political Science, which has the option of an international relations concentration. The Ph.D. program in political science requires students to first get the MA, then the M.Phil. at Columbia. The School of International and Public Affairs also offers a master’s of international affairs.

#11 Yale University (New Haven, CT)

Programs offered: Major, master’s, joint degree

The Yale Jackson School of Global Affairs is Yale’s home for international relations. Undergraduates can get a B.A. in global affairs, which allows for flexibility when choosing coursework. The school also offers a master’s in Public Policy in Global Affairs (the M.P.P.), which is a small program with just 35 students in each class, as well as the master of advanced study (M.A.S.) in global affairs, which is a 1-year program for mid-career professionals. The Jackson School also has a joint degree program where students can earn an M.P.P. in Global Affairs and the relevant degree (M.B.A., J.D., M.F.S, etc) from one of four other Yale professional schools.

#12 University of Chicago (Chicago, IL)

Programs offered: Majors, joint B.A./M.A.

This school offers an undergrad program in Global Studies, which includes international relations. Students must study abroad for at least one quarter and become proficient in a foreign language. The Political Science major is also an option for students studying international relations. For those interested in a different kind of program, the university allows qualified students to pursue a joint B.A./M.A. in International Relations . It’s provided through the Committee on International Relations and is the first graduate program of its kind.

#13 University of California – Berkeley (Berkeley, CA)

Programs offered: Undergrad, doctorate

The Political Science major is a good choice for students interested in international relations. Coursework varies from large lectures to small seminars. There are six main requirements, including choosing a specialization, so students should choose the international relations subfield. UC Berkley also has a Ph.D. program in Political Science, which consists of coursework, examinations, and dissertation research and writing. Students will need to pass one exam in a major subfield, like International Relations, as well as a second exam in any subfield.

#14 University of Oxford (Oxford, UK)

The University of Oxford’s main international relations programs are graduate programs through the highly-ranked Department of Politics and International Relations. Students can earn an MSC in Political Research Theory or Politics Research. The MPhil is a 21-month program that blends theoretical and conceptual training with methodology training and original research. The DPhil program takes 3-4 years of full-time study or 6-8 years of part-time study.

#15 Harvard University (Cambridge, MA)

Programs offered: ALB, ALM, and graduate certificate

Harvard University does not have a dedicated international relations program for undergrad majors (the government major is the closest thing), but the Harvard Extension School’s Division of Continuing Education has three options. The Bachelor of Liberal Arts (ALB) in international relations is designed for students around 32 years old who work full-time. The Harvard Extension school also offers a 12-course master’s degree (ALM) in international relations, where students develop analytical skills and build knowledge and understanding of global issues like poverty , human rights, armed conflict, and more. They also have the option of obtaining a certificate in social justice, international security, or nuclear deterrence. The 4-course graduate certificate provides an understanding of international cooperation, conflict, foreign policy, and more.

Doctor of International Affairs (DIA)

• Campus: Washington DC , SAIS Europe
• Program Duration: Two and Three Year tracks; Full-Time | Three Years; Part-Time

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• Class Profile
• Employment Outcomes
• Tuition and Financial Aid

The Doctor of International Affairs is designed for professionals with at least five-years of full-time work experience in international affairs or a related field who seek to further their expertise through an advanced practitioner’s degree. Under the guidance of school experts and scholars, you will take courses and conduct research on the issues that most align with your professional interests.

Become an Expert

The program is delivered on an accelerated two- or three-year timeline and culminates with a doctoral thesis. The curriculum emphasizes learning, research, and evaluation allowing you to apply existing practice and knowledge toward solving real-world problems in fields such as:

• conflict resolution and negotiation
• climate change, energy access, global environmental policy
• sustainable development, foreign aid, and global poverty
• human rights and humanitarian affairs, democratization, nation-building
• international political economy, economic development, emerging markets
• American foreign policy, grand strategy, history and statecraft
• defense and security, cybersecurity, and terrorism/counterterrorism
• regions of the world, and more

Doctor of International Affairs vs. PhD

The Doctor of International Affairs is a practitioner’s degree where students conduct applied research culminating in a doctoral thesis within their area of professional expertise. It is different from a traditional PhD, which requires comprehensive exams and is usually thought of as producing an original body of knowledge in preparation for careers that include, but are not limited to, academia.

What Your Schedule Will Look Like

48-credit Program 

Advanced standing is available if you possess a relevant master’s degree. You must complete 32 credits prior to the final, non-residential thesis year. 

• Eight courses in the academic year, including two methods courses
• Six courses based on your specific interests and research agenda

The final year is completed part-time on a non-resident basis while finishing research and writing a doctoral thesis under the guidance of your faculty advisor.

• 8 credits of “Thesis” each semester

80-credit Program 

Years One and Two

You will complete courses on a full-time, resident basis through fall and spring semesters for two academic years. You may begin your studies at either the Washington DC campus or at SAIS Europe.

• Fulfill the requirements of the school's Master of Arts in International Relations degree (MAIR) in international economics, quantitative reasoning, research methods, and foreign language proficiency

Build your expertise through classes based on your specific interests and research agenda. 

• Complete four courses of your choice in the academic year, two each semester

The second year of study will entail a combination of methods courses and courses based on your specific interests and research agenda.

• Complete four courses in the academic year, two each semester. This includes two method courses and two courses based on your specific interests and research agenda.

LEARN FROM THE BEST

Peter Lewis

Warren Weinstein Associate Professor

In the News

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Mara Karlin recently returned to Johns Hopkins SAIS as Professor of Practice, Director of the Foreign Policy Institute, and Faculty Co-Lead for Security, Strategy, and Statecraft. An alumna with an M.A. and a PhD in Strategic Studies from SAIS, Karlin held several positions at SAIS from 2007 to 2021: adjunct professor, associate professor, and director of Strategic Studies.

In the Small Wars Journal, Professor Albert J. Marckwardt writes about the authorization for the use of force against Mexican cartels was introduced in Congress. 04/29/24

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The breadth and depth of the Economic Report of the President…reflects the deep bench of expertise at the Council of Economic Advisers, and the federal government more broadly.

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Beyond the Classroom

Through study treks, research projects, staff rides, and more you will gain practical, hands-on experience.

Study Treks

Each year the school organizes more than two dozen study treks, providing students with valuable opportunities to conduct field research, engage with partner organizations, and gain new perspectives on major global issues.

Networking Events

Network with alumni and professionals and organize student-led events exploring your area of interest's challenges and opportunities outside the classroom.

World-Class Events

The school regularly hosts expert policymakers, CEOs, heads of state, and scholars to campus. Students are encouraged to explore topics of interest by attending lectures, presentations, and special programming.

Staff Rides

During a staff ride, students gain lessons in strategy, leadership, and decision-making by visiting a historic battle site and reenacting key moments. Each year, at least one staff ride occurs outside of the US and recent staff rides have been conducted in South Korea, Scotland, Italy, and Poland.

You are here: American University School of International Service Doctor of Philosophy International Relations

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Expertise, rigor, & excellence

The challenges currently facing our world are numerous and varied. Successfully handling these issues requires the brightest and best-trained minds. The School of International Service's (SIS) PhD in International Relations provides qualified and dedicated students with the training, knowledge, and experience necessary to pursue careers in the scholarly and policy worlds and to contribute game-changing solutions in international affairs as emerging thought leaders.

With its large and diverse faculty, SIS offers a broad, interdisciplinary, and policy-relevant approach to the study of international affairs. We value theoretical diversity, intellectual breadth, analytical rigor, and scholarly excellence. SIS is committed to maintaining, both among its faculty and within its doctoral program, the expertise needed for the rigorous analysis of critical issues in international affairs.

The PhD program requires 39 credit hours of approved graduate coursework, plus the successful defense of a dissertation. The first year is devoted to core courses and methods training. In the second year, students complete a field concentration.

Students must also successfully complete two comprehensive exams - a qualifying exam at the end of their first year and a concentration comp at the end of the second year. Students are also asked to demonstrate competency in a modern foreign language .

The dissertation must advance knowledge in the field of international relations, broadly defined. Students select and design their own research project in consultation with a committee of at least three experts in their chosen field of study. Students advance to candidacy upon the successful defense of a dissertation prospectus, usually in their third year. A public defense of the dissertation is required for graduation.

The PhD degree Full degree and admission requirements

SIS has more than 120 full-time faculty from across the social sciences, including anthropology, economics, geography, law, political science, and sociology. Our faculty research and write on a variety of geographic and intellectual areas; many have extensive experience in the public and private sectors, both in the United States and internationally.  

SIS PhD students use rigorous training in both qualitative and quantitative methods to pursue a variety of research topics including:

• The sources of cohesion in alliance relations.
• The interaction between state and local fisheries management practices in Uganda and how this effects compliance and legitimacy.
• The role of public diplomacy in US-China relations.
• Transitional justice and its relationship to governance in Poland.

Unless students bring their own external funding, normally those admitted to the program are offered a Dean's Fellowship, which is renewable for up to four years for full-time students who maintain good progress toward completing the degree. The Dean's Fellowship provides full tuition remission plus a stipend that requires the student to work for a member of the SIS faculty as a either a Research or a Teaching Assistant for a maximum of 20 hours per week during both the Fall and Spring semesters.

Other sources of funding are available for summer research, travel for conference presentations, and additional methods training.

PhD Placements

SIS PhD Alumni hold appointments at top schools and organizations, including:

• Georgetown University
• University of Warwick, Britain
• Fudan University, China
• Towson University

More PhD placements

Challenging Oppressive Hierarchies

K. Melchor Hall, SIS/PHD '14

Doctoral Faculty, Fielding Graduate University

At SIS, I was transdisciplinary, challenging boundaries of borrowed traditions.

I lived in Chocolate City before attending SIS, the experience deepened my understanding of the layering of cartographies of struggle and imperial maps. It was both disorienting and transformative to arrive where I started and find myself un-mapped. Studying international relations has deepened my commitment to challenging the oppressive hierarchies of Borderlands.

Frequently Asked Questions

When should i apply and when are the application deadlines.

In order to be considered for admission, applications and all supporting materials are due by December 15. New students begin in the fall semester. The program is designed for full-time study only and is not offered online. Students may not defer admission into the program.

View required application materials

Where will a PhD from the School of International Service take me?

Our graduates go on to careers in university teaching and research, government, and non-government organizations in the United States as well as around the globe.

Recent PhD program graduates are now on the faculty at a wide range of colleges and universities, including Virginia Tech, the University of Warwick, and the University of Denver. Graduates also hold government and industry positions, including with the U.S. Department of Commerce and the U.S. Foreign Service.

Looking for more information or help? The SIS PhD has a dedicated placement officer to assist current students and alumni.

Is there financial assistance available?

Applicants who are admitted to the SIS PhD program as full-time students and who maintain good progress towards completing the degree are granted a Dean's Fellowship, unless they have their own external funding.

Need-based aid is available through AU Central Office and generally takes the form of a federal low-interest loan package.

Federal loan and work study information for graduate students

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Graduate School

Princeton School of Public and International Affairs

General information, program offerings:.

• Joint Degree

Director of Graduate Studies:

Graduate program administrator:.

The Princeton School of Public and International Affairs (SPIA) offers a distinctive curriculum that strikes a careful balance between theory and practice. Graduate students spend time developing analytical skills and acquiring a substantive knowledge about the world's most important domestic and international issues.

The School has a diverse faculty representing a wide range of disciplines and expertise, with 20 affiliated research centers and programs.

The School's resources enable students to earn graduate degrees without incurring indebtedness, thereby making it more feasible to pursue careers of public service in the public and nonprofit sectors.

Graduate Programs

The principal graduate program of the school is a two-year curriculum leading to the degree of Master in Public Affairs (M.P.A.). Students can earn a dual degree in public affairs and law (M.P.A./J.D.) after four years of study at SPIA  and a collaborating law school. The School also offers a dual degree in business (M.P.A./M.B.A) with the Graduate School of Business at Stanford University. 

The School also has a graduate program leading to a Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in public and international affairs, as well as a one-year Master in Public Policy (M.P.P.) for mid-career professionals.

Additional departmental requirements

Ph.D. – Sample of written work, 25 page maximum. Applicants are required to select an academic subplan when applying.

*M.P.A. – Course list. 4 page policy memo. Applicants are required to select a field when applying.

M.P.A. – J.D. – Course list. 4 page policy memo. 2 page joint degree statement. Applicants are required to select a field when applying.

M.P.A. – M.B.A – Course list. 4 page policy memo. 2 page joint degree statement. Applicants are required to select a field when applying.

M.P.P. – 4 page policy memo. Applicants are required to select a field when applying. Mid-career professionals are required to have a minimum of 7 years’ experience.

M.P.A. and M.P.P. – Must have 3 letters of recommendation: preference for 1 professional letter, 1 academic reference letter, and 1 letter from a faculty member, administrator, or professional who can comment on the applicant's commitment to public service.

*For applicants interested in the SINSI program, you will also be required to submit a 1-page SINSI statement in addition to the standard M.P.A. requirements. 

Program Offerings

Program offering: ph.d., program description.

The purpose of the Princeton School of Public and International Affairs' doctoral program is to train top-quality researchers in critical areas of public policy.  It offers a Doctor of Philosophy in Public Affairs in two research clusters: Security Studies; and Science, Technology and Environmental Policy (STEP).  The goal is to enroll eight students per year in the program, with four in each research cluster.

Core courses and individual requirements are determined by the faculty in each cluster. Both clusters require advanced politics and econometrics training for social science research.  A student in the STEP cluster must take at least eight courses in the first two years, and a minimum of three courses must come from within SPIA or from science or engineering departments, selected with approval of the primary adviser and the faculty coordinator of the STEP Ph.D. cluster.  A student in the Security cluster takes 12 courses during the first two years.  All students are required to maintain an overall grade average of 85 (B) or higher to remain in the Ph.D. program.  Full requirements are available on the SPIA website.

Additional pre-generals requirements

Writing Requirement

Students are required to complete an original research paper of publishable quality.

General exam

The examination covers two fields identified by the student in consultation with a faculty committee and includes two written components.  Students in both clusters may be required to complete an oral examination, depending on their performance on the written components. Students are expected to complete all parts of the general examination by the end of the second year.

Qualifying for the M.A.

The Master of Arts (M.A.) degree is normally an incidental degree on the way to full Ph.D. candidacy and is earned after a student successfully completes all coursework and the general examination.  It may also be awarded to students who, for various reasons, leave the Ph.D. program, provided that the M.A. requirements have been met.

A six-hour teaching assignment (precepting), usually following the general examination, is required.

Post-Generals requirements

A written research prospectus is required.

Dissertation and FPO

After a candidate successfully completes the general examination and defends the written prospectus, the Ph.D. program committee approves entry into the dissertation phase of the program.  

The student prepares a dissertation for review by the faculty. Departmental acceptance of the dissertation qualifies the candidate for the final public oral examination.  The Final Public Oral (FPO) examination is required by University regulations, and is conducted after the dissertation has been recommended for acceptance by the School.

The Ph.D. is awarded after the candidate’s doctoral dissertation has been accepted and the FPO examination completed.

Program Offering: M.P.A.

The Master in Public Affairs (M.P.A.) offers rigorous preparation for international and domestic policy careers.

This two-year, full-time residential program cultivates among its students and graduates a lasting commitment to public service.

Through its core curriculum and a wide variety of elective courses, students learn analytical skills that address the political, economic, quantitative, behavioral and normative aspects of complex policy problems. 

Each M.P.A. candidate selects a policy field in which to specialize from the school’s four fields of concentration: international relations, international development, domestic policy, and economics and public policy. Students may also earn a joint degree in public affairs and law (M.P.A./J.D.), or in public affairs and business (M.P.A./M.B.A.). Certificate programs offer additional areas of specialization in fields such as health policy; science, technology, and environmental policy (STEP); and urban policy.

Significant financial aid resources are dedicated to enable SPIA students the opportunity to receive graduate degrees without incurring loan indebtedness and to launch them into public service careers in the public and nonprofit sectors.

Students must complete 16 full-term courses in an approved plan of study, attaining an overall average in the 16 courses of 80 or better. The overall average includes actual grades in courses taken Pass/D/Fail. The curriculum of the M.P.A. program includes seven required core courses that address skills and techniques needed for the systematic study of public policy problems. The courses cover political analysis, quantitative methods, and economic and behavioral analysis. 

Additional requirements

Policy Workshops Graduate policy workshops are a unique part of the SPIA graduate curriculum.

Policy workshops provide students with an opportunity to use the analytical skills they have acquired in the first year in the program to analyze complex and challenging policy issues, usually for real clients. Each workshop consists of about 10 students who work in teams to evaluate a policy challenge.

The workshops emphasize policy implementation, and it is this emphasis that distinguishes them from regular courses. The goal of the workshops is to understand a policy issue in great depth and to make policy recommendations that are both creative and realistic, given the relevant institutional and political constraints.

Policymaking in Diverse Societies half-term course All students must take at least one half-term course that focuses on policymaking in diverse societies during the two-year course of study.  A list of pre-approved courses will be made available to students each academic year.

Required summer course in Race, Power and Inequality  All students must take a summer course (SPI 500) Race, Power and Inequality which precedes all other core courses and is integrated into the four-week summer program. This is a for-credit half-term course, with mandatory PDF grading.

Integrated Policy Exercise (IPE) In late January, before spring semester courses begin, first-year M.P.A. students are required to take part in a policy project called the Integrated Policy Exercise, or IPE.

The IPE requires students to apply the skills they acquired in the fall term core courses. They are given briefing materials to review in advance and are then required to submit a comprehensive memo in response to a set of specific policy questions. The IPE is a trial run for the first-year qualifying examination (QE1).

Qualifying Examination 1 (QE1) In early May, at the end of the second semester, students are required to take the QE1, a graded exercise that closely parallels the IPE.

The QE1 requires an integrated use of all the analytical skills acquired in the first-year core curriculum.

Qualifying Examination 2 (QE2) Second-year students are required to take and pass a second qualifying exam (QE2) in their chosen field of concentration at the end of the second year.

Internship  Students must successfully complete an internship approved by the Internship Committee.

Program Offering: M.P.P.

The Princeton School of Public and International Affairs offers a one-year Master in Public Policy (M.P.P.) degree for mid-career professionals who are rising leaders in international and domestic public policy.  This residential program is designed for mid-career professionals with seven or more years of public service experience in government agencies or nonprofit organizations in the United States and abroad.

The M.P.P. program provides rigorous training in economic, behavioral, political, and organizational analysis. Students may also choose to specialize and earn a certificate in one of the following: health and health policy (HHP); science, technology, and environmental policy (STEP); or urban policy (UP).

To qualify for the degree, M.P.P. candidates must successfully complete eight courses.

A typical M.P.P. program of study will include a specialization in one of the school’s four fields of concentration:

• International Relations
• International Development
• Domestic Policy
• Economics and Public Policy

All M.P.P. students begin with a six-week summer program that includes intensive courses in microeconomics and statistics, and a policy analysis and leadership seminar.

The summer program is designed to enhance students’ preparation for graduate-level courses. The seminar aims to introduce them to the approaches they will encounter in SPIA courses during the academic year, while also helping them get to know their peers and refine their learning objectives for the year.

Program Offering: Joint Degree

Some students may wish to combine the School's program in public affairs with study for a degree in a related professional field.

A joint M.P.A.-J.D. degree program that combines public affairs with the study of law is offered in cooperation with the law schools of New York University, Columbia, Stanford, and Yale. On occasion, joint programs with other law schools have been approved by the Princeton School of Public and International Affairs and the cooperating law school.

The joint program shortens the time involved in obtaining the two degrees and makes possible an effective combination of the several disciplines involved in public policy analysis. Participating students spend five semesters at the cooperating law school and three semesters at SPIA, thus reducing by two semesters the normal time required to earn the two degrees. Enrollment in the joint program requires a separate application and admission to each school.

For a small number of exceptionally strong candidates, the School will accept applications for a joint program that combines public and international affairs with the study of business administration. Proposals giving a detailed rationale for such a joint program must be submitted at the time of application. At this time, Stanford’s Graduate School of Business is the only cooperating business school. A joint degree programs will normally shorten by one semester the length of time required to complete each of the individual programs.

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Director of Undergraduate Studies

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• Laurence Ralph
• Stephen J. Redding
• Richard Rogerson
• Cecilia E. Rouse
• Aysegül Sahin
• Kim Lane Scheppele
• Eldar Shafir
• Jacob N. Shapiro
• Patrick T. Sharkey
• Stacey A. Sinclair
• Paul E. Starr
• Florencia Torche
• Zeynep Tufekci
• James Raymond Vreeland
• Keith A. Wailoo
• Leonard Wantchekon
• Mark W. Watson
• Ismail K. White
• Jennifer A. Widner
• Deborah J. Yashar
• Julian E. Zelizer
• Owen M. Zidar

Associate Professor

• Elizabeth M. Armstrong
• Thomas Fujiwara
• Alexander Glaser
• Adam M. Goldstein
• Jonathan Mayer
• Jonathan F. Mummolo
• Anuj K. Shah
• Hye Young You

Assistant Professor

• Benjamin H. Bradlow
• Pauline Carry
• Amelia Frank-Vitale
• Tanushree Goyal
• Naima N. Green-Riley
• John R. Grigsby
• Saad A. Gulzar
• Peter Henderson
• Aleksandra Korolova
• Karthik A. Sastry
• Maria Micaela Sviatschi
• Guadalupe Tuñón
• Andreas B. Wiedemann

Associated Faculty

• Alison E. Isenberg, History
• Guy J.P. Nordenson, Architecture

Lecturer with Rank of Professor

• Robert L. Hutchings
• Ethan Kapstein
• Stanley N. Katz
• W Bentley MacLeod

Professor of the Practice

• Heather H. Howard
• Alicia Adsera
• Lakshmi N. Balaji
• Frederick D. Barton
• Mark Berlin
• Barbara C. Buckinx
• Andrew Buher
• Devanne Béda-Geuder
• Zack Cooper
• Lauren Davis
• Maya Dimant
• Edward P. Freeland
• Varun Gauri
• Arbel Griner
• Jean B. Grossman
• William G. Guthe
• Kerry M. Healey
• Mehmet Hecan
• Sofie Norma Hiltner
• Thomas D. Howes
• Razia Iqbal
• Gregory B. Jaczko
• Steven A. Kelts
• Daniel C. Kurtzer
• Nicholas J. Lotito
• Tom Malinowski
• Robert Malley
• Elliot J. Mamet
• Anastasia Mann
• Carol L Martin
• Eric Medawar
• Daniel J. Meuse
• Timothy J. Nelson
• Deborah N. Pearlstein
• Sebastien Philippe
• Ransford Pinto
• Juan C. Pinzon
• Kenneth Roth
• Leslie J. Rowley
• Thomas A. Shannon
• Arian M. Sharifi
• Alyssa B. Sharkey
• Tsering Wangyal Shawa
• Sarah L. Staszak
• Hannah B. Waldfogel
• Nathaniel Zbaida
• Sam van Noort

Visiting Professor

• Martin S. Flaherty
• Yoto V. Yotov

Visiting Lecturer

• Eduardo Bhatia
• Brendan F. Boyle
• Martha B. Coven
• Salam Fayyad
• Barton D. Gellman
• Pallavi Gogoi
• Dee L. Mewbourne
• Mark A. Milley
• Teddy Nemeroff
• Steven Strauss

For a full list of faculty members and fellows please visit the department or program website.

Permanent Courses

Courses listed below are graduate-level courses that have been approved by the program’s faculty as well as the Curriculum Subcommittee of the Faculty Committee on the Graduate School as permanent course offerings. Permanent courses may be offered by the department or program on an ongoing basis, depending on curricular needs, scheduling requirements, and student interest. Not listed below are undergraduate courses and one-time-only graduate courses, which may be found for a specific term through the Registrar’s website. Also not listed are graduate-level independent reading and research courses, which may be approved by the Graduate School for individual students.

ENE 549 - Integrated Assessment Modeling for Climate Policy Making (also SPI 583)

Pol 506 - qualitative methods (also spi 595), pop 507 - generalized linear statistical models (also spi 509), spi 500 - race, power, and inequality, spi 501 - the politics of public policy, spi 502 - psychology for policy analysis and implementation, spi 503 - management of non-profit organizations, spi 504 - policy issues and analysis of civil society, non-profits, and philanthropy, spi 505 - financial management in the corporate and public sectors, spi 506 - the sociology of organizations, spi 507b - quantitative analysis for policymakers, spi 507c - quantitative analysis for policymakers (advanced), spi 508a - econometrics for policymakers: applications (half-term), spi 508b - econometrics for policymakers (half-term), spi 508c - econometrics for policymakers (advanced), spi 508d - econometrics and public policy (accelerated), spi 511b - microeconomic analysis for policymakers, spi 511c - microeconomic analysis for policymakers (advanced), spi 512b - macroeconomic analysis for policymakers, spi 512c - macroeconomic analysis for policymakers (advanced), spi 515b - program and policy evaluation, spi 515c - program and policy evaluation: impact evaluation tools, spi 519a - negotiation, persuasion and social influence: theory and practice (also psy 528a), spi 521 - domestic politics, spi 522 - microeconomic analysis of domestic policy, spi 523 - legal and regulatory policy toward markets, spi 524 - the political economy of central banking, spi 525 - public economics and public policy, spi 527a - topics in domestic policy, spi 527b - topics in domestic policy, spi 527c - topics in domestic policy, spi 527d - topics in domestic policy, spi 528a - topics in domestic policy, spi 528b - topics in domestic policy, spi 528c - topics in domestic policy, spi 528d - topics in domestic policy, spi 528f - topics in domestic policy, spi 528g - topics in domestic policy, spi 529 - great leadership in historical perspective, spi 530 - values based leadership, spi 531 - identity, power, and policy, spi 533 - planning theory and process (also arc 535), spi 534 - land use policy and planning, spi 535 - planning methods, spi 537 - urban inequality and social policy (also soc 537), spi 538 - urban economics, spi 539 - urban politics and policymaking, spi 540 - urbanization and development, spi 541 - international politics, spi 542 - international economics, spi 543 - international trade policy, spi 544 - international macroeconomics, spi 547 - the conduct of international diplomacy, spi 548 - weapons of mass destruction and international security, spi 549 - national security policy, spi 550 - phd gateway in security studies, spi 552 - the politics of globalization, spi 555a - topics in ir, spi 555b - topics in ir, spi 555c - topics in ir, spi 555d - topics in ir, spi 555e - topics in ir, spi 555f - topics in ir, spi 556a - topics in ir, spi 556b - topics in ir (also las 566/pol 564), spi 556c - topics in ir, spi 556d - topics in ir (also pol 522), spi 556e - topics in ir, spi 556f - topics in ir, spi 556g - topics in ir, spi 558 - human rights, spi 559 - the rule of law, spi 561 - the comparative political economy of development (also pol 523), spi 562b - economic analysis of development, spi 562c - economic analysis of development (advanced), spi 564 - poverty, inequality and health in the world (also pop 564), spi 565 - social determinants of health (also pop 565/soc 565), spi 566a - topics in health (also pop 566), spi 568 - economics of health in developing countries, spi 571 - topics in development, spi 571a - topics in development, spi 571b - topics in development, spi 571c - topics in development, spi 571d - topics in development, spi 572 - topics in development, spi 572a - topics in development, spi 572b - topics in development, spi 572c - topics in development, spi 574 - making government work, spi 576a - topics in regional and country studies, spi 576b - topics in regional and country studies, spi 581a - topics in economics, spi 581c - topics in economics, spi 582a - topics in economics, spi 582b - topics in economics, spi 582c - topics in economics, spi 582f - topics in economics, spi 585a - topics in step, spi 585b - topics in step, spi 585c - topics in step, spi 586a - topics in step, spi 586b - topics in step (also eeb 516), spi 586d - topics in step, spi 586e - topics in step, spi 586f - topics in step (also cos 586), spi 588 - extramural summer research project, spi 589 - methods in science, technology, and environmental policy, spi 590a - economic perspectives on inequality (half term), spi 590b - politics of inequality and redistribution (half-term) (also pol 598), spi 590c - sociological studies of inequality (half-term) (also soc 571), spi 590d - psychological studies of inequality (half-term) (also psy 590), spi 590s - workshop in social policy, spi 591 - policy workshops, spi 591a - policy workshop, spi 591b - policy workshop, spi 591c - policy workshop, spi 591d - policy workshop, spi 591e - policy workshop, spi 591f - policy workshop, spi 591g - policy workshop, spi 591h - policy workshop, spi 592 - policy workshops, spi 593 - policy analysis: selected topics (half-term), spi 593a - topics in policy analysis (half-term), spi 593b - topics in policy analysis (half-term), spi 593c - topics in policy analysis (half-term), spi 593d - topics in policy analysis (half-term), spi 593e - topics in policy analysis (half-term) (also soc 585), spi 593f - topics in policy analysis (half-term), spi 593g - topics in policy analysis (half-term), spi 593h - topics in policy analysis (half-term), spi 593i - topics in policy analysis (half-term), spi 593j - topics in policy analysis (half-term), spi 593k - topics in policy analysis (half-term), spi 593l - topics in policy analysis (half-term), spi 593m - topics in policy analysis (half-term), spi 593n - topics in policy analysis (half-term), spi 593o - topics in policy analysis (half-term), spi 593p - topics in policy analysis (half-term), spi 593q - topics in policy analysis (half-term), spi 593r - topics in policy analysis (half-term) (also pop 593r), spi 593s - topics in policy analysis (half-term), spi 593t - topics in policy analysis (half-term), spi 593z - topics in policy analysis (half-term), spi 594 - policy analysis: selected topics (half-term), spi 594a - topics in policy analysis (half-term), spi 594b - topics in policy analysis (half-term), spi 594c - topics in policy analysis (half-term) (also pop 594c), spi 594d - topics in policy analysis (half-term), spi 594e - topics in policy analysis (half-term), spi 594f - topics in policy analysis (half-term), spi 594g - topics in policy analysis (half-term), spi 594h - topics in policy analysis (half-term), spi 594i - topics in policy analysis (half-term), spi 594j - topics in policy analysis (half-term), spi 594k - topics in policy analysis (half term), spi 594l - topics in policy analysis (half-term), spi 594m - topics in policy analysis (half-term), spi 594n - topics in policy analysis (half-term), spi 594o - topics in policy analysis (half-term), spi 594p - topics in policy analysis (half-term), spi 594q - topics in policy analysis (half-term), spi 594r - topics in policy analysis (half-term), spi 594s - topics in policy analysis (half-term), spi 594t - topics in policy analysis (half-term) (also pop 594t), spi 594u - topics in policy analysis (half-term), spi 594v - topics in policy analysis (half-term), spi 594w - topics in policy analysis (half-term), spi 594x - topics in policy analysis (half-term), spi 594y - topics in policy analysis (half-term) (also ene 594), spi 595b - phd seminar: qualitative research design (also pol 509), spi 597 - public policy approaches to health and health care, spi 598 - epidemiology (also pop 508), spi 599 - extramural public policy fellowship.

Sponsored Content

Top Universities for Global Policy, Public Affairs, & International Studies in 2022

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If you are considering a higher degree (Master or PhD) or career in International Affairs, FP Guides has put together a collection of some of the top international relations schools in the country. These school are offering graduate degrees across all subjects involving global policy, public affairs and international studies – the most sought after skills for careers in government, NGOs and non-profits.

Here are our choices for the top international relations schools for 2022-2023:

University of Notre Dame, Keough School of Global Affairs

Yale university, jackson institute for global affairs.

Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies

George Mason University, Schar School of Policy and Government

Carnegie Mellon University, Institute for Politics and Strategy

Offering Master of Science in International Relations and Politics (MS IRP), and Master of Information Techology Strategy (MITS), a collab between College of Engineering, School of Computer Science, and Institute for Politics and Strategy.

University of Arkansas, Clinton School of Public Service

UC San Diego, School of Global Policy and Strategy

Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health

Texas A&M University, the Bush School of Government & Public Service

The Citadel, The Military College of South Carolina

Tufts University, the Fletcher School

Visit the  Request Info  page to receive more information.

FP GUIDES are prepared by the business department of The FP Group and do not involve the editorial department of FP magazine. Vice President, Strategic Development: Diana Marrero, 202-728-7351, [email protected] Editor: Katherine Hutt Scott Writers: Viola Gienger, Katie Lee, Holly Rosenkrantz Copy Editor: Rachel McVearry Designer: Cinda Debbink,  www.dgdesignpartners.com

Learn more about each school’s programs and degrees

PhD in International Relations

Engage in problem-driven research with a truly global focus

The Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) program in International Relations trains scholars to conduct cutting-edge, interdisciplinary research across key areas of international affairs and political science. A combination of in-depth hands-on fieldwork and comprehensive theoretical study enables Fletcher's PhD students to uncover the meaningful questions that ultimately shape both their future research and their careers.

Program Requirements

Students in Fletcher's PhD Program in International Relations move through three program phases on their way from admission to graduation. They start with classes, arranged within a structured curriculum that still allows significant flexibility in course selection. When their class requirements are complete, students take comprehensive exams, and then move on as PhD candidates to research and write a dissertation.

Course work

Doctoral students shape a curriculum based on their interests within Fletcher’s primary doctoral fields of study:

• Comparative and Regional Studies
• Gender and Intersectional Analysis
• Human Security and Humanitarian Affairs
• International Business
• International Development and Environmental Policy
• International Security

Regardless of their choice of field, all students pursue foundational courses in international relations theory, comparative politics, and research methodology.

Students also supplement their primary field of study with a second field that can be self-designed or selected from the Fletcher School’s full list of  fields of study . The student’s primary and secondary fields of study form the basis for their comprehensive exams.

Students seeking additional opportunities to individualize their studies may cross-register for up to a quarter of their classes at another graduate school at Tufts University or at Harvard University.

Students who have received their master's degree at another institution generally pursue twelve courses (36 credits) at Fletcher, with limited opportunities to have prior coursework applied to their degree. Those who possess a Master of Arts in Law and Diplomacy (MALD) generally pursue an additional four courses (12 credits), for a total of twenty courses for the two degrees.

Degree Requirements Beyond Coursework

Comprehensive Exams

Doctoral students demonstrate mastery of their subjects through comprehensive examinations, composed of a written exam in each of the two fields of study and an oral exam that integrates the material from the two areas. Students generally sit for their comprehensive examinations within a year of completing their coursework.

Developing and Writing a Dissertation

Once they have passed their comprehensive exams and achieved PhD candidacy, students propose, research, and write a dissertation. The completed dissertation should bear evidence of independent research and constitute a substantial contribution on the subject. When the dissertation is complete, the PhD candidate participates in a public oral defense of the dissertation.

Additional Degree Requirements

In addition to the exam and dissertation requirements outlined above, doctoral students must:

• Demonstrate proficiency in a second language.
• Submit a master's thesis for evaluation by a Fletcher faculty member. This could be a master's thesis written prior to enrollment at Fletcher or a thesis written during the first year at Fletcher.

Admission to the Fletcher School PhD Program is a highly competitive process. The PhD Admissions Committee seeks students with a history of academic success and the potential to achieve their research and career goals in the future.

Master’s Degree: Prospective students must have a master's degree in a field that is relevant to international relations and directly related to the applicant's proposed doctoral studies. The applicant's master's degree must come from a program that required at least three semesters of full-time study (not including internships or language study) and at least twelve courses in which the applicant earned a cumulative GPA of 3.6 or higher. Applicants should also have at least basic proficiency in a second language, which may be English for non-native English speakers.

Professional Experience:  In addition to a strong academic background, successful applicants generally have professional experience that they can draw upon from work prior to their master’s degree or between their master’s degree and PhD studies.

Doctoral Research Topic: Applicants are strongly encouraged to ensure that their research can be supported by a  member of the Fletcher faculty . Even among highly accomplished applicants, the selected research topic must be one in which a professor can advise the student in their specific field. Reaching out to faculty members during the application process is not required but can be a useful way of ensuring that there is a good match with a potential advisor. The final match between admitted students and faculty advisors will be made through the application review process. Adjunct and visiting professors cannot serve as PhD advisors.

Applicants with questions about the admissions process are encouraged to email the  Office of Admissions  or the  PhD Program Director .

Career Development & Support

Fletcher graduates go on to become respected leaders in academia and research, as well as the non-profit, government, and private sectors. They produce research and policy that contributes substantively to the theory and practice of international affairs and builds on Fletcher’s long-standing reputation as a hub for meaningful discourse on complex issues.

Fletcher faculty and the  Office of Career Services   support Fletcher graduates with career advice, professional development, and general assistance.

Careers in International Relations

Fletcher's Office of Career Services works with PhD students interested in a career in international relations practice. Our graduates have pursued careers at a wide range of institutions and organizations.

Careers in Academia

For PhD students focused on the academic job market, Fletcher offers support at a variety of levels. To develop teaching skills, students can participate in Tufts University’s three-week summer intensive  Graduate Institute for Teaching  and co-teach a class with a faculty mentor. Many students have also developed and taught classes in the University’s  Osher Institute  or  Experimental College .  

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Can the phd program be pursued part-time or through remote study.

Fletcher's PhD program is a full-time, on-campus program that does not offer either part-time or remote-study options. Students are generally on campus for three years or until they have defended their dissertation proposal. After that, they may choose to move elsewhere to research and write their dissertation.

How long does it take to pursue a PhD at Fletcher

Once students have completed their coursework, they generally take one year or less to complete their comprehensive exams and an additional year or less to prepare a formal dissertation proposal. After the proposal has been approved, researching, and writing the dissertation averages about three years, but the time needed depends on how many other activities the student is pursuing in addition to their dissertation.

Are PhD students expected to teach or conduct research at Fletcher?

No. Although Fletcher PhD students may wish to pursue teaching or research opportunities within Fletcher or elsewhere at Tufts University, with only a few exceptions, Fletcher scholarships come with no teaching, research, or other work obligations.

International Relations

The study of International Relations in the Harvard Department of Government examines the sources of conflict and cooperation in world affairs. Through analysis of foreign policy and public opinion, strategic interaction, international law, and the role of transnational actors, scholars of international relations address a wide array of topics including:

• International finance
• Human rights
• Climate change 

Scholars in the field draw on a diverse tool kit that includes formal, quantitative and qualitative methods.

Department Faculty

Alastair iain johnston.

Christina Davis

Christoph Mikulaschek

Dustin Tingley

Joshua D. Kertzer

Latanya Sweeney

Michael J. Hiscox

Stephen Chaudoin

Stephen Peter Rosen

Timothy Colton

International Relations

Undergraduate

The Bachelor of Liberal Arts degree is designed for industry professionals with years of work experience who wish to complete their degrees part time, both on campus and online, without disruption to their employment. Our typical student is over 30, has previously completed one or two years of college, and works full time.

Students enrolled in the Master of Liberal Arts program in International Relations will gain critical insight into today’s pressing global issues and a deep understanding of the factors influencing relationships between nation-states and supranational organizations.

Best Universities for International Relations and Diplomacy in the World

Updated: February 29, 2024

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• Environmental Science
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• Mathematics

Below is a list of best universities in the World ranked based on their research performance in International Relations and Diplomacy. A graph of 732K citations received by 77.3K academic papers made by 835 universities in the World was used to calculate publications' ratings, which then were adjusted for release dates and added to final scores.

We don't distinguish between undergraduate and graduate programs nor do we adjust for current majors offered. You can find information about granted degrees on a university page but always double-check with the university website.

1. London School of Economics and Political Science

For International Relations and Diplomacy

2. University of Oxford

3. Ohio State University

4. King's College London

5. University of Warwick

6. Australian National University

7. Columbia University

8. Georgetown University

9. George Washington University

10. Princeton University

11. University of Southern California

12. University of Chicago

13. American University in Washington

14. University of Cambridge

15. University of Copenhagen

16. University of California - Berkeley

17. University of Birmingham

18. University of Sydney

19. University of Sussex

20. University of British Columbia

21. Harvard University

22. Johns Hopkins University

23. University of Toronto

24. Cornell University

25. University of Leeds

26. York University

27. Yale University

28. University of Kent

29. Hebrew University of Jerusalem

30. University College London

31. Moscow State Institute of International Relations

32. McGill University

33. University of Wales

34. University of Queensland

35. Paris Institute of Political Studies

36. University of London

37. University of Oslo

38. Stanford University

39. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

40. University of Ottawa

41. University of California - Los Angeles

42. Pennsylvania State University

43. University of Manchester

44. University of Melbourne

45. Arizona State University - Tempe

46. Duke University

47. Lund University

48. New York University

49. University of Sheffield

50. University of Maryland - College Park

51. University of New South Wales

52. Nanyang Technological University

53. Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies

54. University of Nottingham

55. Indiana University - Bloomington

56. University of Bristol

57. Leiden University

58. University of Helsinki

59. Carleton University

60. University of Exeter

61. Monash University

62. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

63. Dartmouth College

64. Lancaster University

65. National University of Singapore

66. Education University of Hong Kong

67. University of St Andrews

68. Keele University

69. University of Washington - Seattle

70. Syracuse University

71. Aberystwyth University

72. Free University of Berlin

73. University of Pittsburgh

74. Florida State University

75. University of Leicester

76. National Research University Higher School of Economics

77. Texas A&M University - College Station

78. Uppsala University

79. Michigan State University

80. University of Pennsylvania

81. University of Glasgow

82. University of Texas at Austin

83. University of Georgia

84. University of Edinburgh

85. University of East Anglia

86. Griffith University

87. University of Virginia

88. Tufts University

89. Bar-Ilan University

90. Emory University

91. Deakin University

92. SOAS, University of London

93. University of Amsterdam

94. University of Illinois at Urbana - Champaign

95. Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University

96. Bilkent University

97. Rutgers University - New Brunswick

98. George Mason University

99. University of Haifa

100. University of Massachusetts - Amherst

Liberal Arts & Social Sciences subfields in the World

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Considering graduate school? Graduate school is an excellent way to hone your expertise within the broad field of international relations (security studies, humanitarian affairs, etc). Please consult with your academic advisor about what kind of program is right for you, the necessary preparation and the timing. Below is a list of the top PhD and Master's programs in the United States and abroad.

Please note that LMU does not endorse any of these programs.

Top 10 Ph.D. Programs in the U.S.

• Harvard University: Kennedy School
• Princeton University: Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs
• Stanford University: Ford Dorsey Master's in International Policy
• Columbia University: School of International and Public Affairs
• University of Chicago
• Yale University: Jackson Institute for Global Affairs
• University of California San Diego: School of Global Policy and Strategy
• Massachusetts Institute of Technology
• University of Michigan
• University of California Berkeley

Source: ForeignPolicy.com: The Best International Relations Schools in the World

Top Ten Master's Programs for International Relations in the U.S.

• Georgetown University: School of Foreign Service
• Johns Hopkins University: The School of Advanced International Studies
• Tufts University: The Fletcher School , a Graduate School of International Affairs
• George Washington University University: The Elliot School of International Affairs
• American University: School of International Service

Source: ForeignPolicy.com: The Best International Relations Master's Programs

Top 10 International Universities for Master's in Politics and International Studies

• University of Oxford
• London School of Economics and Political Science
• Sciences Po - Paris
• University of Cambridge
• The Australian National University
• University of Toronto
• National University of Singapore
• Freie University Berlin
• University of Tokyo
• University of Sydney

Source: Top University Rankings: Politics and International Studies

United Kingdom: Top 10 Universities for Master's Programs in International Relations

• London School of Economics
• King's College London
• University of Aberdeen
• University of York
• University of Edinburgh
• University of St. Andrews
• University of Manchester
• Queen's University Belfast

Source: Study In UK

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MA in International Relations

The Program in International Relations is a master's program offering degrees, courses, and events to the NYU community and beyond.

Interested in a degree in International Relations? Click below to see more information on our available degree programs.

Program in International Relations

Since 1886, NYU's Graduate School of Arts and Science (GSAS) has prepared generations of global leaders. The MA in International Relations (MAIR) continues that tradition, training MAIR candidates for careers in the field of international affairs with a rigorous curriculum rooted in world-class scholarship. Our graduate program approaches International Relations as a subject that can be studied from a variety of disciplinary perspectives, using various methodologies. Drawing on scholars from across GSAS, as well as colleagues at the Law School, the Stern School of Business, and the Wagner School of Public Service, MAIR candidates have a range of academic options to shape their degree and career trajectory. Moreover, the Program strives to offer events on various topics with scholars, practitioners, and students to create an academic and professional dialogue within the field.

Announcements!

Congratulations to MAIR student Tehsin Pala for winning the Audience Award in GSAS's 2024 Threesis Academic Challenge!

There are no upcoming events. Please check back later.

Faculty spotlight.

IR faculty are drawn from the best scholars at NYU as well as leading global practitioners

15th United States Ambassador to Singapore

American Diplomat

Ernst C. Stiefel Professor of Comparative Law, New York Law School

Sociologist and Policy Analyst

Senior Researcher and Expert, Peace Operations & Security Policy

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MPhil/PhD International Relations

• Graduate research
• Department of International Relations
• Application code M1ZR
• Starting 2024
• Home full-time: Closed
• Overseas full-time: Closed
• Location: Houghton Street, London

This programme offers you the chance to be part of one of the world's leading departments in the study of international relations while you undertake a substantial piece of work that is worthy of publication and which makes an original contribution to international relations. You will begin on the MPhil and be upgraded to PhD status after passing a research panel within 18 months of initial registration.

The Department is organised around four Research Clusters: International Institutions, Law and Ethics ; Theory/Area/History ; International Political Economy ; and Statecraft and Security . You will belong to at least one of these clusters during your studies and attend its weekly events. You will also have the chance to participate in the editing of a student-run journal  Millennium: Journal of International Studies , which has a major role in the discipline.

The Department has particular strengths in international relations theory, security studies, international political economy, and European studies. As well as Europe, its specialist areas cover Russia, Central, Northeast and Southeast Asia, the USA, South America, the Middle East and Africa. Other areas of research strength include foreign policy analysis, nationalism, religion, historical sociology, international environmental politics and strategic and war studies. Many individuals contribute to more than one of these subjects, and there is interdisciplinary work with colleagues in the Departments of Government and International History, as well as through the many research centres at the School.

Programme details

Entry requirements

Minimum entry requirements for mphil/phd international relations.

The minimum entry requirement for this programme is a high merit (65+) in a master’s degree in a subject relevant to the proposed research with high merit (65+) in the dissertation element, or equivalent. Applications which do not meet these criteria (or do not expect to do so on completion of any pending qualifications) are not considered eligible.

Competition for places at the School is high. This means that meeting our minimum entry requirement, does not guarantee you an offer of admission. 

If you have studied or are studying outside of the UK then have a look at our  Information for International Students  to find out the entry requirements that apply to you.

Assessing your application

We welcome applications for research programmes that complement the academic interests of members of staff at the School, and we recommend that you investigate  staff research interests  before applying. 

We encourage research projects which will expand and diversify the research profile of the Department. 

We strongly encourage applications from high calibre students of all nationalities studying across all research areas at the School but, in particular, we are seeking to support applications from: 

UK students  

Black, Minority Ethnic (BME) students, especially from Black African / Caribbean, Pakistani and Bangladeshi heritage 

Please note : Prospective candidates are not expected to contact potential supervisors in advance of their application. Due to the high volume of enquiries, potential supervisors are unlikely to be able to provide feedback on enquiries and outline proposals. Individual academic members of staff are not able to make commitments to supervise prospective students outside of the formal application process.

We apply our entry criteria rigorously, so if you do not already meet or expect to meet them with any pending qualifications, you will not be eligible. We carefully consider each application on an individual basis, taking into account all the information presented on your application form, including your:

- academic achievement (including existing and pending qualifications) - statement of academic purpose - references - CV - a research proposal of up to 4000 words with a title and abstract (300 words max) included at the beginning. The proposal should meet the criteria outlined on the Department  MPhil/PhD webpage - sample of written work.

See further information on supporting documents

You may also have to provide evidence of your English proficiency. You do not need to provide this at the time of your application to LSE, but we recommend that you do.  See our English language requirements .

When to apply

The application and funding deadline for this programme is 15 January 2024 . See the fees and funding section for more details.

Fees and funding

Every research student is charged a fee in line with the fee structure for their programme.  The fee covers registration and examination fees payable to the School, lectures, classes and individual supervision, lectures given at other colleges under intercollegiate arrangements and, under current arrangements, membership of the Students' Union. It does not cover living costs or travel or fieldwork.

Tuition fees 2024/25 for MPhil/PhD International Relations

Home students: £4,786 for the first year Overseas students: £22,632 for the first year

The fee is likely to rise over subsequent years of the programme. The School charges home research students in line with the level of fee that the Research Councils recommend. The fees for overseas students are likely to rise in line with the assumed percentage increase in pay costs (ie, 4 per cent per annum).

The Table of Fees shows the latest tuition amounts for all programmes offered by the School.

The amount of tuition fees you will need to pay, and any financial support you are eligible for, will depend on whether you are classified as a home or overseas student, otherwise known as your fee status. LSE assesses your fee status based on guidelines provided by the Department of Education.

Further information about fee status classification.

Scholarships, studentships and other funding

The School recognises that the  cost of living in London  may be higher than in your home town or country, and we provide generous scholarships each year to home and overseas students.

This programme is eligible for  LSE PhD Studentships , and  Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) funding . Selection for the PhD Studentships and ESRC funding is based on receipt of an application for a place – including all ancillary documents, before the funding deadline.  

Funding deadline for LSE PhD Studentships and ESRC funding: 15 January 2024

In addition to our needs-based awards, LSE also makes available scholarships for students from specific regions of the world and awards for students studying specific subject areas.  Find out more about financial support.

External funding 

There may be other funding opportunities available through other organisations or governments and we recommend you investigate these options as well. A list of external sources of PhD funding can be found on the Department  MPhil/PhD webpage under the Funding section.

Further information

Fees and funding opportunities

Information for international students

LSE is an international community, with over 140 nationalities represented amongst its student body. We celebrate this diversity through everything we do.  

If you are applying to LSE from outside of the UK then take a look at our Information for International students . 

1) Take a note of the UK qualifications we require for your programme of interest (found in the ‘Entry requirements’ section of this page). 

2) Go to the International Students section of our website. 

3) Select your country. 

4) Select ‘Graduate entry requirements’ and scroll until you arrive at the information about your local/national qualification. Compare the stated UK entry requirements listed on this page with the local/national entry requirement listed on your country specific page.

Programme structure and courses

In addition to progressing with your research, you will take courses in methods and research design. You may take courses in addition to those listed and should discuss this with your supervisor.

At the end of your first year, you will need to satisfy certain requirements and if you meet these, will be retroactively upgraded to PhD status.

(* denotes half unit course)

Training courses

Methods in International Relations Research    -  Compulsory (not examined) Familiarises students with the principal approaches to contemporary research in the main branches of International Relations and to help students identify the appropriate methodology for their project. 

Research Methods Training - Compulsory (examined) You will be required to take compulsory assessed courses to the combined value of one unit from the range of quantitative and qualitative research methods topics listed below. 

Your selection of research methods should be agreed in consultation with your supervisor. You could take a different research methods course from those listed below, if this is better suited to your topic but this would need to be approved by their supervisor first.

• Bayesian Reasoning for Qualitative Social Science: A Modern Approach to Case Study Inference*
• Qualitative Methods in the Study of Politics
• Fundamentals of Social Science Research Design
• Qualitative Research Methods 
• Case Studies and Comparative Methods for Qualitative Research
• Doing Ethnography 
• Qualitative Text and Discourse Analysis 
• Introduction to Quantitative Analysis*
• Applied Regression Analysis
• Multivariate Analysis and Measurement
• Survey Methodology
• Causal Inference for Observational and Experimental Studies
• Special Topics in Quantitative Analysis: Quantitative Text Analysis*
• Social Network Analysis
• Intermediate Quantitative Analysis
• Computer Programming
• Applied Machine Learning for Social Science
• Computing Packages for Applied Analysis

Research Cluster Workshops -  Compulsory (not examined) Students will select from the below options:

• Theory/Area/History
• Security and Statecraft
• International Institutions, Law and Ethics
• International Political Economy

Transferable skills courses

• Workshop in Information Literacy: Finding, managing and organising published research and data -  Aims to develop students' research skills and introduce the essential sources and tools when undertaking research, and the skills required to use them.
• Relevant courses provided by the Library, the Eden Centre and the Methodology Department -   Optional (not examined)

Second year

Fourth year.

For the most up-to-date list of optional courses please visit the relevant School Calendar page.

You must note, however, that while care has been taken to ensure that this information is up to date and correct, a change of circumstances since publication may cause the School to change, suspend or withdraw a course or programme of study, or change the fees that apply to it. The School will always notify the affected parties as early as practicably possible and propose any viable and relevant alternative options. Note that the School will neither be liable for information that after publication becomes inaccurate or irrelevant, nor for changing, suspending or withdrawing a course or programme of study due to events outside of its control, which includes but is not limited to a lack of demand for a course or programme of study, industrial action, fire, flood or other environmental or physical damage to premises.

You must also note that places are limited on some courses and/or subject to specific entry requirements. The School cannot therefore guarantee you a place. Please note that changes to programmes and courses can sometimes occur after you have accepted your offer of a place. These changes are normally made in light of developments in the discipline or path-breaking research, or on the basis of student feedback. Changes can take the form of altered course content, teaching formats or assessment modes. Any such changes are intended to enhance the student learning experience. You should visit the School’s  Calendar ,  or contact the relevant academic department, for information on the availability and/or content of courses and programmes of study. Certain substantive changes will be listed on the  updated graduate course and programme information  page.

Supervision, progression and assessment

Supervision.

You will be assigned a lead supervisor who has the necessary expertise to oversee your research work. Lead supervisors guide you through your studies and are your main support contact during the PhD programme.

During your first year you will attend and contribute to the Methods in International Relations Research seminar ( IR501 ), one of the Department Research Cluster workshops and take research methods training courses to the combined value of one unit from the recommended list courses. These are designed to strengthen your methodological skills and background knowledge of specific topics related to your research.  During the second, third and fourth years you will also attend and contribute to one of the Department Research Cluster workshops.

You will also be assigned an adviser, a member of the International Relations faculty who will be familiar with your progress but will not necessarily be an expert in your research area. Your adviser will be involved in the review and upgrade process.

Progression and assessment

Each PhD thesis is unique, but the time frame everyone has to complete their thesis is four years.

All MPhil/PhD students at LSE are initially registered with MPhil status. Continued re-registration and upgrade are dependent on satisfactory progress being made. 

Progress will be reviewed annually by a research panel made up of members of academic staff other than the supervisor. Students are normally upgraded to PhD status by the end of the first year, and no later than within 18 months of initial registration in line with Research Degrees Regulations. The Annual Progress Review may result in a decision allowing progression to the next academic session, conditional progression to the next academic session, or a recommendation of de-registration.

In order to progress to PhD registration, you must normally have met the progression requirements outlined below:

• Achieved a mark of at least 50% in each of the required examined graduate-level course units in Research Methods training;
• Have made satisfactory progress in your research: this will be assessed by a face-to-face review panel involving two academic staff members and including the views of the supervisor. Review panels will be formed in consultation with the supervisor.

By the end of your first year, you will be required to submit a statement of research including a research outline and one draft chapter of no more than 10,000 words. The proposal, which should illustrate your command of the theoretical and empirical literature related to your topic, will be a clear statement of the theoretical and methodological approach you will take.  This should demonstrate the coherence and feasibility of the proposed research and thesis. The submission will also include a timetable to completion, which should identify any periods of fieldwork necessary to your research. Panels will normally take place in week 2-4 of the Spring Term.

The material submitted  will be also discussed and commented upon at IR501 lab sessions.

•       Regular attendance at IR501 and the IR Research Cluster Workshop will be taken into account for progression: at least 80% attendance is expected.

In the unlikely event where a student is successful at passing the upgrade panel but requires a second attempt at completing the Research Methods Courses, they may be authorised to be upgraded but would be required to pass the course by the end of their second year in order to re-register.

Progress review

After the first year review panel, progress will be reviewed annually as per Regulations for Research Degrees.

In year 2, you will be expected to submit two additional draft chapters and a timetable to completion which will be reviewed by the same panellists as in Year 1. The two chapters should be substantially new work, but may include revised material from year 1. A virtual panel meeting will be scheduled in week 2-4 of the Spring Term and make recommendations on further progression based on progress made and quality of work submitted, as well as attendance at a Cluster Workshop.

Students in their third year of registration will be required to submit an annual progress report at the end of June, including a timetable to completion clearly setting out the work completed and remaining on the student’s research, as well as their commitment to a Research Cluster. These will need to be approved by the supervisor and reviewed by the Doctoral Programme Director in order to authorise re-registration.

Student support and resources

We’re here to help and support you throughout your time at LSE, whether you need help with your academic studies, support with your welfare and wellbeing or simply to develop on a personal and professional level.

Whatever your query, big or small, there are a range of people you can speak to who will be happy to help.  

Department librarians   – they will be able to help you navigate the library and maximise its resources during your studies. 

Accommodation service  – they can offer advice on living in halls and offer guidance on private accommodation related queries.

Class teachers and seminar leaders  – they will be able to assist with queries relating to specific courses. 

Disability and Wellbeing Service  – they are experts in long-term health conditions, sensory impairments, mental health and specific learning difficulties. They offer confidential and free services such as  student counselling,  a  peer support scheme  and arranging  exam adjustments.  They run groups and workshops.  

IT help  – support is available 24 hours a day to assist with all your technology queries.   

LSE Faith Centre  – this is home to LSE's diverse religious activities and transformational interfaith leadership programmes, as well as a space for worship, prayer and quiet reflection. It includes Islamic prayer rooms and a main space for worship. It is also a space for wellbeing classes on campus and is open to all students and staff from all faiths and none.   

Language Centre  – the Centre specialises in offering language courses targeted to the needs of students and practitioners in the social sciences. We offer pre-course English for Academic Purposes programmes; English language support during your studies; modern language courses in nine languages; proofreading, translation and document authentication; and language learning community activities.

LSE Careers  ­ – with the help of LSE Careers, you can make the most of the opportunities that London has to offer. Whatever your career plans, LSE Careers will work with you, connecting you to opportunities and experiences from internships and volunteering to networking events and employer and alumni insights. 

LSE Library   –   founded in 1896, the British Library of Political and Economic Science is the major international library of the social sciences. It stays open late, has lots of excellent resources and is a great place to study. As an LSE student, you’ll have access to a number of other academic libraries in Greater London and nationwide. 

LSE LIFE  – this is where you should go to develop skills you’ll use as a student and beyond. The centre runs talks and workshops on skills you’ll find useful in the classroom; offers one-to-one sessions with study advisers who can help you with reading, making notes, writing, research and exam revision; and provides drop-in sessions for academic and personal support. (See ‘Teaching and assessment’). 

LSE Students’ Union (LSESU)  – they offer academic, personal and financial advice and funding.  

PhD Academy   – this is available for PhD students, wherever they are, to take part in interdisciplinary events and other professional development activities and access all the services related to their registration. 

Sardinia House Dental Practice   – this   offers discounted private dental services to LSE students.  

St Philips Medical Centre  – based in Pethwick-Lawrence House, the Centre provides NHS Primary Care services to registered patients.

Student Services Centre  – our staff here can answer general queries and can point you in the direction of other LSE services.  

Student advisers   – we have a  Deputy Head of Student Services (Advice and Policy)  and an  Adviser to Women Students  who can help with academic and pastoral matters.

Student life

As a student at LSE you’ll be based at our central London campus. Find out what our campus and London have to offer you on academic, social and career perspective. 

Student societies and activities

Your time at LSE is not just about studying, there are plenty of ways to get involved in  extracurricular activities . From joining one of over 200 societies, or starting your own society, to volunteering for a local charity, or attending a public lecture by a world-leading figure, there is a lot to choose from. 

The campus 

LSE is based on one  campus  in the centre of London. Despite the busy feel of the surrounding area, many of the streets around campus are pedestrianised, meaning the campus feels like a real community. 

Life in London 

London is an exciting, vibrant and colourful city. It's also an academic city, with more than 400,000 university students. Whatever your interests or appetite you will find something to suit your palate and pocket in this truly international capital. Make the most of career opportunities and social activities, theatre, museums, music and more. 

Want to find out more? Read why we think  London is a fantastic student city , find out about  key sights, places and experiences for new Londoners . Don't fear, London doesn't have to be super expensive: hear about  London on a budget . 

Preliminary reading

• The Professor Is In: The Essential Guide to Turning your PhD into a Job.  Karen Kelsky    (Three Rivers Press, 2015)
•   How to Write a Lot: A Practical Guide to Productive Academic Writing.  Paul J. Silvia (American Psychological Association, 2007)

Quick Careers Facts for the Department of International Relations

Median salary of our PG students 15 months after graduating: £32,000

Top 5 sectors our students work in:

• Government, Public Sector and Policy   
• Financial and Professional Services              
• Education, Teaching and Research            
• Information, Digital Technology and Data            
• International Organisations

The data was collected as part of the Graduate Outcomes survey, which is administered by the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA). Graduates from 2020-21 were the fourth group to be asked to respond to Graduate Outcomes. Median salaries are calculated for respondents who are paid in UK pounds sterling and who were working in full-time employment.

Students who successfully complete the programme often embark on an academic career. Recent doctoral graduates have also gone into careers in consultancy, education and teaching, NGOs and charities, international organisations and to roles within the public sector and government.

Further information on graduate destinations for this programme Hear from some recent graduates

Heidi Ning Kang Wang-Kaeding Assistant Professor in Asian Politics, Department of Political Science, Trinity College Dublin

Mark Kersten Research Fellow, Munk School of Global Affairs, University of Toronto; Director of Research, Wayamo Foundation

Elisabetta Brighi Lecturer in International Relations, Department of Politics and International Relations, University of Westminster

Check our recent completion page .

Support for your career

Many leading organisations give careers presentations at the School during the year, and LSE Careers has a wide range of resources available to assist students in their job search. Find out more about the  support available to students through LSE Careers .

Find out more about LSE

Discover more about being an LSE student - meet us in a city near you, visit our campus or experience LSE from home. 

Experience LSE from home

Webinars, videos, student blogs and student video diaries will help you gain an insight into what it's like to study at LSE for those that aren't able to make it to our campus.  Experience LSE from home . 

Come on a guided campus tour, attend an undergraduate open day, drop into our office or go on a self-guided tour.  Find out about opportunities to visit LSE . 

LSE visits you

Student Marketing, Recruitment and Study Abroad travels throughout the UK and around the world to meet with prospective students. We visit schools, attend education fairs and also hold Destination LSE events: pre-departure events for offer holders.  Find details on LSE's upcoming visits . 

How to apply

Virtual Graduate Open Day

Register your interest

Related programmes, mres/phd political science.

Code(s) M1ZN

MPhil/PhD International History

Code(s) V1ZH

MPhil/PhD European Studies

Code(s) M1ZE

MPhil/PhD Gender

Code(s) Y2ZG

MRes/PhD International Development

Code(s) Y2ZI

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Doctorate in International Relations – PhD (Online)*

Career paths, residencies.

• Faculty & Staff

Tuition & Fees

A doctorate for international affairs professionals seeking to analyze, critique, and improve responses to conflict, displacement, and human security.

At a Glance

For the program beginning summer 2025

Residency Locations

Serbia, Jordan

Priority Deadline

November 1, 2024, followed by rolling admissions

Final Deadline

January 31, 2025

Critical Global Issue of Study

Geopolitics & Power

Program Cost

Why a phd in international relations from sit.

Citizens around the world are witnessing major shifts in world order as new centers of power arise, populist movements grow, and political instability and conflict drive people across national borders. SIT’s PhD in International Relations is a professional doctorate designed for those eager to better understand and tackle these challenges, while also advancing their careers.

This part-time PhD is designed for working professionals in international affairs with an interest in peacebuilding, conflict and refugee response, and humanitarian affairs. Across four years, students critique traditional approaches to geopolitics and offer evidence-based approaches to improved human security.

The program includes two 10-day international residences. During the first-year residency in Serbia, you will examine the refugee crisis and the rise of illiberalism. During the second-year residency in Jordan, you will examine the landscape of conflict and the power of regional and global alliances in shaping foreign affairs. Specialized online courses on forced migration, peace and conflict studies, and global governance and human security complement each residency and provide you with the skills to lead complex projects and influence policy and practice through original research.

Featuring professors, advisors, and diplomats from across the globe, this program draws upon SIT’s 60-year history of experiential education and global partnerships to provide a unique global perspective students can apply, in real-time, to their work contexts as they earn their doctoral degree.

Working professionals who complete this PhD may expect to expand their careers as:

Foreign affairs specialist

Crisis response or operations specialist

Security analyst for intelligence agencies

Policy advisor and consultant

Director of policy for refugees and conflict response agencies

Senior leader in humanitarian and emergency affairs organizations

Risk analyst and early-warning consultant

Crisis operations specialist for international humanitarian agencies

Think tank researcher

University faculty

Read about SIT Graduate Institute alumni careers through the SIT blog and our Career Impact page.

First-Year Residency: Belgrade, Serbia

This 10-day residency focuses on the refugee crisis and the rise of illiberalism. Engage with EU policymakers, local activist organizations, and scholars to learn about the shifting power relations of contemporary Europe in the context of forced migration, war, and shifting European identity.

Second-Year Residency: Amman, Jordan

This 10-day residency focuses on peace and conflict in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. Through visits with academics, government officials, local NGOs, and international organizations in Amman, students will examine the landscape of conflict in the MENA region and the power of regional alliances in shaping foreign affairs.

Please note that in order to take advantage of dynamic learning opportunities, program excursions may occasionally vary.

Program Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of the PhD in International Relations, students will be able to:

• Identify, analyze, and critique contrasting approaches to international political order through the lens of foundational theories, both mainstream and critical.
• Contribute professional scholarship related to discourses on international relations, international peace and conflict studies, refugee and forced migration studies, and human security via presentations at professional conferences and publication of academic scholarship.
• Design and conduct original, ethical research informed by relevant literature and grounded in appropriate methodologies and approaches.
• Interpret original and secondary data to produce actionable findings with a capacity to improve the way policymakers approach critical global issues, particularly those related to conflict, refugees, and crisis response.

Read more about Program Learning Outcomes .

Students complete 64 credit hours of work across four years (12 semesters) of study in small personalized cohorts. Courses focus on theory, research methods, applied practice, professional development, and dissertation preparation. Throughout, you will learn from professors and advisors from across the globe. This PhD draws on SIT’s 60-year history of experiential education and global partnerships to provide students with a unique and powerful learning experience.

Students can request to transfer up to 15 credits of relevant previous graduate coursework upon admission, thereby reducing the overall credit requirement from 64 to 49.

With approval, students can pursue an accelerated pathway to complete the degree in 10 semesters. The research and dissertation writing phase of the program may vary, dependent on individual student progress, outside commitments, and type or scope of research.

Please expand the sections below to see detailed course descriptions and admissions information.

This is SIT

• We value active togetherness, reciprocity, and respect as the essential ingredients for building a sustainable community .

• With open minds, empathy, and courage, we facilitate intercultural understanding and respect for the commonalities and differences between people.
• We champion social inclusion & justice in all that we are and all that we do, from ensuring our community and our programs amplify the voices, agency, and dignity of all people to deliberately instilling the principles and practices of inclusion in all of our work.
• We are committed to human and environmental well-being through sustainability and contributing to a better world for all living and future generations.

Theories and Polemics of International Relations (3 credits)

This course explores the role theory plays in shaping our understanding of international relations and global affairs. Dominant theories which make up the cannon of the field—such as realism and neorealism, liberalism and neoliberalism, constructivism, and Marxism—are explored, as well as critical theories such as feminism, post-colonialism, and indigenous approaches.

Global Governance and Human Security (3 credits)

This course examines the complex field of global governance, focusing on the theoretical underpinnings, institutional structures, and contemporary challenges of designing systems of international governance without international government. Students will engage with advanced literature, conduct original research on a topic related to global governance of their choosing, and critically analyze issues related to global governance, including perspectives from critical theories, realism, and constructivism.

Forced Migration and Humanitarian Response (3 credits)

Conflict-induced and disaster-induced displacements are impacting hundreds of millions of people around the globe annually. In response, humanitarianism—the promotion of the general welfare of people impacted by conflict, disaster, environmental disruption, famine, and political and economic collapse—has become a dominant feature of international affairs. Unfortunately, the international political system remains a flawed vehicle for satisfying global humanitarian demand. Carefully guarded national sovereignty, the relatively weak power of international institutions and non-governmental organizations, and growing skepticism about a liberal global order now threaten the international humanitarian aid system. This class considers these developments as well as the drivers of forced migration, the history of humanitarian response, and the search for new evidence-based frameworks to improve it.

Seminar in Peace and Conflict Studies (3 credits)

This seminar will give students an in-depth understanding of the origins of intra- and inter-state conflicts, the debates over why such conflicts emerge, escalate, and de-escalate, and the pathways and possibilities for sustainable peaceful transformations. Simulations, case studies, and scenario-based exercises are used to give students a realistic understanding of the drivers of violent conflict and the challenges and possibilities of building peace across a variety of settings and contexts. Of particular interest is considering how dominant theories about the nature of conflicts connect to the conflict management strategies adopted by various stakeholders in international politics.

Preliminary Review (0 credits)

At the conclusion of year one of the program, students must pass a preliminary examination. Preliminary exams demonstrate mastery of content covered in core courses and demonstrated progress towards the dissertation research proposal. Upon completion of all coursework, students must pass a comprehensive examination and begin a prospectus (proposal) for their dissertation research.

Quantitative Research Methods (3 credits)

In this course, students will be introduced to statistical concepts and procedures as prerequisites for conducting quantitative and mixed-methods research. Students will learn how to display data distributions using graphs and describe distributions with numbers using measures of central tendency and dispersion. Additionally, students will examine relationships among data and learn how to produce data using various quantitative designs. This course will introduce students to inferential statistics, including simple linear and multiple regression analyses and ANOVA. Students will develop knowledge and skills using and interpreting descriptive and inferential statistical data and will use Stata software to analyze data.

Qualitative Research Methods (3 credits)

In this course, students will be introduced to a range of approaches and methods used in qualitative inquiry. Among the approaches covered are process tracing, discourse analysis, ethnographic research, case studies, comparative historical analysis, archival research, interviewing, ethnography, content analysis, ethnographic research, political profiling, and agent-based modeling. Students will deepen their knowledge about these approaches and enhance their data collection skills by conducting surveys, analytical frameworks, designing case studies, and reflecting on each method’s strengths and limitations. Students will also learn how to code data inductively and deductively, develop codes, look for patterns emerging in data, develop overarching themes, and interpret findings.

Research Colloquium (3 credits)

The Research Colloquium gives a platform for doctoral students to present and discuss possible PhD research projects, exchange ideas, receive constructive feedback, and workshop ways to prepare and improve their dissertation research proposals. Across 10 days, students interact in a conference format, presenting their research ideas, the literature and debates attached to those ideas, and the methods they are considering using in their inquiry process. Students are also expected to critically evaluate the work of their peers, providing constructive criticism to help them advance their research agenda, operationalize their research questions(s), and identify and develop plans for overcoming challenges in the data collection and analysis phases of their research. Prior to the in-person colloquium, students will work with their advisor as needed to develop their presentations.

Electives and Transfer Credits (15 credits)

Students must take 15 credits of elective courses prior to sitting for comprehensive exams. Elective credits can be fulfilled by two means: transferring prior graduate credits earned at SIT or another accredited institution or completing an advisor approved elective offered through one of SIT’s course offerings in the master’s or PhD programs.

Comprehensive Exams (0 credits)

Comprehensive exams confirm the students’ mastery of their chosen field of study and serve as the basis for their doctoral dissertation literature review. After passing the comprehensive examination and prospectus defense, students enter candidacy.

Proposal Defense, IRB approval (3 credits)

The proposal defense is designed to evaluate the feasibility, significance, and originality of each student’s proposed dissertation research project. It serves as a critical checkpoint to ensure that the research project is well-structured and has a high likelihood of success. The defense is conducted in front of the student’s three dissertation committee members: their primary advisor and their first and second reader. It consists of a formal presentation followed by a question-and-answer session. After the questioning, the committee deliberates, then provides feedback to the student regarding the strengths and weaknesses of the proposal. The outcome of the defense will be one of the following: 1) Pass: the student may proceed with their research, 2) Conditional Pass: the student is allowed to proceed, but they must address specific issues or complete requested revisions to the proposal before doing so, or 3) Fail: the proposal does not meet the required standards, and the student will be required to revise and redefend it at a later date. *Requires successful completion of comprehensive exams.

Doctoral and Professional Development Seminar 1-4 (1 credit each)

The Doctoral and Professional Development Seminars 1-4 seek to build a community of practice of IR PhD students as they work to complete their doctoral dissertations. Students meet bi-weekly with each other and their advisors to share their dissertation progress, problem solve, and share drafts of their work for feedback. The seminar will also feature occasional guest speakers who will share their own doctoral dissertation journeys and their professional transitions after receiving their PhD.

Dissertation (20 credits across 4 semesters)

At least 20 credits of the PhD program of study consists of research and dissertation. After completion of the dissertation, the student must pass an oral examination in defense of the dissertation. The culminating experience for the doctoral degree program is publication of the dissertation. The non-coursework portion of the program usually lasts 2 years.

Dissertation Defense (1 credit)

In this course students will prepare for an oral defense working closely with their primary and secondary advisors, and deliver and defend their work. Students will be able to present their dissertation remotely.

Admissions Criteria

Our admissions staff work one-on-one with every applicant to facilitate a highly informed and multidimensional admissions experience: applicants are required to undertake an interview with SIT faculty during the application process.    

As applicants become familiar with the attributes of an SIT education—grounded in the experiential learning model and focused on social justice and leadership skills in intercultural environments—they determine for themselves  how  SIT can help them meet their educational and career objectives.  

For the PhD in International Relations, admissions will evaluate candidates to ensure they meet the following criteria:

• Bachelor’s or master’s degree in a related field from a regionally accredited institution
• Strong academic writing and scholarly potential, as evidenced by a statement of purpose
• Demonstrated English language proficiency (see details below)
• Intercultural and professional experience
• A minimum preferred cumulative grade point average of 3.5 on a scale of 4.0
• Demonstrated ability to use experience as a source of learning
• All applicants are required to interview with program faculty

All applicants must submit:

• graduate admission application and application fee
• official transcripts
• statement of purpose
• three letters of recommendation
• resume or curriculum vitae
• proof of English proficiency

Additional Application Information The statement of purpose should not exceed 750 words and should demonstrates your interest in the PhD in International Relations at SIT; describe how your prior academic and/or professional experience have prepared you to undertake doctoral studies; describe how completion of the degree will support long-term professional goals; and proposes your research topic and guiding question(s) and their significance to the field. You will be prompted to provide contact information for three references who can attest to your academic and professional achievements. At least one should know you in an academic capacity.

Applicants will be able to transfer up to 15 credits of related graduate coursework toward the PhD program.

English Language Ability

Applicants whose first language is not English and who did not graduate from an English-speaking institution must demonstrate English language proficiency.

*This new program is pending accreditation from the New England Commission of Higher Education (NECHE) in accordance with the Commission's Policy on Substantive Change. The approval process is anticipated to be finalized in fall 2024.

Faculty & Staff

International relations – phd (online)*.

Discover the Possibilities

SIT’s Student Financial Services Office  provides guidance on all aspects of funding your degree throughout the application process and during your degree program. Tuition costs vary by program and scholarships are available.

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Political Science & International Relations

Character in executive leadership

Navigating the World Stage

Forging connections and driving change.

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The Department of Political Science & International Relations at the University of Delaware offers a comprehensive and multidisciplinary program that provides students with a deep understanding of global governance, political systems, and international relations. The program emphasizes ethnic and racial diversity, cultural convergence, and a strong global orientation, enabling students to gain insights into politics on all five continents. Students can choose to minor in Africana Studies, Law Studies, or Philosophy, further enriching their educational experience. The department's young and dynamic faculty come from diverse cultural and ethnic backgrounds and have a broad range of research and publishing interests. The program prepares graduates for various careers, including graduate studies in political science or related fields and professions in education, law, business, journalism, and more.

Wh​y Political Science & International Relations?

• Legislative Fellows spend a semester working in the Delaware General Assembly for representatives and committees. Students gain valuable insight into state and local politics, make valuable employment connections and earn a stipend. 
• Our undergraduate students: Develop important skills like communication, critical thinking, problem-solving, teamwork, and data analysis, which are valuable in politics, government, business, and the non-profit sector.
• Graduate and Professional Degrees: Students pursue graduate and professional degrees at prestigious universities in many exciting fields, including architecture, economics, and more.

of employers say that “a demonstrated capacity to think critically, communicate clearly, and solve complex problems is more important than their undergraduate major."

world leaders and scholars from more than 30 countries have been participants in internationally-recognized State Department programs since 2009.

of International Relations majors graduate in four years or less.

Evolution of social media aggression

Alberto fujimori, ex-leader of peru imprisoned for rights abuses, dies at 86, upcoming events, center for political communication (cpc).

The CPC is a nonpartisan, interdisciplinary center connecting academics, students, and the community to relevant issues in political communication. Since its creation, the CPC consistently touches on issues that are part of, or about to be part of, the national conversation. Whether it is racial injustice, climate change, polarization, or the future of our democracy, the CPC provides context through courses, research, and programs. ​

Visit the CPC website

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• PhD International Relations

Introduction

PhD International Relations at MUL aims to offer an advanced and in- depth critical understanding of theoretical and practical aspects of defense, security policy, political economy, international law, regional and international Organizations.

• To inculcate advanced research skills in the scholars
• To enhance theoretical and conceptual understanding of the students
• To promote interdisciplinary perspective among the scholars
• To enable the scholars to grab the regional and global perspectives
• To strengthen the critical thinking and analysis of the scholars
• To reinforce the communication, writing and other soft skills of the PhD scholars
• To help students in improving their professional development
• To enable the scholars to contribute knowledge in the field of IR

Career Path

• A PhD Degree in IR allows for many career options but the strong area is Academics as the traditional path for PhD in IR holders has been a professor at a university.
• Policy makers
• Analysts on current and political national and international issues
• Researchers to address global Issues

Fee Structure PhD International Relations

Scheme of Study

Related Programs

• Ibn e Khaldun Building

Diploma in International Affairs

BS International Relations

M.Phil International Relations

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University of Denver Receives High Marks in Fall College Rankings

University of denver.

DENVER—September 24, 2024—The University of Denver has numerous programs receiving recognition this fall as among the top in the nation. Today, U.S. News & World Report released its list of the 2025 Best Colleges , with DU ranking 121st on the National Universities list — up three spots from last year.

U.S. News ranks DU No. 79 for Best Colleges for Veterans, up 91 spots from the 2024 rankings. This category takes into consideration how much a school makes pursuing a college education more affordable for veterans and active-duty service members. The institution must be certified for the GI Bill and participate in the Yellow Ribbon Program or be a public school.

“It’s amazing to see the support that our chancellor and the University provide to our student veterans,” says Damon Vine, director of Veteran Services at DU. “We hope by providing additional resources, like the Student Veterans Association and the Veterans and Military Resources Lounge, that we can help attract more military-affiliated students to the University of Denver.”

The University of Denver also improved to No. 79 for Best Undergraduate Psychology Program and moved up nine spots to No. 94 for Best Undergraduate Business Program.

Also receiving recognition is DU’s Josef Korbel School of International Studies . The college is ranked the 12th best place in the world to earn a master’s degree in international relations by Foreign Policy magazine. Korbel’s undergraduate degree program was ranked 20th in the United States.

“It is hard to overstate how remarkable these rankings are given the formidable competition,” says Fritz Mayer, dean of the Korbel School. “Such glowing recognition by those who know international affairs programs best is a wonderful testament to the excellence of our faculty, the strength of our programs, the quality of our staff, and the accomplishments of our students and alumni.”

Just last month, The University of Denver also earned the top rank in the category, “Their Students Love These Colleges,” by Princeton Review . The 2025 annual rankings are based on a survey of 168,000 college students from institutions across the country. In addition to this top ranking, DU also made the top 25 in eight other categories:

• #1 Their Students Love These Colleges
• #7 Best College Library
• #13 College City Gets High Marks
• #15 Best-Run Colleges
• #18 Best Health Services
• #21 LGBTQ-Friendly
• #22 Town-Gown Relations Are Great
• #23 Happiest Students
• #24 Most Beautiful Campus