Ph.D. in International Relations and Diplomacy

AGSIRD offers a doctoral program granting an American Ph.D. degree in International Relations and Diplomacy.

This International Relations and Diplomacy Ph.D. program is designed for students and professionals seeking specific skills to advance their career or planning to work in education and research.

AGSIRD admits a few selected Ph.D. candidates every year and aims at the highest academic standards while providing them with close personal guidance throughout the dissertation research and writing process.

Note: The Ph.D. degree does not fall under the Middle States Commission accreditation that Arcadia extends to the M.A. program.

Curriculum

Required courses cover the disciplines of political science, economics, international law, international organizations, and diplomacy. The choice of electives is made in accordance with to the topic of the dissertation. See course descriptions.

Students may take internships as part of their curriculum in order to combine practical experience with the scholarly work involved in the Ph.D. program. See Internships.

Required as well as elective courses can be transferred from another university if they meet the standards of AGSIRD.

Depending on the number of transfer credits, the coursework can be completed in 12 to 18 months full-time. Classes can also be taken part-time.

Degree requirements

• International Relations and Diplomacy Ph.D. students must successfully complete seven required courses, three elective courses, and two area courses out of this course descriptions.

• Once the coursework is satisfactory completed, Ph.D. candidates must pass a pre-dissertation comprehensive examination.

• At this stage Ph.D. candidates must identify a dissertation advisor. Students are responsible for finding their own advisors; external advisors are permitted upon approval of the Academic Committee.

• The candidate's Ph.D. research proposal must be approved by the methodology counsellor, the dissertation advisor and the Academic Committee. Please note that students must have the ability to use primary sources in the foreign language(s) necessary for the doctorate.

• To be awarded a Ph.D. degree, candidates must achieve the research, writing and defense of a dissertation of at least 75,000 words of research, analysis, and corroborating data.

All requirements for the Ph.D. degree must be met within six years of admission to candidacy, with a minimum of two years for the research and writing of the dissertation.

Combined M.A.-Ph.D. program

AGSIRD also offers a combined M.A.-Ph.D. program per the American model. The combined M.A.-Ph.D. program allows students to take the seven required courses for both degrees simultaneously. Ph.D. candidates having done their M.A. in International Relations and Diplomacy at AGS would therefore not have to take the required courses again, but would only have to take five elective courses.

Note: Passage from the M.A. to the Ph.D. program is not automatic. It is subject to approval by the Academic Committee.