International Relations Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.)

This Ph.D. program is designed to provide students with a regional expertise in an area study of the globe, be that Russia, China, Europe, Africa, the Middle East, South Asia, East Asia or the Americas. To develop such an expertise the students will, first, be exposed to all the different regions of the world by taking at least one class in each area and, second, complete a 12-credit dissertation (INR-698 and INR-699 combined)  in one specific area. For this purpose, students must complete 36 credit hours or 12 of the Ph.D. courses below, pass a language requirement and a written comprehensive examination, defend orally a dissertation proposal, and, finally, defend successfully the 12-credit dissertation (INR-698 and INR-699 combined).

Admission Criteria

To assure success in the Program, admission criteria will be highly selective. In order to qualify for application, individuals should:

1. Possess both a bachelor's degree and a master's degree earned from an accredited U.S. institution of higher learning or equivalent degrees from a nationally accredited, English-speaking, college or university outside the U.S. If the institution is outside of the U.S., documentation of degree equivalencies must be submitted by an agency authorized to do so. Applicants from non-English-speaking institutions will need to provide proof of oral and writing proficiency in the English language such as Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or International English Language Testing System (IELTS). They must also be able to submit a certified English translation of all non-English transcripts.
2. Have five years of related practical professional experience such as working for an international governmental or non- governmental agency, being deployed overseas, serving overseas, or living overseas.

Qualified applicants may complete an online application and submit:

1. Two letters of recommendation that support the ability to engage in doctoral studies, preferably from instructors from the applicant’s MA study. Recommenders must include professional title and contact information.
2. A personal statement that demonstrates solid writing skills and motivation for doctoral studies.
3. A complete resume
4. Official undergraduate and graduate transcripts

Applications are accepted throughout the year. In reviewing applications, the Admissions Committee looks at the complete package of the application. Application files must be completed within one year of the initial application submission or individuals may be required to resubmit materials. All application materials become a permanent and confidential part of the University records and are not returned. All prospective students are encouraged to contact the Office of Graduate and Professional Studies as well as the program director for more information.

Applicants from accredited military universities with transferable credits available may have up to 9 credits of the International Relations Ph.D. required credits transferred with the permission of the program director.

Program Requirements

Course Requirements 

Each course below will train students to find and review academic literature, formulate and refine research questions, develop academic writing, and conduct quantitative and qualitative research. For quantitative research, students will rely on the course INR-675, a required course. INR-690, which is also required, emphasizes qualitative research, and its primary emphasis is preparing students for writing and defending a dissertation proposal.  INR-669, the other required course, is a capstone on comparative and international relations theories.  

Courses

Language Requirement

By the time of completion of all coursework, students must have also fulfilled a language proficiency requirement. There are three ways of fulfilling this requirement. The first option requires students to pass with a grade of "B" or better, a language course at the master’s level or a two-semester intermediate-level course at the undergraduate level. Proof of fulfillment must be done by submitting official transcripts at the time of application. The second option requires passing the Language Reading Knowledge Exam offered at the University of Wisconsin-Madison (https://languages.wisc.edu/) or a similar exam. Students can prepare for this exam by taking an online Reading and Translation course or a similar course. No graduate credit will be awarded for language courses. Finally, with the third option, students can fulfill the requirement if their mother tongue is a language other than English.

Comprehensive Examination

Upon completion of language requirement and the coursework, students register for INR-670 Comprehensive Exam. Students will be required to pass a comprehensive written examination. They will be required to answer two out of three general questions from two different areas of study covered by the curriculum. The two areas will be chosen by the students. Students will have four hours to complete the two questions. Comprehensive examinations will be administered through teleconference. They will require students to be familiar with the area studies literature, be analytical, comparative, critical, and insightful. Students who fail the exam may be allowed to repeat it one time only. Second time failure will result in the student's termination from the Ph.D. program. Comprehensive examinations will be graded by either High Distinction, Distinction, Pass or Fail.

There will be two specific dates the comprehensives can be taken each year: the last Thursday-Friday in May, and the second Monday-Tuesday in December. Students may sign up to take the exam, and also declare the two areas of study, by emailing their intention to the program coordinator no later than two weeks prior to the exam date (in special situations, an alternative date can be arranged).

Dissertation

Upon the successful completion of the comprehensive examination, students will move to the dissertation-writing phase. This phase of the program will expose students to the systematic, in-depth, and detailed study of their preferred area in order to generate original, publication-ready research. The process starts with INR-690, which is a manual on how to think, plan, develop, and complete the dissertation. By the time of enrolling in INR-690, Ph.D. candidates should have secured a first reader from the list of faculty teaching in the Program. The student and the first reader will discuss possible dissertation topics and focus on a specific one. Once the topic is decided, the Ph.D. candidate and the first reader will discuss possible second readers and settle on a second reader. The first task of the work will be to prepare and defend a dissertation prospectus. The prospectus will be developed in INR-690. Typically, the focus of the dissertation will be in one of the area studies included in the curriculum.

The Dissertation Committee will be composed of three members: the two readers and another member of the faculty of the Political Science and International Relations Department or a member of another department or academic institution. The Ph.D. candidate, in consultation with the first and second reader, is responsible for securing the outside member of the Dissertation Committee. Candidates should only consider defending if readers recommend it and the program director concurs. The successful defense of the prospectus in INR-690 denotes the elevation of the candidate to the A.B.D status.

Ph.D. Candidates who have finished all coursework and start working on their dissertation enroll in INR-695, a three-credit research course at a fixed fee. This course is offered in fall and spring terms and is repeated as long as necessary until the program director approves the student to defend their dissertation. Students who have become Ph.D. candidates must progress in their dissertation consistent with the timeline developed in their dissertation proposal. Failure to demonstrate progress will result in failing INR-695 and being placed on academic probation. Successive academic probation may result in dismissal from the program.

A typical dissertation will be at least 200 pages long and should definitely be undertaken with the intention of making it an original contribution to the international relations field. It should be publication-ready, and its substance should not be covered by existing literature unless it fundamentally questions existing literature. The dissertation process will end with the successful defense of the work before the Dissertation Committee.

Dissertations will be graded on a pass/fail scale, with pass denoting a grade of "A" and fail denoting a grade of "F."  Students must complete the program in no more than seven years after matriculation. PhD Completion and Degree Conferral will occur once all program requirements have been met and the final dissertation manuscript is successfully submitted and accepted for publication via ProQuest UMI/ETD website.

Degree Plan for Ph.D. in International Relations

Required Courses

^1.

INR-695 Dissertation Research and Writing is repeated as long as necessary until approved to register for INR-698 Dissertation I; INR-695 is offered in Fall and Spring terms.

 Electives 

Students choose 10 courses from the list of courses below for a total of 30 credits.

Fall Courses

Spring Courses

Summer Courses