All Ph.D. students must pass three comprehensive examinations, including one in their areas of study and two additional comprehensive exams. Students discuss their interest with their faculty advisor and develop a plan for completing the three exams. The examination areas are as follows: - American Foreign Policy
- Comparative Politics
- International Development
- International Economics
- International Political Economy
- International Relations
- Political and Economic Theory
- One of the SAIS Regional Studies Programs.
Ph.D. students with SAIS M.A.s must take all three comprehensive examinations by the end of the third semester in the Ph.D. program. Make-up examinations for a failed exam must be completed by the end of the fourth semester in the program. Ph.D. students with M.A.s from other universities must take all three comprehensives by the end of the fifth semester in the Ph.D. program. Make-up examinations for a failed exam must be completed by the end of the sixth semester in the program. Examinations in Two Regional Fields In exceptional circumstances, a student may select two regional fields in which to be examined. Such permission must be granted in writing by the Faculty Ph.D. Committee on the recommendation of the director of the student’s field of specialization, and the student's dissertation topic must be related to the two regional fields. Substituting Examinations from Other University Divisions With the agreement of the field director and with written permission of the Faculty Ph.D. Committee, a student may substitute a comprehensive exam from another division of the University for a comprehensive examination at SAIS. This is only allowed if the exam from the other division is directly related to his or her dissertation plans.
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