Frequently Asked Questions | SAIS Ph.D. Program
Additional Ph.D. FAQs can be found here.
In which disciplines can I earn a Ph.D. at SAIS?
The following list indicates the areas in which SAIS offers the PhD. PhD applicants must be aware that not all programs will accept new PhD applications each year. It is the responsibility of PhD applicants to contact the academic program in which they are interested to confirm whether or not they will be accepting applicants for the upcoming term. Applications for programs that are not accepting students in the upcoming term will not be reviewed for admission
What are the procedures and deadlines for applying to the Ph.D. program?
The Admissions Office must receive all Ph.D. application materials by December 15.
All Ph.D. applicants are required to submit an application form and fee, a resume, a personal statement, a proposed dissertation topic, a writing sample, official transcripts, two recommendation letters, and standardized test scores. Application materials and instructions are available through our website.
Ph.D. applicants who have completed the SAIS M.A. within the past five years or who are currently enrolled in the program may request to use materials that were submitted for their M.A. application. These individuals should include a cover letter with their application listing the materials that they would like to use from their M.A. file.
What standardized tests are required for application to the Ph.D. program?
All applicants to SAIS whose native language is not English (or in the case of bilingual students, whose dominant language is not English) and who do not hold an undergraduate degree granted by an accredited college/university where English is the medium of instruction are required to submit a score for the TOEFL or the academic version of the IELTS. The minimum required score for the TOEFL is 100 in the internet-based exam (600 in the paper-based exam), and the minimum IELTS score is 7.
Admitted students who score between 100 and 109 in the internet-based TOEFL (600-636 in the paper-based version) or 7 in the IELTS exams, and whose GRE Analytical Writing Score level is 4.5 or lower are required to attend the SAIS preterm program in English, which starts in late July.
Students in the above category with GRE Analytical Writing Scores of 4 or lower are not only required to take the SAIS pre-term English course, but are also strongly advised to attend the separate SAIS summer ESL course beginning in June.
For information on GRE and TOEFL test sites and dates refer to www.ets.org; for GMAT refer to www.gmac.com; for IELTS refer to www.ielts.org.
Additionally, the GRE or GMAT is required of all applicants to the Ph.D. program. No exceptions are made to this policy. Educational Testing Services (ETS) stipulates that GRE scores are only valid for five years, and TOEFL scores are only valid for two years. Also, The Graduate Management Admission Council (GMAC) stipulates that GMAT scores are available and valid for ten years. Neither ETS nor GMAC will not forward expired test scores to our office. Applicants with expired scores must retake necessary examinations and have official results arrive at SAIS before the February 1st deadline.
A SAIS application is not considered complete and ready for review until all required official test scores have been received. Photocopies and personal copies of score reports can be forwarded to our office, but only official scores received directly from ETS will fulfill this requirement. The ETS school code for SAIS is 5610. No department code is necessary (you may use 0000). The SAIS Admissions Office does not administer any aspect of the ETS process. It is the responsibility of the applicant to coordinate the sending of score reports to SAIS.
What guidelines should be followed in selecting a writing sample to submit?
The writing sample should be a piece of analytical writing that you have prepared for an academic program or an employer. Ideally, you should submit a research paper based on sources in the academic field to which you will be applying. However, a piece of analytical writing in another field is acceptable. Please include a cover sheet that provides current contact information of the person for whom the paper was originally written. The writing sample should be between fifteen and forty double-spaced pages, and the applicant must be the sole author.
Can holders of a Bachelors degree apply directly to the Ph.D. program at SAIS?
In order to apply for the Ph.D. program, individuals must hold the SAIS M.A. degree, be a resident SAIS student who has completed at least twelve courses toward the M.A. degree, or be a student or graduate who has comparable academic qualifications from another institution. Holders of Bachelors degrees are encouraged to research the SAIS M.A. degree.
Which advanced degrees are considered to produce graduates with academic qualifications comparable to those of SAIS M.A. graduates? How successful are individuals with law or business degrees in the Ph.D. admissions process?
The Ph.D. Committee accepts applicants who have completed the Master of Arts in International Relations degree at SAIS, as well as applicants who have completed M.A. programs at other institutions. Competitive applicants who have not graduated from SAIS will often hold M.A. degrees in the social sciences, especially in the disciplines of international relations, political science, or history. Such degrees require graduates to have achieved competency in theoretical studies, research methodology, and extensive academic writing.
Advanced professional degrees such as a Juris Doctorate or a Master of Business Administration cannot act as substitutes for advanced work in international affairs. An advanced degree in strategic studies from a military institution would not be considered appropriate for admission to most Ph.D. fields but is sometimes acceptable for admission to the Strategic Studies field at SAIS.
How much consideration is given to the professional profile of a Ph.D. applicant? Are academic achievements and work experience weighed equally in the admissions process?
The principal weight is given to academic achievements, while an applicantÃ_s professional experience is of secondary significance. Exceptions are possible, but only in truly unusual cases.
What is the review process for Ph.D. applications?
The Admissions Office prepares all Ph.D. application files for review by the Ph.D. Committee. The Ph.D. Committee makes final decisions on the basis of recommendations from the field directors, and applicants are notified of these decisions in early March. Each year, a small number of outstanding candidates are admitted into the Ph.D. program at SAIS.
Who can I contact for more information about pursuing the Ph.D. at SAIS?
Requests for general information about the Ph.D. program should be directed to Stephanie Hedge, Manager of Graduate Services, Office of Academic Affairs at 202.663.7798 or stephanie.hedge@jhu.edu. Students desiring additional information about a particular Ph.D. field should contact the relevant field director or program coordinator.
How much additional coursework is required of Ph.D. candidates who did not obtain their M.A. degrees from SAIS?
All Ph.D. students must demonstrate competence in the field of International Economics. SAIS M.A. degree recipients will be accepted as having met the economics requirement during their prior studies at SAIS.
To meet the competence in International Economics requirement, non-SAIS M.A. students must complete one of the following within the first three semesters:
To prepare for the M.A. Oral Equivalency Exam, the student must take for credit and pass the following classes or pass the waiver exams:
Students who have demonstrated equivalence in coursework at another institution may request to sit for a waiver exam.
Additionally, all Ph.D. students must demonstrate competence either in two foreign languages or in one foreign language and quantitative methods of analysis. SAIS M.A.s have usually met the first language requirement during their M.A. studies.
Can coursework or fieldwork toward the Ph.D. program be completed at off-site locations?
Ph.D. students must be in residence at SAIS in Washington, DC during their first year of study, and all Ph.D. coursework must be completed in Washington, DC. Fieldwork begins after a student has completed all necessary courses, passed the comprehensive examinations, and successfully defended a dissertation prospectus. Fieldwork might be conducted at the Bologna campus or the Hopkins-Nanjing Center, but this would be appropriate for a limited range of topics and would require the field directorÃ_s permission.
Can the SAIS Ph.D. program be pursued on a part-time basis?
The Ph.D. program at SAIS requires a full-time commitment. Individuals should not apply with the expectation of completing the program on a part-time basis, as such an approach is often a recipe for personal unhappiness and, usually, failure to complete the degree.
How long does it take to complete the Ph.D. program at SAIS?
A doctoral candidate must complete a dissertation within five years of taking his or her first Ph.D. examination. As of August 2007, the average length of time from entry in the doctoral program to completion of the degree is five to six years.
What is the cost of the Ph.D. program at SAIS?
The resident Ph.D. tuition for 2010-2011 is $35,885 and the non-resident tuition is $3,588.50, not including living expenses. The resident tution is charged to Ph.D. students that are completing course work at SAIS (which usually consists of the first three years of the program).
What kind of funding is available for Ph.D. students?
Ph.D. applicants who submit the appropriate Application for Financial Aid before February 1st will be considered for financial aid. SAIS provides at least three years of support in the form of full or partial stipends for students with demonstrated financial need. Each year, continuing Ph.D. students can reapply for financial aid. The Ph.D. Committee will carefully evaluate each student on the basis of performance in class, satisfaction of degree requirements, and a written evaluation from his or her Ph.D. advisor. Ph.D. students are urged to seek outside support for their studies at SAIS. In the annual review process, applications for outside support will be treated as one sign of a student's seriousness of purpose.
Are Teaching Assistantships or Research Assistantships available for Ph.D. students?
Most SAIS faculty members have research assistants who are also Ph.D. students. These assignments are pursued and established after the admissions process has concluded. A small number of teaching assistantships are associated with SAIS courses of unusually large enrollments. Typically, however, most Ph.D. candidates do not have a teaching assistantship while at SAIS.
What kinds of jobs do SAIS Ph.D. graduates pursue?
Ph.D. graduates have taken jobs in the academic, policymaking, and non-profit sectors. Anecdotal evidence indicates that by comparison with the graduates of Ph.D. programs at other universities, a larger proportion of SAIS graduates establish careers in the policymaking and non-profit sectors.