Degree Programs | Ph.D. Program Requirements
Each Ph.D. student must complete the following requirements:
Each Ph.D. student completes the program under the supervision of the faculty director of his or her field of specialization. This faculty advisor will work with the student to develop a course of study related to the student's research needs, meaning that additional coursework may be requested of the student by the faculty advisor.
Courses in Research Methodology
All incoming students are required to take for credit and pass the following two courses in research methodology:
Most students will take Theories and Methods of Qualitative Political Research in the first semester and Quantitative Methods of Political Research in the second semester.
Additionally most students will take Statistical Methods for Business and Economics in the first semester because it is a pre-requisite for Quantitative Methods of Political Research. If a student has a strong background in statistics, the student may request to take the SAIS Statistics waiver exam. For information on requesting waiver exams, please click here.
International Economics Competence
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. For additional information about the coursework and exams required to meet the economics competency, click here.
Written Comprehensive Examinations
All students must pass three comprehensive examinations, including one in their area of study and two additional comprehensive exams. For additional information about written comprehensive exams, click here.
All Ph.D. students must demonstrate competence either in two foreign languages or in one foreign language and quantitative methods of analysis. For additional information about the language requirements, click here.
All students will prepare a written dissertation prospectus no later than six months after passing the last comprehensive exam and present the prospectus in a defense before their dissertation committee. For additional information about the dissertation prospectus, click here.
Students will have a period of five years beginning at the date of the first written comprehensive examination to conduct the research for, write, and defend the dissertation. It is understood that in fields with exceptionally difficult languages, the process may take longer. For additional information about the dissertation, click here.