With approximately 100 students at the forefront of international interdisciplinary research, the PhD Program is an integral and vibrant component of The Fletcher School. Our graduates go on to high-level careers in academia, research, non-profit organizations, government, and the private sector.
Admission to the PhD program requires prior completion of a master’s degree in a field that is relevant to international relations and directly related to the applicant’s proposed PhD studies. The applicant’s master’s degree must have been granted by a program that required at least one and one half years of full-time study, and approximately 12 to 16 semester-long courses. Students in Fletcher’s MALD program may apply to the PhD program during their second year of study.
Each year a very small number of applicants are admitted directly to the PhD program without first having earned the MALD degree. Students who are directly admitted to the PhD program are generally able to complete all pre-dissertation course requirements in three semesters, rather than the total of five semesters normally required for students who first obtain the MALD and then seek the doctorate. The program is most appropriate for students proposing an interdisciplinary dissertation topic, and prospective applicants should contact Fletcher School professors in the desired fields of study to ensure that the topic is a good match with expertise at the School.