PhD Careers

Professional Development Opportunities

Fletcher's Office of Career Services works with PhD students interested in a career in international relations practice. Our graduates have pursued careers at a wide range of institutions and organizations. For those focused on the academic job market, Fletcher offers support at a variety of levels. Fletcher faculty and the Office of Career Services support job candidates with career advice, professional development, and general assistance.

To develop teaching skills, students can participate in Tufts University’s three-week summer intensive Graduate Institute for Teaching and then to co-teach a class with a faculty mentor. Many students have also developed and taught classes in the University’s Osher Institute or Experimental College.

Employment Information

The following is a partial list of the professional positions taken in recent years by students upon graduation from Fletcher’s PhD program.

Careers in Academia

  • National Defense University, Washington, D.C., Professor
  • University of San Diego, Department of Political Science and International Relations, Assistant Professor (tenure track)
  • Northeastern University, Assistant Professor (tenure track)
  • Seton Hall University, Assistant Professor (tenure track)
  • New York University—Shanghai, Assistant Professor
  • Chulalongkorn University, Thailand, Professor
  • Princeton University, Postdoctoral Fellow
  • Robert Bosch Foundation, Germany, Postdoctoral Fellow
  • University of Chicago, Postdoctoral Scholar in Security and Terrorism
  • Nanyang Technical University, Singapore, Assistant Professor
  • University of Hong Kong, Department of Politics & Public Administration, Assistant Professor of International Relations (tenure track)
  • Fulbright Research Fellow, Brazil

Careers in Practice

  • Al-Jazeera, Qatar, Journalist
  • RAND Corporation, Analyst
  • Boeing Corporation, Washington, D.C., Defense Strategy Analyst, Space and Missile Systems 
  • Global Green Initiative, Seoul, Climate Diplomacy Specialist
  • Center for Strategic and International Studies, U.S.-India Policy Studies Program, Washington, D.C., Deputy Director and Fellow
  • Center for Naval Analysis, Research Analyst
  • International Rescue Committee, Deputy Director of Research, Education and Learning
  • Interamerican Development Bank, Integration and Trade Department, Consultant
  • U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Environment
  • USAID, Nigeria, Consultant
  • World Wildlife Fund, Greece, Nature Policy Officer
  • U.S. Navy, Commander