PhD Placements
SIS PhD Alumni hold appointments at top schools and organizations, including:
- Virginia Tech
- Syracuse University
- The Graduate Institute, Geneva
- US Department of State
I worked with tremendous and dedicated faculty members as a PhD student.
Currently, I'm studying how international asymmetry, or the power disparities between states, affects international relations over different periods of time. My work, which I started as an SIS PhD student, is important right now because poor management of asymmetrical relations has been a real problem for the US, and because it directly relates to rising powers around the world that are managing shifts in asymmetrical relationships with incumbent powers and neighbor states.
In order to be considered for admission, applications and all supporting materials are due by December 15. New students begin in the fall semester. The program is designed for full-time study only and is not offered online. Students may not defer admission into the program.
Our graduates go on to careers in university teaching and research, government, and non-government organizations in the United States as well as around the globe.
Recent PhD program graduates are now on the faculty at a wide range of colleges and universities, including Virginia Tech, the University of Warwick, and the University of Denver. Graduates also hold government and industry positions, including with the U.S. Department of Commerce and the U.S. Foreign Service.
Looking for more information or help? The SIS PhD has a dedicated placement officer to assist current students and alumni.
Applicants who are admitted to the SIS PhD program as full-time students and who maintain good progress towards completing the degree are granted a Dean's Fellowship, unless they have their own external funding.
Need-based aid is available through AU Central Office and generally takes the form of a federal low-interest loan package.
Federal loan and work study information for graduate students
Still have questions? Send us an email at sisphd@american.edu