During their first year, students take six required courses. In the fall semester students take SIS-801 Schools of Thought in International Relations, SIS-802 Comparative and Regional Studies, and SIS-806 Quantitative Methods in International Relations. During the spring semester, students take SIS-803 Advanced Seminar in International Relations, SIS-804 Social Theory in Comparative and International Perspective, and SIS-807 Qualitative Methods in International Relations. 

Students will also join more advanced PhD students in regularly scheduled research colloquia as well as events to help mentor students in grant writing, conference presentations, publications, and professional skills for the job market.

At the end of their first year, students take a written and oral qualifying comprehensive exam that requires them to demonstrate competency in theoretical, epistemological and methodological literature and issues in international relations, comparative politics, and social theory.

Field Concentrations

During their second year, students will identify a field of concentration aligned with one of the SIS departments, or in consultation with the Director of Doctoral Studies, construct one of their own. Each concentration comprises 3 courses plus a field comprehensive paper and oral exam. 

Required Coursework

Also required during the second year, normally during the fall semester, is SIS-808 Politics and Policy Making in International Relations and SIS-810 Research Design. Students will also select one elective to develop an additional area of concentration, further explore a potential dissertation topic, or for additional methods training. This elective can be chosen from graduate courses at the School of International Service, as well as graduate courses in other programs at American University or at other universities in the National Capital area that are members of the Washington Metropolitan Consortium of Universities.

Coursework

In their third year of study, students take SIS-811 Dissertation Development Workshop and register for SIS-898 Doctoral Continuing Enrollment to maintain full-time enrollment.

Dissertation Prospectus

Before advancing to candidacy, all PhD students must write and defend a dissertation prospectus that reviews the relevant literature, identifies relevant theoretical, epistemological, and methodological issues, and provides a detailed research design that includes a timetable for the completion of the work. Students are expected to successfully defend their prospectus no later than the end of their third year. For information about the process leading up to and including the prospectus defense, please see the SIS PhD Handbook.

Each student must complete and successfully defend a dissertation (or three scholarly papers) that contributes to knowledge that is relevant to international affairs. This dissertation is defended orally before the student's dissertation committee and members of the academic community. The required processes for assembling a dissertation committee, and writing and defending the dissertation are laid out in specific detail in the SIS PhD Handbook.