american university online phd international relations

Offered by the School of International Service   , the Master of Philosophy (MPhil) in International Relations is open only to students enrolled in the  International Relations (PhD)   . The program enables students to produce knowledge for careers in university teaching and research, government, and non-governmental organizations both in the United States and internationally. The curriculum provides training in international relations that is both multi-disciplinary and policy-relevant. The core courses in international relations, comparative social theory, comparative and regional studies, and methodology provide a foundation that allows students considerable flexibility to pursue additional coursework, research, and writing in international affairs. Major emphasis is placed on research and students are encouraged to present conference papers, engage in collaborative work with faculty members, and submit articles to refereed journals.

Admission to the Program

The International Relations (MPhil) degree is only awarded en passant to eligible students enrolled in the International Relations (PhD)    program. Separate application to the International Relations (MPhil) is not offered.​

Degree Requirements

• 39 credit hours of approved graduate work
• Minimum 3.00 GPA in all graduate work is required to remain in good academic standing and to earn the degree
• Proficiency in a modern foreign language: Research competence in English and another modern foreign language relevant to the student’s career objectives must be certified
• The first or qualifying examination is normally taken at the end of the first year. The qualifying exam requires the demonstration of competency in theoretical, epistemological, and methodological literature and issues in international relations, comparative social theory, and comparative and regional studies. These areas are addressed in the core seminars that students normally complete during their first year of residence, although the scope of the examination is not limited to topics covered in the seminars.
• The second examination is in a student’s chosen field of specialization. The written and oral field examinations evaluate the student’s preparation in a major field of study selected by the student from the graduate concentrations offered by the School of International Service as PhD-level fields of study. With the permission of the SIS Director of Doctoral Studies and the advice of at least three qualified scholars, the student may also construct a special field. Two of these scholars must be members of the American University faculty; all three must agree in writing to serve on an examining committee. The written and oral field examination is normally given at the end of the second year and requires the demonstration of competency in the theoretical, epistemological, and methodological literatures from that field. To prepare for this examination, the student must have successfully completed three courses in the field of concentration, as well as master additional literature, as identified by SIS and associated faculty in that major field.
• A student who fails a comprehensive examination may apply to the SIS Director of Doctoral Studies for one additional attempt. If approved, the retake of the exam should occur within six months of the date of the first attempt. Students who fail a retake attempt will be dismissed from the doctoral program.
• The SIS Director of Doctoral Studies chairs the prospectus defense. The examiners also include the student’s dissertation committee, which is comprised of a minimum of three members, one of whom serves as chair and as the primary supervisor of the dissertation research. It is the responsibility of the student to secure the agreement of a full-time tenured member of the School of International Service faculty to serve as the chair of his or her dissertation committee. At least two members of the dissertation committee must be full-time, tenure-line members of the American University faculty. The members of the committee must be approved by the SIS Director of Doctoral Studies and the American University Doctoral Council.
• Students are normally expected to complete their prospectus defense no later than the end of the sixth semester after entering the program. For details on scheduling comprehensive examinations and examination procedures, consult the director of the PhD program or the SIS Graduate Office.

Course Requirements

Core (12 credit hours).

• SIS-801 Schools of Thought in International Relations (3)
• SIS-802 Comparative and Regional Studies (3)
• SIS-803 Advanced Seminar in International Relations (3)
• SIS-804 Social Theory in Comparative and International Perspective (3)

Social Science Research Methodology (12 credit hours)

• SIS-806 Quantitative Methods in International Relations (3)
• SIS-807 Qualitative Methods in International Relations (3)
• SIS-808 Politics and Policy Making in International Relations (3)
• SIS-809 Seminar on Advanced Research Design (3)

Concentration (9 credit hours)

• 9 credit hours in a major field of concentration from among those offered by SIS    or approved by the SIS Director of Doctoral Studies

Note:  Specific course requirements as well as additional preparation for the field examinations are determined by each field. Fields of concentration include Comparative and Regional Studies; Global Environmental Policy; Global Governance, Politics, and Security; International Communication; International Development; International Economic Relations; International Peace and Conflict Resolution; and United States Foreign Policy and National Security.

Electives (6 credit hours)

• 6 credit hours from coursework relevant to a student’s program of study and approved by the SIS Director of Doctoral Studies

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International Relations Online / Degrees / Master of Arts in International Relations (MAIR) / Foreign Language Proficiency Requirement

International Relations Online students are required to certify intermediate reading proficiency in a modern language other than English to graduate. The language proficiency certification is not a requirement for admission to the program.

The language proficiency requirement is considered fulfilled if a student has completed any of the following: 

• Earned a high school or college-level degree granted from an institution where English is not the primary language of instruction 
• Completed a bachelor’s degree majoring in a foreign language within three years of matriculation in the  Master’s in International Relations  program 
• Earned a grade of “B” or better in an approved intermediate level language course at the post-graduate level 
• Been granted an external language certification demonstrating intermediate-level proficiency from an approved third party agency within three years of matriculation (Approved agencies include the Peace Corps, military organizations, etc.) 

Alternatively, students who have not completed any of the above options can fulfill the language requirement by successfully completing the Tool of Research (TOR) examination offered by American University. The examination is available to all  IR Online  students and consists of reading passages in a foreign language followed by questions that test for comprehension. Languages currently available via the online TOR format include Arabic, Chinese, French, German, Japanese, Italian, Russian, Spanish, Hebrew, Swahili, and Korean.

To learn more about the foreign language proficiency requirement, please contact your admissions counselor or visit our  Graduate Advising page  online.

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Exemplifying Black Excellence

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Meet Ayanna Dawkins-Brown , SIS/MA ‘23, a recent graduate from the Master of International Relations (MAIR) program. In a short question-and-answer session, Ayanna reflects on her journey and shares insights, program highlights, and the significance of service in her nonprofit work. Ayanna is co-founder of Diplomatic Perspective, a DC-based NGO established in 2019 and dedicated to bridging the gap in international affairs for diverse youth and underrepresented young adults. The organization aims to provide educational opportunities, cultural exchange, partnerships, technology, and travel experiences. Ayanna embodies Black excellence and is deeply committed to the future of underrepresented communities. Her dedication to advocacy shines through in her impactful work. We take great pride in having her as part of our SIS MAIR alumni community!

International Relations Online Ph.D

Online Ph.D. in International Relations

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At Salve Regina University, our Ph.D. in international relations is offered online, connecting students around the world to our exceptional faculty and research opportunities. Decades of success with our master’s program led us to develop the nation’s first online doctoral program in international relations, providing flexible learning options for seasoned professionals.

Our program’s unique approach provides a rigorous doctoral education examining the complex questions of international affairs in the 21st century. Our students are empowered to consider cultures around the world and value the wisdom gained through adventurous research in the field of international relations.

Ph.D. in International Relations Program and Curriculum

Our Ph.D. in international relations encourages students to think outside the box when studying the details of geopolitics, while also inspiring them to embrace a singular global lens. With decades of scholarship and expertise in foreign policy, the military and academia, our renowned faculty are committed to mentoring international relations scholars. Collectively, their research specialties include political philosophy, history and technology, nationalism, ethics in international affairs, Latin American politics, American foreign policy, Russian foreign affairs, the political economy of development and East Asian security issues.

Through their doctoral studies, our students foster their understanding of geopolitical analysis through courses that explore all of the world’s regions, then choose a single area of focus for their dissertation. In addition to the required coursework, Ph.D. students fulfill a language proficiency requirement and pass a comprehensive examination before beginning the dissertation phase. With collaborative support from dissertation readers, students contribute original research to the field of international relations.

Learn more about the Ph.D. in international relations program requirements.

Program Details

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Staff and Contact

Call us at:  (800) 637-0002

Program Director: Dr. Symeon Giannakos

Discover the Difference at Salve Regina

Advance your career.

Suitable for mid- to high-ranking government officials, international business professionals and educators working in academia without a doctoral degree, Salve Regina’s Ph.D. program in international relations is designed to help established practitioners advance in their careers.

Dedicated Faculty

Our faculty deliver an essential curriculum that prepares graduates to be constructively critical of their immediate and broader political environment. As tenured professors with considerable academic experience, they provide a top-notch education along with care and concern for the well-being of each student.

Learn on Your Terms

Our Ph.D. in international relations allows working professionals the flexibility to acquire a terminal degree while maintaining full-time employment. We give practitioners the opportunity to deepen their knowledge and become more sophisticated decision-makers without taking time off work.

Centering International Studies and Justice

Typically completed in four years, our online doctoral program enhances the professional experiences of those working in international affairs, especially in an analytical research capacity. Consistent with Salve Regina’s mission to work for a world that is harmonious, just and merciful, our program’s mission promotes common humanity and the elimination of prejudice. Across the curriculum, inclusive discussions emphasize the complex reality that different regions are also overlapping circles in an international community. Through comparative study that exposes differences and reveals similarities in a respectful and considered way, our students challenge myths and misconceptions that cultures have about themselves and their neighbors around the world.

Online Ph.D. in International Relations Course Requirements

Required courses:

• INR675: Quantitative Methods (offered May-June and October-December)
• INR690: Dissertation Proposal and Research (offered September-October and January-March)
• INR695: Dissertation Research and Writing
• INR698: Dissertation I
• INR699: Dissertation II

Students also choose 10 courses from the following list based on their area of interest:

• INR602: American Foreign Policy (offered May-June)
• INR603: American Foreign Policy Decision Making (offered July-August)
• INR612: Chinese Foreign Policy (offered March-May)
• INR613: The Korean Peninsula and Japan (offered January-March)
• INR622: Russian Foreign Policy (offered March-May)
• INR623: Chinese Politics   (offered September-October)
• INR633: Comparative Politics of Russia (offered May-June)
• INR643: The Middle East in World Affairs (offered July-August)
• INR652: South Asia in World Affairs (offered September-October)
• INR653: Latin America in World Affairs (offered January-March)
• INR662: Europe in World Affairs (offered October-December)
• INR672: Africa in World Affairs (offered October-December)
• INR685: Culture, Society and Global Condition (offered September-October)

Time to Complete

Program format, application deadline.

March 1, July 1 or Nov. 1

Consider Salve Regina’s Online Ph.D. in International Relations

Offering an enriching view into international relations, Salve Regina’s online Ph.D. program elevates students’ careers. The thoughtful coursework builds a solid foundation in comparative international studies and helps students become inquisitive scholars under the advisement of supportive faculty.

Request Information to Learn More

Ready to apply? Our international relations program has rolling admissions.

Begin Your Doctoral Application

Program Spotlight: Innovative Understanding

 Salve Regina is thrilled to be the first university in the United States to offer an online Ph.D. in international relations. The mission of the degree is to provide an innovative understanding of area studies through comparative analysis. 

Dr. Symeon Giannakos, professor

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Pavel podvig.

Russian nuclear forces and U.S.-Russian arms control

Fissile materials

Nuclear disarmament

Email: [email protected]

Voicemail: +1-650-924-1204

Twitter: @russianforces

Pavel Podvig is a member of SGS based in Geneva. There, he also runs his research project Russian Nuclear Forces  and works as a Senior Researcher at the UN Institute for Disarmament Research ( UNIDIR ). He started his work on arms control at the Center for Arms Control Studies at the Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology (MIPT), which was the first independent research organization in Russia dedicated to analysis of technical issues of disarmament and nonproliferation. In recognition of his work in Russia, the American Physical Society awarded Podvig the Leo Szilard Lectureship Award of 2008 (with Anatoli Diakov). Podvig worked with the Program on Science and Global Security at Princeton University, the Security Studies Program at MIT, and the Center for International Security and Cooperation at Stanford University. Pavel Podvig is a member of the International Panel on Fissile Materials. He has a physics degree from MIPT and PhD in political science from the Moscow Institute of World Economy and International Relations.

Research Interests

My current research focuses on nuclear disarmament verification and specifically on two areas. One is the development of approaches to verification of the dismantlement of nuclear warheads and the elimination of fissile materials that does not require access to sensitive information about warheads or materials. The other is the analysis of nuclear disarmament arrangements that focus on verifiable removal of nuclear weapons from operations. I also continue my research on the Russian nuclear forces, nuclear weapons complex, nuclear arms control and disarmament, and missile defense.

Publications

Pavel Podvig and Joseph Rodgers, Deferred Verification: Verifiable Declarations of Fissile Material Stocks , UNIDIR, 2017.

Pavel Podvig , Who Lost the INF Treaty? , Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists , October 26, 2018.

Pavel Podvig , Ryan Snyder, and Wilfred Wan, Evidence of Absence: Verifying the Removal of Nuclear Weapons , UNIDIR, 2018.

Pavel Podvig , ed.,  The Use of Highly-Enriched Uranium as Fuel in Russia , International Panel on Fissile Materials, 2017.

Pavel Podvig , “Did Star Wars Help End the Cold War? Soviet Response to the SDI Program” , Science & Global Security, 25 (1), 2017, pp. 3–27.

Pavel Podvig , The Window of Vulnerability That Wasn’t: Soviet Military Buildup in the 1970s , International Security, 33 (1), 2008, pp. 118–138.

Verifying the removal of nuclear weapons, UN First Committee side event, United Nations Headquarters, New York, October 18, 2018.

Elements of a Fissile Material Cutoff Treaty, Session of the Subsidiary Body 2 of the Conference on Disarmament, Palais des Nations, Geneva, May 15, 2018.

Verifying nuclear disarmament without access to sensitive information, NPT PrepCom 2018 side event, UNODA, Palais des Nations, Geneva, May 4, 2018.