Ph.D. Student Handbook (2024-2025)

Ph.D. Program – General Information

The Jackson School of International Studies (JSIS) Ph.D. in International Studies provides a unique opportunity for candidates who seek a highly individualized graduate program grounded in applied area and global studies. The program reflects the Jackson’s School’s scholarly commitment to the centrality of history, culture, and politics in advancing the understanding of and engagement in world issues.

The program is designed to provide students with the flexibility to apply, and build on, their existing field connections, area knowledge, research questions, and language skills. Working with faculty with expertise in international and area studies, students design their studies in ways that will best support their career plans. Toward this end, students will have the opportunity to select a broad set of possible final products, from dissertation to policy papers, that best allows them to engage and share their research questions and conclusions.

1. Eligibility

Admittance into the Ph.D. Program requires a Master’s degree (or an equivalent professional degree) from an accredited institution in the United States or abroad. Applicants without a Master’s degree (or an equivalent professional degree) who are interested in the Ph.D. Program in particular may apply to one of the MAIS or EMIS programs in JSIS. In the terminal year of that degree, such a student would apply for admission to the Ph.D. Program.

The JSIS Ph.D. program is particularly well suited for candidates with:

  • professional experience in think tanks, NGOs, government organizations, and advocacy organizations whose work engages with international issues and/or foreign regions looking to gain academic expertise to further their professional career objectives in similar types of organizations
  • significant academic training in international or area studies interested in returning to their home countries to advance academic careers
  • interests in global issues (such as religion, technology, security, diplomacy, health, human rights, disability studies) and/or gaining deep regional expertise in areas including Africa, Americas, Arctic, Asia, Europe, Latin America, Eastern Europe, and the Middle East

The JSIS Ph.D. can be an accelerated one (with completion of the degree in three years), especially for students who are supported by their government or other sources that provide three years of full funding. Otherwise, students typically require four to six years to balance teaching assistant responsibilities, grant applications, and research trips complete with coursework.

2. Admission Procedures and Deadlines

Admission information on the Ph.D. Program is available at the official website. The application materials include the statement of purpose, personal history statement, writing sample, curriculum vitae, letters of recommendation, and all undergraduate and graduate transcripts. We also strongly recommend submitting GRE test scores sent directly by the Educational Testing Service; in addition, most international students have to submit TOEFL or IELTS scores to fulfill the Graduate School’s English language proficiency. The deadline for receipt of all application materials is December 31 of the year.

The JSIS PhD program views connection with JSIS faculty members who can serve as an academic mentor, especially during the first year of the program, as a tremendous benefit for students. In order to ensure that students can start their Ph.D. program with mentors/advisors in place, we expect candidates to contact JSIS faculty members and consult them as part of the application process. (If you need help identifying faculty members, please reach out to our Graduate Programs Adviser, Jesús Hidalgo; jhidalgo@uw.edu). In addition, the admission’s committee strongly suggests that applicants have already asked a JSIS faculty member about potentially chairing their doctoral supervisory committee. Please list below any faculty member who you have consulted with during the application process and whether you have discussed the possibility that they might serve as the chair of your doctoral supervisory committee.

Potential applicants with specific queries can also contact the Ph.D. Program at jsisphd@uw.edu. Applicants must apply through the UW Graduate School’s MyGrad Portal.

3. Departmental Funding Policy

JSIS supports students in the program by prioritizing a limited number of TA positions for our Ph.D. students. Our goal is to guarantee all accepted Ph.D. students up to a total of twelve TAship quarters during the first five years of the Ph.D. Program. UW TAships require about 220 hours of assigned work per quarter. Ph.D. students are encouraged to seek additional funding opportunities through JSIS Centers and programs.

All students are also expected to apply for external funding, such as scholarships and fellowships, from other UW and external agencies. Awards of external funds can provide support for tuition, stipends, health benefits, and research travel, allowing the awardee to concentrate on their dissertation research without having to spend time on teaching or working on other projects. Such external funding is particularly important for those in their third, fourth, or later years in the program, who often travel to other countries for their research. JSIS faculty advisors can provide support for external funding applications and our Ph.D. students have been extremely successful in achieving external funding. Applicants are encouraged to explore these options: