george washington university phd international relations

The Institute for European, Russian, and Eurasian Studies (IERES)

at the Elliott School of International Affairs

TO THE INSTITUTE FOR EUROPEAN, RUSSIAN, AND EURASIAN STUDIES

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Thank you for attending our events this academic year. Stay tuned for more information about our fall semester events. 

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Semester spotlight.

GW Cold War Group and Graduate Student Conference

Virtual Event Series: Queer Focus

Latest Issue of the Journalism of Illiberalism Studies

IERES Statement Condemning Russia’s Invasion of Ukraine

Latest news and highlights.

PONARS Eurasia E-Book: The Impact of the Russo-Ukrainian War on the Broader Region

May 17, 2024

Central Asia: Multi-Vector Policy for the 21st Century-Strategy and Development

April 30, 2024

80th Anniversary of the Chechen and Ingush Deportation in Central Asia

April 29, 2024

Between Allies and Adversaries: Assessing Iran’s Stand on Armenia and Azerbaijan

April 26, 2024

The Effect of Sanctions on Russia’s Natural Resources Revenues after February 2022 with Dr. Delgerjargal Uvsh

April 22, 2024

Russia and Latvia: A Case of Sharp Power

April 19, 2024

Book Talk: A Slow Reckoning: The USSR, the Afghan Communists, and Islam

April 16, 2024

PONARS Spring Conference

Ukraine’s Unnamed War: Before the Russian Invasion of 2022

April 5, 2024

Central Asia Program Annual Security Workshop: Navigating Global Turbulence: Building Resilience in Central Asia

The 2024 European Elections: How Far Right? With Cas Mudde

March 29, 2024

Democracy Report 2024: Democracy Winning and Losing at the Ballot

March 22, 2024

Navigating Turmoil: The Dynamics of Armenian-Azerbaijani Relations in 2024

Navigating the New Energy Geopolitics: Assessing Russia’s Power Play in Central Asia’s Post-2022 Gas Crisis

PONARS Strategic Conversations: Featuring Olga Oliker and Samuel Charap

Post-Liberalism in Conversation: To Recover or Overcome Liberalism?

March 8, 2024

Chechen Demographic Growth as an Indicator of Unresolved Conflict

When Left Moves Right: The Decline of the Left and the Rise of the Populist Right in Postcommunist Europe

February 23, 2024

The Electoral Effects of Decentralization: Evidence from Ukraine

February 16, 2024

New Voices on Eurasia with Emma Mateo

January 26, 2024

Researching Central Asia: Navigating Positionality in the Field

January 16, 2024

Central Asia’s Aral Sea Lessons for Today’s Climate Crisis

Kazakhstan’s Bloody January Protest Motivations, Public Perceptions and Human Rights

Armenia-Azerbaijan Relations after the Third Karabakh War

Ukraine and Russia: From Civilized Divorce to Uncivil War

December 14, 2023

Social and Political Processes in Central Asia amid Internal and External Shocks

December 7, 2023

New Voices on Eurasia with Ryhor Nizhnikau

November 27, 2023

The History of Race and Racism in Russia

November 14, 2023

PONARS Fall Conference 2023

November 9, 2023

GW Cold War Group Graduate Student Conference

November 7, 2023

Gayfriendly: Acceptance and Control of Homosexuality in New York and Paris

November 2, 2023

Heidegger, Schmitt, Dugin: Exploring Intellectual Sources of Illiberalism

October 30, 2023

Connect with IERES

Our events and research bring together the policy, academic, diplomatic and business communities in Washington, D.C. and around the world to examine contemporary issues in Europe, Eurasia, and Central Asia. Follow us on social media and sign up for our newsletter to receive updates about the Institute.

University-Affiliated Regional Studies Center in the U.S.

2020 Go To Global Think Tank Index Report 

At the  Institute for European, Russian and Eurasian Studies (IERES) , our primary mission is to promote and support the study of Europe and Eurasia through research, courses, events, and publications. The Institute’s hallmarks are combining academic rigor with policy engagement, promoting interdisciplinary perspectives, and recognizing that Europe, Russia, and Eurasia cannot be understood in isolation from each other or from global trends.

Events Per Academic Year

World-class faculty members, visiting scholars, explore our programs, ieres leverages its position in a world-class university and its unrivaled location–just steps from the white house, state department, and world bank–to draw together students, scholars, policymakers, and culturally important figures from around the globe for activities that advance education, research, and practice..

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College of Arts & Sciences

International Relations

The department’s graduate program in international relations prepares students for successful careers by introducing them to cutting-edge research across the field and training them to be productive and professional scholars. Our faculty members have produced award-winning research in the most selective journals—including the American Political Science Review, Foreign Affairs, International Organization, International Security, International Studies Quarterly, Journal of Conflict Resolution, and World Politics—as well as prestigious university presses—including Cambridge University Press, Cornell University Press, and Princeton University Press.

The best measure of our success as a graduate program is the track record of our students. In recent years, our students have taken tenure-track faculty positions at top universities, including Cornell University, the University of Texas, and McGill University. They have also been awarded highly competitive pre- and post-doctoral fellowships at Harvard University and Princeton University. We encourage our doctoral students to focus on publishing their research, and their work continues to appear in premier journals, including the American Political Science Review, International Organization, International Security, and International Studies Quarterly.

All of the department’s faculty members are well-versed in international relations theory, and the department has also developed a number of more specific core strengths:

-International Security (Andrew Bennett, Daniel Byman, Victor Cha, David Edelstein, Desha Girod, Lise Morje Howard, Matthew Kroenig, Charles Kupchan, Keir Lieber, Robert Lieber, Daniel Nexon, and Elizabeth Stanley): Together, this deep and diverse faculty exposes students to the most pertinent questions in the study of international security today. The specific research interests of the faculty include military intervention and occupation, terrorism, nuclear weapons, U.S. foreign policy, civil-military relations, post-conflict reconstruction, international order, the role of religion in international affairs, and the use of force in the modern world.

-International Political Economy (Marc Busch, Raj Desai, Kathleen McNamara, Abraham Newman, Nita Rudra and George Shambaugh): The evolving structure and behavior of the international political economy is a central concern of the department’s faculty. Approaching these questions from a variety of methodological and theoretical perspectives, our international political economy group investigates issues including the governance of trade and finance, the politics of currency, and international aid and development.

-International Law and Organizations (Anthony Arend, Marc Busch, Kathleen McNamara, Abraham Newman, and Erik Voeten): The department’s faculty produces important scholarship on the politics of international organizations as well as the evolution of international law. As with our other core strengths, the faculty approaches these questions from a variety of perspectives, producing well-trained and creative graduate students. Our faculty’s research in this area includes questions about the role of the United Nations Security Council, the development of the European Union, international financial institutions, the international law of the use of force, and emerging international environmental law.

-Methodology (Andrew Bennett, Marc Busch, and Erik Voeten: Our faculty is equipped to train graduate students in the full range of methodologies, including qualitative, quantitative, and formal approaches. Beyond the methodological strength of our international relations faculty, our students benefit from the methodological expertise of the department’s faculty in other subfields, including Michael Bailey and Hans Noel in U.S. Politics.

In addition to our core Government department faculty members, doctoral students benefit from faculty in the Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service (SFS), the Graduate Public Policy Institute (GPPI), and the McDonough School of Business (MSB) who teach and research issues in international relations. Abraham Newman (SFS) researches the consequences of the information revolution and standards of privacy for international relations. Dennis Quinn (MSB) explores the causes and consequences of international economic liberalization. Jennifer Tobin (GPPI) works on issues of international aid and development. The School of Foreign Service’s Security Studies Program houses three faculty members—Christine Fair, Bruce Hoffman, and Colin Kahl—who are conducting influential research on terrorism and insurgency. Finally, a variety of scholar-practitioners on the faculty, including Madeline Albright (SFS) and Anthony Lake (SFS), are able to share their real world experiences with our students.

Aside from classes, a centerpiece of our curriculum is the Georgetown University International Theory and Research Seminar (GUITARS). GUITARS meets on a regular basis each semester to discuss the most recent and most significant research in the field of international relations. Visiting faculty from around the world visit Georgetown to present their research, exposing graduate students to this scholarship as well as allowing them to interact and network with important scholars.

Finally, Georgetown offers a variety of institutional resources that support research and teaching that is of interest to our PhD students. The Mortara Center for International Studies advances the study of all aspects of international affairs. The Berkley Center for Religion, Peace, and World Affairs explores the role of religion in relations between states, communities, and peoples. The Center for Peace and Security Studies is a forum for research at the nexus of theory and practice in international security.

In short, Georgetown’s Department of Government is quickly establishing itself as a leading place to pursue a doctorate in the field of international relations. We have a diverse and distinguished faculty that is eager to train the next generation of scholars of international relations. We hope you will join us.

The Department of Government also offers joint Masters/Ph.D. programs in Public Policy , Security Studies , German and European Studies , Latin American Studies , Eurasian-Russian-East European Studies , Arab Studies , and the Georgetown University Law School . In addition, it also offers Master’s degree in International Law and Government. Taking into account the Department, the School of Foreign Service, the Graduate Public Policy Program, and the Law School, Georgetown has an exceptionally distinguished, diverse, and large group of faculty in international relations, with an unusual blend of theoretical interests and practical policy experience.

Please see the Graduate Handbook for more details about our doctoral program, including requirements, courses, and faculty. Admissions information can be found here . Should any specific questions about the program remain, you may contact the Field Chair or our Graduate Program Officer .

Click here for information about the Georgetown University International Theory and Research Seminar (GUITARS)

Feature: The Best International Relations Schools in the World

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The Best IR Schools in the World :

• Undergraduate

The Best International Relations Schools in the World

Foreign Policy magazine, in collaboration with the Teaching, Research, and International Policy ( TRIP ) project at the College of William & Mary, is pleased to present the results of the 2018 Ivory Tower survey. The survey provides a snapshot of how top international relations scholars assess their discipline at a moment when the liberal international order — overseen by a U.S. president with little evident attachment to it — is in unprecedented flux.

Responses from 1,541 IR scholars at U.S. colleges and universities determined rankings for their field’s leading Ph.D., terminal master’s, and undergraduate programs. The scholars were asked to list the top five institutions in each category, and the percentages below reflect the portion of respondents who listed that school.

The survey is accompanied by two essays that address whether IR is in a state of existential crisis. Can IR help policymakers respond to President Donald Trump and other global challenges that they failed to predict? Francis Gavin, the director of the Henry A. Kissinger Center for Global Affairs at the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies, argues that the field of IR’s greatest strength is its adaptability and that other university departments would be wise to take their cues from schools of international affairs. Stephen Walt, a professor at the Harvard Kennedy School and columnist for FP , suggests that IR scholars have more work to do to get their own house in order before advising diplomats on how to do the same.

Illustration by Peter and Maria Hoey for Foreign Policy

Top U.S. Undergraduate Institutions to Study International Relations

• 1. Harvard University 51.10%
• 2. Princeton University 49.14%
• 3. Stanford University 41.67%
• 4. Georgetown University 39.46%
• 5. Columbia University 32.97%
• 6. Yale University 21.08%
• 7. University of Chicago 20.96%
• 8. George Washington University 17.40%
• 9. American University 15.20%
• 10. University of California—Berkeley 11.64%
• 11. University of California—San Diego 9.68%
• 12. Dartmouth College 9.56%
• 13. Tufts University 9.07%
• 14. University of Michigan 8.58%
• 15. Johns Hopkins University 7.23%
• 16. College of William & Mary 6.86%
• 17. Massachusetts Institute of Technology 6.37%
• 18. Cornell University 5.76%
• 19. University of Pennsylvania 4.53%
• 19. Ohio State University 4.53%
• 21. Williams College 3.68%
• 22. Brown University 3.31%
• 23. University of Virginia 3.19%
• 24. Swarthmore College 3.06%
• 24. University of California—Los Angeles 3.06%
• 26. Duke University 2.94%
• 27. New York University 2.82%
• 28. Middlebury College 2.57%
• 29. University of Denver 2.33%
• 30. University of Southern California 2.21%
• 30. Wellesley College 2.21%
• 32. University of Notre Dame 1.96%
• 33. Pomona College 1.72%
• 34. University of Texas—Austin 1.59%
• 34. University of Wisconsin 1.59%
• 36. University of Washington 1.47%
• 37. Amherst College 1.35%
• 37. Macalester College 1.35%
• 37. University of Minnesota 1.35%
• 40. Syracuse University 1.23%
• 41. Boston University 1.10%
• 42. Brigham Young University 0.98%
• 42. Michigan State Univeristy 0.98%
• 42. University of Florida 0.98%
• 42. Vassar College 0.98%
• 46. Claremont McKenna College 0.86%
• 46. Emory University 0.86%
• 46. London School of Economics 0.86%
• 46. University of North Carolina—Chapel Hill 0.86%
• 50. Oberlin College 0.74%
• 50. Pennsylvania State University—University Park 0.74%
• 50. University of Colorado 0.74%

America’s IR Schools Are Broken

There’s a lot of innovation on the surface, but the rot runs deep. Here’s how to fix it.

Stephen M. Walt

Top Master's Programs for Policy Career in International Relations

• 1. Georgetown University 60.53%
• 2. Harvard University 49.43%
• 3. Johns Hopkins University 48.30%
• 4. Princeton University 37.58%
• 5. Columbia University 37.45%
• 6. Tufts University 30.90%
• 7. George Washington University 29.38%
• 8. American University 21.06%
• 9. London School of Economics 18.16%
• 10. University of Chicago 13.75%
• 11. Stanford University 9.08%
• 12. University of Oxford 8.07%
• 13. Yale University 7.82%
• 14. University of Denver 7.31%
• 15. University of California—San Diego 5.42%
• 16. Syracuse University 4.67%
• 17. University of Cambridge 3.78%
• 18. Massachusetts Institute of Technology 3.28%
• 18. University of Michigan 3.28%
• 20. University of California—Berkeley 2.40%
• 20. University of Pittsburgh 2.40%
• 22. New York University 2.14%
• 22. Sciences Po—Paris 2.14%
• 24. Duke University 1.77%
• 25. School of Oriental and African Studies 1.51%
• 26. King’s College London 1.39%
• 26. Texas A&M University 1.39%
• 28. Cornell University 1.26%
• 29. University of Virginia 1.13%
• 29. Graduate Inst. of Int’l and Dev. Studies 1.13%
• 31. University of California—Los Angeles 1.01%
• 31. University of Texas 1.01%
• 33. Middlebury Institute of Int’l Studies at Monterey 0.88%
• 33. University of Sussex 0.88%
• 33. University of Washington 0.88%
• 36. Carleton University 0.63%
• 36. George Mason University 0.63%
• 36. University of St. Andrews 0.63%
• 39. Florida International University 0.50%
• 39. Indiana University 0.50%
• 39. University of Maryland 0.50%
• 39. University of Notre Dame 0.50%
• 39. Ohio State University 0.50%
• 44. Aberystwyth University 0.38%
• 44. Arizona State University 0.38%
• 44. Boston University 0.38%
• 44. Georgia Institute of Technology 0.38%
• 44. Northeastern University 0.38%
• 44. University of Kent 0.38%
• 44. University of Southern California 0.38%
• 44. University of Toronto—Downtown Toronto 0.38%

It’s Never Been a Better Time to Study IR:

Donald Trump has changed the world — and some people will understand it better than others.

Francis J. Gavin

Top Ph.D. Programs for Academic Career in International Relations

• 1. Harvard University 68.13%
• 2. Princeton University 60.78%
• 3. Stanford University 57.35%
• 4. Columbia University 39.45%
• 5. University of Chicago 27.61%
• 6. Yale University 25.83%
• 7. University of California—San Diego 21.45%
• 8. Massachusetts Institute of Technology 19.19%
• 9. University of Michigan 14.45%
• 10. University of California—Berkeley 14.34%
• 11. Georgetown University 10.66%
• 12. University of Oxford 10.55%
• 13. Cornell University 7.82%
• 14. London School of Economics 7.58%
• 15. Ohio State University 6.99%
• 16. Johns Hopkins University 5.69%
• 17. George Washington University 5.09%
• 18. University of Cambridge 4.98%
• 19. American University 4.50%
• 20. Duke University 3.91%
• 21. New York University 3.32%
• 22. Tufts University 2.96%
• 22. University of Minnesota 2.96%
• 24. University of Wisconsin—Madison 2.84%
• 25. University of California—Los Angeles 2.61%
• 26. University of Rochester 2.25%
• 27. University of Pennsylvania 2.13%
• 28. Brown University 1.66%
• 29. Emory University 1.30%
• 29. University of Texas 1.30%
• 31. University of Virginia 1.18%
• 32. Aberystwyth University 1.07%
• 32. Pennsylvania State University 1.07%
• 34. University of Denver 0.83%
• 35. Northwestern University 0.71%
• 35. School of Oriental and African Studies 0.71%
• 35. University of Maryland 0.71%
• 35. University of Sussex 0.71%
• 35. Sciences Po—Paris 0.71%
• 40. Texas A&M University 0.59%
• 40. University of Southern California 0.59%
• 40. University of Washington 0.59%
• 43. Australian National University 0.47%
• 43. King’s College London 0.47%
• 43. Syracuse University 0.47%
• 43. University of North Carolina—Chapel Hill 0.47%
• 47. George Mason University 0.36%
• 47. Rice University 0.36%
• 47. University of Arizona 0.36%
• 47. University of Edinburgh 0.36%
• 47. University of Georgia 0.36%
• 47. University of Iowa 0.36%
• 47. University of Toronto—Downtown Toronto 0.36%
• 47. Graduate Institute of Intl. and Development Studies 0.36%

The Teaching, Research, and International Policy project is supported by the Carnegie Corporation of New York .

Master of International Studies

The master of international studies (MIS) program creates an opportunity for students at our international partner institutions to spend a year at the Elliott School.

To thrive in today's international arena, successful professionals must possess knowledge of global and regional issues and a keen ability to communicate, negotiate, and lead in a multicultural environment. For many international affairs professionals, experience in Washington, DC, is an invaluable opportunity that strengthens and enhances their academic, professional, and cultural understanding of our globalized world.

The MIS is a unique program open to current students and recent alumni from MA programs at Elliott School partner institutions around the globe. MIS students complete an additional academic year of full-time study in Washington, DC. Students pursue expanded study of a complementary global issue or world region, building upon the foundation of coursework completed at the partner school.

Whether one’s interests are in global trade, the development world, international public health, security and conflict resolution, or other global and regional issues, the Elliott School's MIS program prepares students for careers in diplomacy; public service; international and nongovernmental organizations; and multinational organizations.  

Supporting documents not submitted online should be mailed to: Office of Graduate Admissions The Elliott School of International Affairs The George Washington University 1957 E Street, NW, Suite 301 Washington, DC 20052

Contact for questions: [email protected]  ~ 202.994.7050 ~ 202.994.9537 (fax) 9:00 am – 5:00 pm, Monday through Friday

The following requirements must be fulfilled: 28 credits, including 9 to 12 credits in core field courses, a 4-credit capstone sequence, 12 credits in a specialization, and 0 to 3 credits in elective courses. In addition, all students are required to fulfill a foreign language proficiency requirement. *

See notes regarding special topics, skills, and LAW courses**

Thematic specializations

• Conflict and Conflict Resolution
• Global Energy and Environmental Policy
• Global Gender Policy
• Global Health
• International Affairs and Development
• International Economic Affairs
• International Law and Organizations
• International Security Studies
• Nuclear Policy
• Technology and International Affairs
• U.S. Foreign Policy

Regional specializations

• Europe, Eurasia, and Russia
• Latin America
• Middle East

* Language proficiency requirement

Students in the master of international studies program are required to demonstrate proficiency in a modern language other than English. Students may fulfill this requirement in one of the following ways:

• Having earned a minimum grade of B in a sixth-semester university-level advanced language course completed no more than three years prior to matriculation in the Elliott School's master's degree program.
• Having earned a minimum grade of B in a sixth-semester university-level advanced language course at GW, or in an approved course taken at another institution of higher learning, including Elliott School exchange partner institutions, while enrolled in the Elliott School master's program. 
• Passing the Elliott School-administered language proficiency reading and speaking examination at the currently-required  level of proficiency . The Elliott School administers language proficiency examinations once in the fall and once in the spring semesters. Students should plan to take the language proficiency examination as soon as possible following their matriculation in the program. Students have three opportunities to pass the examination. Failure to pass the examination for a third time results in dismissal from the program.
• Achieving the required proficiency level in a reading and speaking examination administered by an Elliott School-approved language assessment institution, at the student's expense, while enrolled in the Elliott School's Master's Degree Program.
• Demonstrating the required foreign language proficiency level in a language professional skills course offered through the Elliott School. The instructor tests the student during  the course  to determine if the required proficiency level has been achieved. 

As of fall 2018, the above policy applies to new and current students in the Elliott School’s non-regional studies master’s programs with a language requirement. Consult the Program Director for more information.

** Specific subject matter covered in special/selected topics courses varies by semester. Consult the Schedule of Classes  for each semester's offerings. Topics courses not listed here may be used to fulfill program requirements if approved by the Program Director.

Additional information regarding skills courses is available on the Elliott School website. 

Students may, with permission of their advisor, include courses offered by the Law School in their major field. Enrolling in a LAW course also requires permission of the Law School dean of students. Students should consult the Elliott School's Office of Academic Advising and Student Service before enrolling in LAW courses.

Combined Program

• Joint Master of Arts in Elliott School programs and Master of Business Administration

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