phd in research and development

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Development studies, field description.

Our doctoral program in Development Studies focuses on ‘development,’ a central and contested concept that gained prominence after World War II, which implies progressive change towards improving economies and people’s well-being while conserving nature at local, regional, and global scales. Faculty and graduate students in the field of Development Studies study processes of social, cultural, ecological, economic, and political change, and the historical and contemporary forces that shape those dynamics. They also study the organizations and actors that engage in development-related processes and the practices, knowledge, and forms of expertise they bring to bear on their work.

An interdisciplinary field, Development Studies draws from a wide range of disciplines, including sociology, economics, political science, human geography, anthropology, history, Indigenous and postcolonial studies, and the natural and technical sciences. Our doctoral students study in a range of contexts, some working directly with communities around the globe, others exploring large data sets or studying institutions as they seek to understand the complexities behind development and its impacts on people and the planet.

The program offers preparation for research, for the application of social sciences in government positions, the non-profit sector, consulting, and think tanks, and for college teaching in development studies and related fields. For the Ph.D. degree, students are expected to demonstrate (1) a thorough knowledge of social theory in development studies, with special emphasis on theories in their major concentration, (2) knowledge of previous and current research pertinent to the concentration, and (3) knowledge of multiple research methods, including qualitative and quantitative, with special emphasis on research design, data collection, and analytical techniques relevant to study in the concentration.

Students are admitted into the Ph.D. program. If they do not have a M.S. degree in Development Studies or a related discipline, they will complete a qualifying paper or M.S. thesis as part of their training.

Research and study opportunities Faculty in the field rely on a wide range of domestic and international funding to support research and graduate students. Graduate students also successfully apply for a wide range of internal and external grants for their fieldwork, such as the Wenner Gren fellowship, National Science Foundation and Fulbright fellowships.   Students and faculty members are actively conducting research around the globe, both in the United States and elsewhere. Although some doctoral dissertations are based on field-collected data, other candidates rely on rich secondary-data resources, working closely with the Cornell Institute for Social and Economic Research (CISER) and the various libraries on campus. Faculty members also participate in other fields such as Natural Resources, City and Regional Planning, Anthropology, Crop and Soil Sciences, in the Mario Einaudi Center for International Studies, and in the area studies programs for Africa, Latin America, South Asia, and Southeast Asia. Several of those programs have supported dissertation research overseas. The department is also home to the  Polson Institute for Global Development , which funds assorted working group research initiatives in the U.S. and abroad.

Contact Information

Mann Library B75 Cornell University Ithaca, NY 14853

Data and Statistics

• Doctoral Program Statistics

Field Manual

Subject and degrees, development sociology.

• Development Sociology (Ph.D.) (Ithaca)

Concentrations by Subject

• development sociology (minor)
• methods of social research (minor)
• population and development
• rural and environmental sociology
• state, economy, and society

Victoria Beard

• Campus: Ithaca
• Concentrations: Development Sociology: development sociology; rural and environmental sociology
• Research Interests: comparative urbanization, poverty and inequality, collective action, community development, infrastructure access, water and sanitation infrastructure

Sarah Besky

• Concentrations: Development Sociology: rural and environmental sociology; state, economy, and society
• Research Interests: agrarian studies; gender and work; South Asia

Rachel Bezner Kerr

• Concentrations: Development Sociology: development sociology; methods of social research; rural and environmental sociology

Parfait M Eloundou-Enyegue

• Concentrations: Development Sociology: development sociology; methods of social research; population and development; state, economy, and society
• Research Interests: population and development; sociology of education; demography of inequality and social change

Elias Friedman

• Concentrations: Development Sociology: state, economy, and society
• Research Interests: Social movements, globalization, development, political sociology, work, and theory

Sarah Carissa Giroux

• Campus: Ithaca - (Divisional Member)
• Concentrations: Development Sociology: population and development
• Research Interests: Methods of Social Research. Population and Development, Demography

Jenny Elaine Goldstein

• Research Interests: political ecology; critical development studies; ecological history; science and technology studies; food and agriculture; Southeast Asia

Mario Herrero Acosta

• Concentrations: Development Sociology: rural and environmental sociology
• Research Interests: Food systems, sustainability, environmental analysis, global change, scenarios, climate mitigation and adaptation, multi-scale methods for systems analysis, systems evolution and transitions, role of innovation in development

Thomas A Hirschl

• Research Interests: social stratification; research methods and statistics; state and local demography

Tristan Ivory

• Research Interests: International Migration Labor and Employment Relations Race and Ethnicity Social Mobility Stratification and Inequality Global and Transnational Sociology Demography Comparative and Historical Sociology Qualitative Methods Africana Studies

Neema Kudva

• Research Interests: Community-based planning and development, Infrastructure and International planning, Social policy, Sustainability, Mobility

Lori Leonard

• Concentrations: Development Sociology: methods of social research; state, economy, and society
• Research Interests: Lori Leonard has a background in public health, and her work focuses on issues in medical sociology, gender studies, and the anthropology of policy. She is interested in the ways policies, planned improvement projects, changes in the natural world, and human responses to these events shape social and cultural life
• Concentrations: Development Sociology: methods of social research; rural and environmental sociology; state, economy, and society
• Research Interests: Sustainability; food systems; spatial data science; human-environment systems

Fouad M. Makki

• Concentrations: Development Sociology: development sociology; methods of social research; state, economy, and society
• Research Interests: sociology of development; classical and contemporary social theory; international political economy; historical sociology of modernity

Scott J Peters

• Research Interests: sustainable and community development; civic professionalism

Sharon L. Sassler

• Concentrations: Development Sociology: development sociology; population and development
• Research Interests: social demography; union formation (marriage, cohabitation); immigrant adaptation; racial and ethnic differentiation; young adult transitions

John W. Sipple

• Concentrations: Development Sociology: development sociology; methods of social research; population and development; rural and environmental sociology
• Research Interests: sociology of education, rural studies, inequality studies

Richard C. Stedman

• Research Interests: linkages between social and ecological systems; natural resource and community interactions; natural resources; environmental sociology

Mildred Elaine Warner

• Concentrations: Development Sociology: development sociology; state, economy, and society
• Research Interests: community development, economic development, state and local government policy

Marina A. Welker

• Research Interests: International development, corporations, tobacco, extractive industries, Southeast Asia

Steven A Wolf

• Concentrations: Development Sociology: development sociology; rural and environmental sociology; state, economy, and society
• Research Interests: environmental and natural resource sociology; environmental governance; multifunctional agricultural and forest development; institutional analysis of innovation

Wendy W. Wolford

• Concentrations: Development Sociology: development sociology; methods of social research; rural and environmental sociology; state, economy, and society
• Research Interests: political economy of development; social and economic geography; political ecology; land tenure; agrarian studies

John Aloysius Zinda

• Research Interests: Environmental Sociology, Development and Globalization, Contemporary China, Rural Livelihoods, Community, Agriculture, Land Use Change, Qualitative Methods, Spatial Data Analysis, Mixed Methods

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Study with the world leaders in development studies and realise your potential to transform the world with our PhD by Research.

The PhD in Development Studies by Research is IDS’s advanced research degree. It is awarded to candidates after a minimum of three years study, based on completion of original and significant research in the field of Development Studies – which is assessed through a written thesis.

*Please note: It is not possible for international students to take a part-time PhD due to UK Home Office visa restrictions, and IDS does not have a distance learning mode of its PhD Programme.

World leaders in development studies

Ranked first in the world  for Development Studies  (QS World University Rankings by Subject 2023) for the eighth year in a row – the Institute of Development Studies (IDS) transforms the knowledge, action and leadership needed for more equitable and sustainable development globally, through our world-class research, learning and teaching.

As a PhD researcher, you will join a thriving research community comprising more than 70 research staff and 50 postgraduate researchers. You will have access to research and teaching opportunities, as well as a substantial series of seminars presented by leading development professionals and practitioners.

Areas of study

We welcome submissions from researchers who share our commitment to:

• upholding climate and environmental justice
• reducing extreme inequities
• fostering healthy and fulfilling lives
• nurturing inclusive, democratic and accountable societies.

We are particularly interested in work that shows originality in addressing topics related to the work of our research fellows based across our ten  research clusters : business; cities; digital; governance; health and nutrition; impact and policy; participation; power; resource politics; and rural futures.

Find out more about our current PhD Researchers Find out more about our Research Fellows and their interests

Studying at IDS can potentially transform your view of the world – you grow a lot learning from this very rich and diverse community.

Each PhD researcher has a minimum of two supervisors. The number of hours of formal supervision will vary over the course of the PhD depending on the student, supervisor and type of research. IDS publishes a detailed PhD handbook which sets out expectations and responsibilities regarding supervision.

During the course of your PhD, you are required to give two seminars to the IDS community. The first, at the end of year one is called the Research Outline Seminar and this provides an overview of your PhD plans prior to beginning fieldwork. The second occurs halfway through year three. This is called the Work in Progress Seminar and it focuses on the research findings and overall arguments made in the dissertation.

Your PhD work is examined by dissertation and viva. Your thesis must be no longer than 80,000 words. These limits includes footnotes and bibliography but excludes any appendices.

You’re normally expected to have a Merit (an average of 60% overall) in a Master’s degree. Your qualification should be in a relevant social sciences subject. In exceptional circumstances, you may be considered for the degree if you have a qualification in a different subject area.  You must also show evidence of substantial professional work experience in development-related work.

English language requirements

Students must be proficient in English. The minimum requirement is, for example, an  IELTS  grade of 7.0 overall and no less than 6.5 in each section of the IELTS test. For  detailed information on English language requirements for international students please see the University of Sussex website .

IDS requires that students register for a minimum of three years. Most students spend time on fieldwork that may take place in a development context – either overseas or in the UK. During fieldwork, students are charged a fee which is normally 65% of the full-time fee but may be subject to change.

Almost all IDS PhD researchers choose to do empirical research and fieldwork for their PhDs. The broad parameters of this research (topic and country) are usually decided by the student and included in the proposal submitted as part of the application to the PhD programme. More detailed assessments of the scope and scale of this research are usually developed in conjunction with supervisors during the first year of the PhD. Fieldwork usually lasts between 8 and 12 months and costs depend on the scope and scale of the activities. For example, participant observation and qualitative interviews undertaken in your home country and in a language with which you are familiar, may not be very expensive, but working in a country where you need visas, in-country ethical approval, and have to employ translators, transcribers, or a team of enumerators for a quantitative survey can mean that costs rapidly escalate. Where you stay, how you travel to your fieldsite, what technology you use to collect and analyse data and how long you stay will all influence the costs. IDS does not have the resources to fund any fieldwork or travel costs. There is a small conference fund and PhD students can apply for up to £450 during their PhDs if they are presenting a paper at a conference.

After having made substantial progress and completed three years of registration, students may be permitted to transfer to pre-submission status for a maximum of 12 months. IDS considers substantial progress to be the completion of three empirical chapters, supervisors’ approval and a successful work-in-progress seminar. If pre-submission status is not granted, then full-time fees are still applicable. The pre-submission fee is approximately £500 for each year or part thereof.

Unfortunately, neither IDS nor the University of Sussex can offer financial support. Applicants requiring financial assistance should contact their local Ministry of Education or Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the British Council representative (c/o British Embassy). For the latest information on fees, funding and scholarships, visit the  University of Sussex website .

Living costs

Find out typical living costs for studying at Sussex

Find out about our terms and conditions

Your time at IDS will equip you with the training needed to launch your career in academia, government, civil society or the private sector, and make a real difference in bringing about transformative change.

Our PhD graduates are defining and solving some of the world’s most pressing global challenges in their work as:

• ministers in national governments and civil servants
• high-level officials in development organisations such as UNDP and the World Bank
• leaders and thinkers of civil-society and international development organisations such as ActionAid and Christian Aid
• high-profile academics at universities across the world.

Apply via the  University of Sussex online application . When completing the application form, please identify IDS on the application; the code for this is L1604R – Development Studies (IDS) (PHD).

Finding a supervisor

While you are not responsible for finding a supervisor, it is good practice to express your preferred supervisors on your application form. Applicants are assessed both on their academic credentials and on the relevance of their works to the research of one or more  IDS Research Fellows .

Distance learning

IDS is unable to accept applications for distance learning. We believe it is in the best interests of both PhD students and the Institute that the majority of the study period is spent at IDS. This offers the opportunity for ongoing interaction with other IDS members and students.

Your research proposal

When you apply, you must submit a detailed research proposal of 2000-3500 words indicating the primary research questions of your research project, a short review of the literature that you are planning to engage with, and your methodology. Find out how to write a research proposal.

Before applying, please read carefully our  guidelines on how to write your research proposal on the Sussex website . Here is a good example of a recent research proposal from a successful applicant:  Susana Araujo’s PhD research proposal to IDS, 2020 .

Application deadline

We prefer our PhD by Research students to start in September to coincide with the start of the University of Sussex autumn term. This timing will maximise your opportunities to take part in induction sessions, training and module enrolment (optional), both at IDS and the University of Sussex.

For September entry, the application deadlines are:

• 21 June for international students
• 21 July for UK/EU students.

In exceptional circumstances IDS may permit students to start the PhD by Research in January (for example, if visa issues prevent a September entry). The application deadline is 31 October for all January starters. We may also be able to offer some flexibility in start dates for students transferring from another organisation.

How we assess your application

When assessing your application we take into account many factors including: the quality of your research proposal, your academic qualifications, fit with IDS research priorities, previous development experience, language skills and availability of suitable supervisors.

All applications are assessed by the IDS Director of Doctoral Studies, with input from two potential supervisors. You will also be interviewed on your PhD research plans by these potential supervisors. If your application is successful, you will be contacted by the University of Sussex Admissions Office with a formal offer letter.

Presence at IDS

Your presence at IDS is vital at the early stage of your PhD when the research proposal is prepared (the first year) and then, after fieldwork, at the stage of writing up the research findings (the third year). The maximum period of registration is four years, but a PhD can be completed in three years.

Key information

Full time duration, part time duration, home fees (uk, republic of ireland, channel islands & isle of man), overseas (including eu), open days and events.

Find our more about our PhD Open Evenings, information sessions, virtual PhD events and campus tours

Key contacts

Teaching Coordinator

s.s.watson@ids.ac.uk

+44 (0)1273 915662

Related links

• PhD researcher, Jorge Ortiz-Moreno, explains what it’s like to study at IDS
• Why study at IDS
• First in the world for development studies
• Development Studies Scholarships and Funding

We’ll make all reasonable efforts to provide you with the courses, services and facilities described in this prospectus. However, we may need to make changes due to significant disruption, for example in response to Covid-19.

3 years ago @IDS_UK

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PhD Program

Program overview.

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Rigorous, discipline-based research is the hallmark of the MIT Sloan PhD Program. The program is committed to educating scholars who will lead in their fields of research—those with outstanding intellectual skills who will carry forward productive research on the complex organizational, financial, and technological issues that characterize an increasingly competitive and challenging business world.

Start here.

Learn more about the program, how to apply, and find answers to common questions.

Admissions Events

Check out our event schedule, and learn when you can chat with us in person or online.

Start Your Application

Visit this section to find important admissions deadlines, along with a link to our application.

Click here for answers to many of the most frequently asked questions.

PhD studies at MIT Sloan are intense and individual in nature, demanding a great deal of time, initiative, and discipline from every candidate. But the rewards of such rigor are tremendous:  MIT Sloan PhD graduates go on to teach and conduct research at the world's most prestigious universities.

PhD Program curriculum at MIT Sloan is organized under the following three academic areas: Behavior & Policy Sciences; Economics, Finance & Accounting; and Management Science. Our nine research groups correspond with one of the academic areas, as noted below.

MIT Sloan PhD Research Groups

Behavioral & policy sciences.

Economic Sociology

Institute for Work & Employment Research

Organization Studies

Technological Innovation, Entrepreneurship & Strategic Management

Economics, Finance & Accounting

Accounting  

Management Science

Information Technology

System Dynamics  

Those interested in a PhD in Operations Research should visit the Operations Research Center .  

PhD Program Structure

Additional information including coursework and thesis requirements.

MIT Sloan Predoctoral Opportunities

MIT Sloan is eager to provide a diverse group of talented students with early-career exposure to research techniques as well as support in considering research career paths.

Rising Scholars Conference

The fourth annual Rising Scholars Conference on October 25 and 26 gathers diverse PhD students from across the country to present their research.

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The goal of the MIT Sloan PhD Program's admissions process is to select a small number of people who are most likely to successfully complete our rigorous and demanding program and then thrive in academic research careers. The admission selection process is highly competitive; we aim for a class size of nineteen students, admitted from a pool of hundreds of applicants.

What We Seek

• Outstanding intellectual ability
• Excellent academic records
• Previous work in disciplines related to the intended area of concentration
• Strong commitment to a career in research

MIT Sloan PhD Program Admissions Requirements Common Questions

Dates and Deadlines

Admissions for 2024 is closed. The next opportunity to apply will be for 2025 admission. The 2025 application will open in September 2024. 

More information on program requirements and application components

Students in good academic standing in our program receive a funding package that includes tuition, medical insurance, and a fellowship stipend and/or TA/RA salary. We also provide a new laptop computer and a conference travel/research budget.

Funding Information

Throughout the year, we organize events that give you a chance to learn more about the program and determine if a PhD in Management is right for you.

PhD Program Events

May phd program overview.

During this webinar, you will hear from the PhD Program team and have the chance to ask questions about the application and admissions process.

June PhD Program Overview

July phd program overview, august phd program overview.

Complete PhD Admissions Event Calendar

Unlike formulaic approaches to training scholars, the PhD Program at MIT Sloan allows students to choose their own adventure and develop a unique scholarly identity. This can be daunting, but students are given a wide range of support along the way - most notably having access to world class faculty and coursework both at MIT and in the broader academic community around Boston.

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Profiles of our current students

MIT Sloan produces top-notch PhDs in management. Immersed in MIT Sloan's distinctive culture, upcoming graduates are poised to innovate in management research and education.

Academic Job Market

Doctoral candidates on the current academic market

Academic Placements

Graduates of the MIT Sloan PhD Program are researching and teaching at top schools around the world.

view recent placements 

MIT Sloan Experience

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The PhD Program is integral to the research of MIT Sloan's world-class faculty. With a reputation as risk-takers who are unafraid to embrace the unconventional, they are engaged in exciting disciplinary and interdisciplinary research that often includes PhD students as key team members.

Research centers across MIT Sloan and MIT provide a rich setting for collaboration and exploration. In addition to exposure to the faculty, PhD students also learn from one another in a creative, supportive research community.

Throughout MIT Sloan's history, our professors have devised theories and fields of study that have had a profound impact on management theory and practice.

From Douglas McGregor's Theory X/Theory Y distinction to Nobel-recognized breakthroughs in finance by Franco Modigliani and in option pricing by Robert Merton and Myron Scholes, MIT Sloan's faculty have been unmatched innovators.

This legacy of innovative thinking and dedication to research impacts every faculty member and filters down to the students who work beside them.

Faculty Links

• Accounting Faculty
• Economic Sociology Faculty
• Finance Faculty
• Information Technology Faculty
• Institute for Work and Employment Research (IWER) Faculty
• Marketing Faculty
• Organization Studies Faculty
• System Dynamics Faculty
• Technological Innovation, Entrepreneurship, and Strategic Management (TIES) Faculty

Student Research

“MIT Sloan PhD training is a transformative experience. The heart of the process is the student’s transition from being a consumer of knowledge to being a producer of knowledge. This involves learning to ask precise, tractable questions and addressing them with creativity and rigor. Hard work is required, but the reward is the incomparable exhilaration one feels from having solved a puzzle that had bedeviled the sharpest minds in the world!” -Ezra Zuckerman Sivan Alvin J. Siteman (1948) Professor of Entrepreneurship

Sample Dissertation Abstracts - These sample Dissertation Abstracts provide examples of the work that our students have chosen to study while in the MIT Sloan PhD Program.

We believe that our doctoral program is the heart of MIT Sloan's research community and that it develops some of the best management researchers in the world. At our annual Doctoral Research Forum, we celebrate the great research that our doctoral students do, and the research community that supports that development process.

The videos of their presentations below showcase the work of our students and will give you insight into the topics they choose to research in the program.

How Should We Measure the Digital Economy?

2020 PhD Doctoral Research Forum Winner - Avinash Collis

Watch more MIT Sloan PhD Program  Doctoral Forum Videos

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PhD in International Development Studies

The application period for the PhD IDS Intake for the Intake 2024 started on 15 November 2023. The application deadline is 31 March 2024. Applications have to be submitted via the online application platform: https://public.ruhr-uni-bochum.de/ps/iee

News & Announcements:

13th cambridge international law journal's conference.

Our PhD IDS Student Emmanuel Monyei was a panelist at the Cambridge International Law Journal (CILJ) 13th Annual Conference which took place at the Faculty of Law, University of Cambridge on the 8th and 9th of April, 2024.

The theme of the Conference was 'The Intersection of Peace and Sustainability in International Law’. Emmanuel discussed the effect of climate change on peace in disappearing island states, in the Indo-Pacific region. He also examined how local adaptation can be more effective when interpreted as peacebuilding actions.

Congratulations Dr. Fiza Lee Malhotra

Her thesis with the title “A Practical approach to Refugee Protection in Southeast Asia” was supervised by Prof. Dr. Hans-Joachim Heintze and Prof. Dr. Pierre Thielbörger. Prof. Dr. Wilhelm Löwenstein, speaker of the PhD Programme in International Development Studies chaired the oral exam.

Congratulations Dr. Sidy Ouattara!

After successful defence of his PhD Thesis on Thursday, 14th December 2023, Sidy Ouattara has been awarded the degree of a Philosophiae Doctor (Ph.D.).

His thesis with the title “Revisiting the Enclave Thesis: The Case of the Malian Mining Sector” was supervised by Prof. Dr. Matthias Busse and Prof. Dr. em. Werner Voss. Prof. Dr. Wilhelm Löwenstein, speaker of the PhD Programme in International Development Studies chaired the oral exam.

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Ph.D. Program in 'Pharmaceutical Sciences and Drug Development'

Graduate education in Pharmaceutical Sciences and Drug Development (PSDD) provides training in research strategies in the design and development of novel therapeutic agents to improve human life in disease and health. The PSDD training area will provide translational sciences research training that bridges basic sciences and clinical research for the purpose of addressing the world’s challenges in unmet therapeutic needs. Research in pharmaceutical sciences encompasses multi-faceted, interdisciplinary drug development research.

Training in PSDD for the Ph.D degree with the Biomedical Sciences Graduate Program is described at:  https://biomedsci.ucsd.edu/training-areas/molecular-pharmacology.html

This web site includes information for student applications to the PSDD Ph.D program.

Ph.D Training in ‘Pharmaceutical Sciences and Drug Development’ (PSDD)

Faculty Leader Contact:

Vivian Hook ([email protected])

Summary of PSDD Research Training

The Pharmaceutical Sciences and Drug Development (PSDD) training area is a unique joint effort between the Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences (SSPPS), the Scripps Institution of Oceanography (SIO), Center for Drug Discovery Innovation (cDDI), the UCSD Drug Development Pipeline , the Center for Compound Resources, the Center for Computer-Aided Drug Design, with programs of the School of Medicine , School of Engineering , and UC BRAID . The overall goal of this training area is to provide students with a visionary perspective on the drug discovery and development process.

Graduate education in “Pharmaceutical Sciences and Drug Development” (PSDD) provides training in research strategies in the design and development of novel therapeutic agents to improve human life in disease and health.  The PSDD training area will provide translational sciences research training that bridges basic sciences and clinical research for the purpose of addressing the world’s challenges in unmet therapeutic needs to improve human lives.  Research in pharmaceutical sciences encompasses multi-faceted, interdisciplinary drug development research in (a) design and discovery of drug molecules targeted to regulators of disease processes, including marine natural products, (b) in vitro and in vivo efficacy of candidate drug therapies, (c) chemical optimization by medicinal chemistry approaches, (d) drug pharmacodynamics, pharmacokinetics in ADME research based on drug delivery strategies, (e) safety and toxicity of drug molecules, and (f) advanced analytical technologies of drug molecule properties.  Graduate students will be trained in these disciplines through a complete curriculum and state-of-the-art research strategies for drug development.  Faculty of the Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences (SSPPS) and the BMS program will train students in the area of PSDD.  PSDD training will provide students with exciting opportunities in the professional field to become leaders in academic, government, private industry, biotechnology, and related areas to advance innovative drug development via pharmaceutical sciences research.

PhD degree:

Students apply for admissions to the UCSD ‘Biomedical Graduate Program’ (BMS) for training by faculty in ‘Pharmaceutical Sciences and Drug Development (PSDD).  Research training in PSDD is associated with the BMS areas of ‘Molecular Pharmacology and Drug Discovery’.   Graduate students of the BMS program deveop their Individual Development Plans (IDP) with faculty advisors of the program.  The IDP plans the research, coursework, and degree requirements for the student.

How to Apply

Training Areas

Individual Development Plans

PharmD/PhD degree:

First year pharmacy students can pursue the PharmD/PhD degree by conducting 3 research rotations with faculty on research topics of PSDD during years 1-2 of the pharmacy curriculum.  Pharmacy students in their 2nd year can apply for admissions for the PhD program of the Biomedical Sciences graduate program at UCSD (see previous paragraph).  See information about the dual PharmD/Ph.D degree at

https://pharmacy.ucsd.edu/degree-programs/dual-pharmd-phd-program

Core Graduate Courses in ‘Pharmaceutical Sciences and Drug Development’

SPPS 263A   Principles in Pharmaceutical Sciences and Drug Development: Pre-Clinical Drug Discovery and Development

PPS 263B     Principles in Pharmaceutical Sciences and Drug Development: Pre-Clinical to Clinical Drug Development

Courses in Selected Areas of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Drug Development

SPPS 226     Pharmacokinetics/Pharmacodynamics

SPPS 219     Pharmacogenomics

SPPS 222     Pharmaceutical and Physical Chemistry

SPPS 223     Pharmaceutical Biochemistry

SPPS 224     Biopharmaceutics

SPPS 225     Dosage Forms and Drug Delivery Systems

SPPS 268     Systems Mass Spectrometry

SPPS 281     Medicinal Aspects of Natural Products

Faculty in Drug Discovery & Development in Pharmaceutical Sciences

Community Research and Action (Ph.D.)

Interested in community psychology, community development, social program evaluation, organizational change, health or mental health policy, prevention, urban change and social policy? Join an intellectual community that enhances your knowledge and field skills.

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Program Overview

The Ph.D. program in Community Research and Action is an interdisciplinary program combining community psychology, urban sociology, human geography, applied anthropology, and human and community development. It trains action-researchers committed to promoting social justice in rigorous theoretical analysis and research methods to prepare them for careers in academia, research, and public policy. The Ph.D. degree includes (a) a core set of courses covering inequality, diversity and social justice, community intervention and change, community inquiry (social research methods), public policy and advocacy, and organizational theory and change; (b) advanced research methodology covering quantitative, qualitative, and critical methods, action research, field research, and program evaluation; and (c) minor concentrations that are designed individually, drawing from Human and Organizational Development Department courses (in community organizing and development, community health, human development and prevention science) and from other departments and specializations within Peabody College (e.g., quantitative methods, urban education) and throughout the university (e.g., anthropology, divinity, gender and sexuality studies, global health, political science, sociology). Planning is done with the major professor and approved by the student’s committee. Students receive practical training and experience in teaching, grant-writing and applied research, and program or policy work in collaboration with nonacademic partners. In addition to the required courses listed below, students must complete a grant or graduate fellowship proposal and appropriate field experience.

All entering doctoral students receive financial support covering tuition, a stipend, and health insurance for up to five years, depending on their degree level (Bachelor's or Master's) when starting doctoral studies.

Program Facts

Director of Graduate Studies: Brian Christens Admissions Coordinator: Tonya Beaird Brown Admission Term: Fall Credit Hours: 72 Application Deadline: December 1

Program Curriculum

The program is 72 credit hours structured into the following sections:

• Core (15+ semester hrs)
• Methods (15+ semester hrs)
• Advanced Content/Minor(s)/Specialization Areas/Electives (30+/- semester hrs)
• Individual Projects: M.S. thesis, Internship, Dissertation (12+/- semester hrs)

The core curriculum covers the theoretical and empirical bases of community research and action. Required research methods courses include both qualitative and quantitative approaches and emphasize an applied, field research orientation, including program evaluation, policy analysis, needs assessment, quasi-experimental, as well as more phenomenological designs. As ecological theory deserves commensurate methodology, multiple methods (e.g., survey, systematic and participant observation, existing records, social indicators, ethnography, and content analysis) and multiple levels of analysis (e.g., individual, family/group, organization/community, policy jurisdiction) are encouraged.

The program's interdisciplinary aims are reflected in the core curriculum, the required qualitative and quantitative methods courses, and the list of electives and possible minors. Minors are possible in virtually any field related to Community Research and Action, including (but not limited to) quantitative psychology, leadership and organizations, sociology, political science, religion, and economic development.

Basic Requirements

Out of the 72 required credit hours, a minimum of 42 semester hours in formal didactic coursework is required. The remaining credit hours may be met with electives and/or research and field hours. Specifics are determined by students in consultation with their advisor and program of studies committee. In addition, each student must pass all required core and methods courses, write a master's thesis by the fifth semester (or have a previously completed thesis approved), write a fundable-quality grant proposal, complete a fieldwork requirement, write and defend a major area paper (which serves as the qualifying exam for doctoral candidacy) and propose, complete, and defend a doctoral dissertation. The grant proposal will generally be focused on the dissertation topic and may elect to be submitted to one or more funding agencies to support the dissertation research.

Ph.D. Student Handbook

A copy of the handbook for doctoral students can be found here .

Cohorts and Graduate Placements

Photos of past CRA cohorts can be viewed here .

A list of program graduate placements is available here .

Newbrough Graduate Award

Each year the Department of Human and Organizational Development acknowledges the year's best scholarly work by a graduate student with the Newbrough Graduate Award. For more information on the award, click here .

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Affiliated Faculty

Brooke Ackerly , Professor of Philosophy in Political Science. Her research interests include democratic theory, feminist methodologies, human rights, social and environmental justice. She integrates into her theoretical work empirical research on activism.

Joe Bandy , Assistant Director of the Center for Teaching and affiliated faculty in the Department of Sociology at Vanderbilt University. He  oversees programs dedicated to public scholarship and community engagement in the academy, particularly junior faculty development, service learning and community engagement, sustainability education, and issues of difference and power in teaching. Joe also specializes in the sociology of development, globalization, and U.S. class relations and labor, as well as environmental problems and movements.

Ted Fischer , Professor of Anthropology and Director of the  Center for Latin American Studies at Vanderbilt University  . He is also the founder of  Maní+ . His research combines cultural anthropology and political economy with a geographical focus on highland Guatemala and Germany. His ongoing fieldwork is centered in the Kaqchikel town of Tecpán, and he has also worked extensively with the leaders of Guatemala's pan-Maya movement. His most recent research looked at consumer behavior, labor relations, and moral models in Germany.

Gina Frieden , Assistant Professor of the Practice, Department of Human & Organizational Development. Her teaching and research interests are in adult development, life transitions and counselor training.

Mark Lipsey , Research Professor, Department of Human & Organizational Development. His professional interests are in public policy, program evaluation research, social intervention, field research methodology, and research synthesis (meta-analysis). His recent research interests have been in the areas of risk and intervention for juvenile delinquency and substance use, early childhood education programs, and issues of methodological quality in program evaluation research.

Richard Lloyd , Associate Professor of Sociology. His teaching and research interests are in urban sociology, sociology of culture, social theory, sociology of art, work and occupations, social change, and political sociology.

Holly McCammon , Professor of Sociology. Her teaching and research interests are in social movements, women's legal rights, historical sociology, and political sociology.

Melissa Snarr , Associate Professor of Ethics and Society, Graduate Department of Religion, Divinity School. Her interests are intersection of religion, social change and social-political ethics.

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PhD Programs

• Accounting & Management
• Business Economics
• Health Policy (Management)
• Organizational Behavior
• Technology & Operations Management

Students in our PhD programs are encouraged from day one to think of this experience as their first job in business academia—a training ground for a challenging and rewarding career generating rigorous, relevant research that influences practice.

Our doctoral students work with faculty and access resources throughout HBS and Harvard University. The PhD program curriculum requires coursework at HBS and other Harvard discipline departments, and with HBS and Harvard faculty on advisory committees. Faculty throughout Harvard guide the programs through their participation on advisory committees.

How do I know which program is right for me?

There are many paths, but we are one HBS. Our PhD students draw on diverse personal and professional backgrounds to pursue an ever-expanding range of research topics. Explore more here about each program’s requirements & curriculum, read student profiles for each discipline as well as student research , and placement information.

The PhD in Business Administration grounds students in the disciplinary theories and research methods that form the foundation of an academic career. Jointly administered by HBS and GSAS, the program has five areas of study: Accounting and Management , Management , Marketing , Strategy , and Technology and Operations Management . All areas of study involve roughly two years of coursework culminating in a field exam. The remaining years of the program are spent conducting independent research, working on co-authored publications, and writing the dissertation. Students join these programs from a wide range of backgrounds, from consulting to engineering. Many applicants possess liberal arts degrees, as there is not a requirement to possess a business degree before joining the program

The PhD in Business Economics provides students the opportunity to study in both Harvard’s world-class Economics Department and Harvard Business School. Throughout the program, coursework includes exploration of microeconomic theory, macroeconomic theory, probability and statistics, and econometrics. While some students join the Business Economics program directly from undergraduate or masters programs, others have worked in economic consulting firms or as research assistants at universities or intergovernmental organizations.

The PhD program in Health Policy (Management) is rooted in data-driven research on the managerial, operational, and strategic issues facing a wide range of organizations. Coursework includes the study of microeconomic theory, management, research methods, and statistics. The backgrounds of students in this program are quite varied, with some coming from public health or the healthcare industry, while others arrive at the program with a background in disciplinary research

The PhD program in Organizational Behavior offers two tracks: either a micro or macro approach. In the micro track, students focus on the study of interpersonal relationships within organizations and the effects that groups have on individuals. Students in the macro track use sociological methods to examine organizations, groups, and markets as a whole, including topics such as the influence of individuals on organizational change, or the relationship between social missions and financial objectives. Jointly administered by HBS and GSAS, the program includes core disciplinary training in sociology or psychology, as well as additional coursework in organizational behavior.

Accounting & Management  

Business economics  , health policy (management)  , management  , marketing  , organizational behavior  , strategy  , technology & operations management  .

Community Resources and Development, PhD

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Management, Philanthropy, Recreation, Tourism, government, nonprofit, sociology, sustainability

Do you daydream about building vibrant communities, educating the next generation of community developers and advancing as an industry leader? You can gain a full spectrum of knowledge to help you attain your aspirations in a doctoral degree program that offers the perfect mix of theory, research and field work.

The PhD in community resources and development is a research-intensive doctoral degree program grounded in theory and designed to prepare graduates for research-oriented careers in many areas. The program is based on the concept of building sustainable and healthy communities as the unifying principle in the established focus areas of community studies; nonprofit leadership and management; parks, recreation and leisure; and tourism development and management.

The theoretical and methodological approaches embedded in this program serve to integrate scholarship in these areas so students can gain a more meaningful understanding of the impact on community life and dynamics.

The program is transdisciplinary in nature. The core faculty engaged in this program are housed in the School of Community Resources and Development. In addition, the program builds on current collaborations with faculty with related research interests from many ASU departments, schools and centers.

• College/school: Watts College of Public Service & Community Solut
• Location: Downtown Phoenix

84 credit hours, a written comprehensive exam, an oral comprehensive exam, a prospectus and a dissertation

Required Core (24 credit hours) CRD 502 Statistical and Data Analysis (3) CRD 555 Theoretical Perspectives in Community Development (3) CRD 610 Sustainable Communities (3) CRD 620 Community Research Methods (3) CRD 640 Research Seminar in Community Resources and Development I (3) CRD 650 Research Seminar II (3) CRD 683 Fieldwork (3) advanced statistics or methods (3)

Electives or Research (48 credit hours)

Culminating Experience (12 credit hours) CRD 799 Dissertation (12)

Additional Curricular Information When approved by the student's supervisory committee and the Graduate College, this program allows 30 credit hours from a previously awarded master's degree to be used for this degree.

All students are advised as a cohort initially by the doctoral program director. Students are required to take 24 credit hours of core coursework, 15 hours of which are with the cohort during the first year and six hours of which are with the cohort during the second year. Students are assigned an individual advisor or mentor at the end of the first year of study. A supervisory committee is also formed at the end of the first year which reflects the interests of the student and faculty.

Each student develops a plan of study in consultation with the doctoral program coordinator, advisor and supervisory committee. Students complete elective coursework, including courses from contributing disciplines, selected in consultation with their advisor to foster the transdisciplinary nature of the degree program. Students also complete at least six credit hours of CRD 792 Research and 12 credit hours of CRD 799 Dissertation. When the majority of coursework has been completed and before dissertation research is started, students must complete a written examination followed by an oral examination. These examinations must be completed within five years of admission.

Applicants must fulfill the requirements of both the Graduate College and the Watts College of Public Service and Community Solutions.

Applicants are eligible to apply to the program if they have earned a master's degree in any field from a regionally accredited institution.

Applicants must have a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.00 (scale is 4.00 = "A") in the last 60 hours of their first bachelor's degree program, or they must have a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.00 (scale is 4.00 = "A") in an applicable master's degree program.

All applicants must submit:

• graduate admission application and application fee
• official transcripts
• current and professional resume
• statement of academic and professional goals
• GRE test scores
• three letters of recommendation
• proof of English proficiency

Additional Application Information An applicant whose native language is not English must provide proof of English proficiency regardless of their current residency.

International applicants are also required to submit TOEFL or IELTS scores and a financial guarantee statement. The minimum TOEFL iBT requirement is 80. The minimum IELTS requirement is an overall band score of 6.5 (no individual band below a 6.0). The TOEFL or IELTS must have been taken within the last two years.

GRE must be taken within the past five years. Applicants are expected to meet the GRE minimum requirements of combined score of at least 300, verbal minimum of 146, quantitative minimum of 140 and writing of 3.5. ASU does not accept the GRE® General Test at home edition.

The statement of academic and professional goals should be in sufficient detail to indicate compatibility with the educational objectives and capabilities of the doctoral program (approximately three pages, single spaced). Applicants need to explain their research interests and indicate the faculty member with whom they would like to work. Students should review faculty profiles to learn their research expertise. Applicants are encouraged to contact the PhD program director prior to application submission to discuss interests and fit with the program and faculty. They are also encouraged to contact faculty with similar interests to discuss their fit with the program. Successful statements should make it clear why the applicants have chosen to do a doctorate in community resources and development and how this program will fulfill their career goals.

The recommendation letters may be a mix of academic and professional references, but each must address the applicant's capacity to successfully complete the doctoral program.

Students applying to the program are expected to have a master's degree from an accredited institution, which included a master's degree-level research methods and statistics class or classes. If deficiencies exist in community resource and development-related coursework at the master's degree level, appropriate classes are suggested.

The doctorate in community resources and development is designed as a full-time, research-intensive program. Students are admitted once a year as a cohort and are generally expected to complete the degree in three to four years. A small number of part-time students on a longer completion time frame may be admitted when space is available. The school does not provide funding for part-time students.

Applications are reviewed by the admission committee and recommendations for admission are then made by the graduate program director to the dean of the Graduate College.

Program learning outcomes identify what a student will learn or be able to do upon completion of their program. This program has the following program outcomes:

• Conduct research that contributes to community development with regard to parks, recreation, tourism, nonprofit management and community studies.
• Develop proficiency in integrating knowledge in their primary area of study related to community resources and development.
• Execute a comprehensive and original research project, resulting in a high-quality dissertation that demonstrates their ability to contribute significantly to their own fields such as tourism, parks and recreation, sustainable communities, or nonprofit organizations and NGOs.

Graduates are prepared for research-oriented careers in higher education, governmental agencies, nonprofit organizations and private-sector businesses. Career opportunities include university professor, think tank researcher, independent scholar, consultant, foundation officer, government officer and corporate social responsibility officer.

School of Community Resources and Development | UCENT 550 [email protected] 602-496-0550

Doctorate in Human Development and Social Policy

• Graduate & Professional
• Human Development and Social Policy
• PhD in Human Development & Social Policy

About the Program

The Human Development and Social Policy (HDSP) doctoral program is grounded in the study of relations between public policy and human development. Faculty and students conduct research on how public policy affects human development and well-being, how research on human development across the life span informs policy, and how people affect policy.

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Core Themes

Positive trajectories and transitions.

• Study of human development and intergenerational issues spanning across children, adolescents, and adults  
• Promote positive developmental trajectories and transitions across the life span.

Inequality Reduction

• Understand and reduce economic, education and health inequalities.
• Recognize and interrogate existing systems of inequality and its impact on communities through our roles and research.

Social Policy Implementation

• Examine how policies are developed, how they change incentives and infrastructures, and how they interact with contextual factors to influence behavior.
• Evaluate how people affect policy through public opinion, civic engagement, political participation, policy implementation and research.

Multidisciplinary Research

• Answer big questions by drawing from multiple disciplines: anthropology, economics, political science, psychology, sociology, and more.
• Employ multiple research methods, combining various quantitative and qualitative approaches to create cutting-edge social science research designs.

Curriculum Overview

Course work in the Human Development and Social Policy (HDSP) doctoral program includes a core curriculum and electives.

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Our Students

HDSP students are prepared through course work, participation in a vibrant community of scholars and active engagement in faculty research to conduct multidisciplinary research that combines cutting-edge empirical research methodologies.

“ Having experience collaborating and communicating across the different traditional disciplines represented within HDSP was also incredibly valuable as I searched for policy jobs after grad school.”

Human Development and Social Policy at Northwestern

Explore the breadth of academic courses offered in the curriculum.

Contact Human Development and Social Policy

Phone Number: 847-491-4329 

Email: [email protected]

Physical Address: Walter Annenberg Hall 2120 Campus Drive Evanston, IL 60208

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PhD Programme in Peace and Development Research

The PhD Programme in Peace and Development Research aims to develop knowledge and skills that enable independent and professional research, and to contribute to the research field through a doctoral dissertation.

The PhD programme

Peace and Development Research at the University of Gothenburg is a leading site of interdisciplinary enquiry. The research environment consists of ca 50 researchers using a broad range of approaches to investigate various themes in peace and development in different regions of the world. These themes include but are not limited to, conflicts, security, gender, human rights, global political economy, migration, regional and global governance, and resistance.

The PhD programme comprises 240 credits in total. Of the total credits, the dissertation comprises 180 credits, and the course work comprises 60 credits. Doctoral studies in Peace and Development Research often involve fieldwork outside Sweden. 

The PhD programme is governed by the Higher Education Ordinance, The University’s and the Faculty’s rules and regulations for third-cycle studies, and the General Syllabus.

More extensive information about the PhD programme can be found in the General Syllabus.

Specific entry requirements 

In order to be eligible for the PhD Programme in Peace and Development Research, you must, in addition to general entry requirements, fulfill the specific entry requirements.

You must have completed a degree at second cycle level within the area of international relations, peace and conflict studies or global development studies, or the equivalent degree/knowledge obtained within or outside Sweden.

Doctoral employment

If you are accepted for doctoral education, you will be employed as doctoral students at the department. As a doctoral student, your employment typically lasts four years. Up to 20 percent of the doctoral studies can consist of departmental service, and the doctoral position is then extended by the corresponding time. This means that the total period of employment will be a maximum of five years. Exceptions apply to sick leave, parental leave and union trust assignments.

Salaries for doctoral students are made according to local agreements at the University of Gothenburg and are negotiated by trade union representatives.

Doctoral positions are funded through faculty grants, external research grants or funding from other employers. When financing from another employer, a special agreement is required, that regulates the relationship between the University of Gothenburg/the department, the doctoral student and the employer. The type of financing that is relevant for the position always appears in the position announcement. Please note that student loans or private means are not accepted.

Doctoral students at the University of Gothenburg are government employees and are thus covered by a number of benefits and insurance.

Supervision

Supervisors are assigned in consultation between the doctoral student, and the Director of PhD Studies. Each doctoral student is assigned a main supervisor and an assistant supervisor. Prospective doctoral students do not need to obtain supervisors before applying for a PhD programme.

The dissertation

The dissertation can be written in the form of a compilation, which means several articles and/or papers preceded by an introductory chapter so-called Kappa, or as a monograph, i.e. a coherent book.

Doctoral students are expected to present their work at a number of occasions during the PhD programme. At the beginning of the second year at the programme, the doctoral student presents a detailed project proposal, the dissertation PM, for the entire department, and receives questions and feedback from commentators. When approximately half of the programme is completed, the doctoral student presents parts of the dissertation at a so-called mid-term seminar.

When about six months remain to work on a dissertation, the doctoral student presents the entire dissertation script on a mock dissertation, and receives comments from an external opponent and an third reader.

Finally, the doctoral student defends their dissertation in a public defense, where the student discusses the dissertation with an opponent, and a grading committee decides whether the dissertation is approved.

Future careers

A doctorate in Peace and Development Research can lead to a research career within or outside the academia, to teaching at various levels within the university, or to work in development aid, community analysis, or foreign policy within civil society organizations, government agencies, supranational organisations or private companies.

Programme courses

The first two years of your doctoral studies comprise a number of mandatory and elective courses on third cycle level.

More information, rules and laws

• Doctoral Studies at the University of Gothenburg
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• The Swedish Higher Education Act

Human Development and Education

Contact Information

Connect with program staff.

If you have program-specific questions, please contact HDE Assistant Director Mandy Farhoodi-Moberger .

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If you have admissions-related questions, please email [email protected] .

Admissions Information

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Connect pioneering research with practice and policy in human development at every stage — helping you support the unique needs of all learners.

The Human Development and Education (HDE) Program prepares you to support the unique needs and growth of all learners — whether you are interested in exploring a direct service role, starting a nonprofit organization, engaging in clinical or counseling work, or pursuing doctoral research. By linking theories and pioneering research with practice and policy about child, adolescent, and adult development, you will have opportunities to examine different developmental domains — including cognitive, emotional, social, moral, and neurological — as well as design strategies and interventions to promote healthy development. HDE offers a School Counseling Licensure Pathway for students interested in pursuing Massachusetts licensure in school counseling. 

"We know much about the science of human development, but we are just beginning to figure out how to communicate and enact it to actually better the world. Our program helps our students gain a deeper understanding of learning and growth across diverse contexts, as they explore their professional roles in supporting human development for children, families, and communities." Junlei Li Faculty Co-Chair

After completing the HDE Program, you will have a deeper understanding of the following competencies that explore how:

• Learning and development are lifelong processes, with a predictable sequence at the population level and significant variation at the individual level  
• Learning and development are active and interactive, driven by maturity and experience levels  
• Ecological factors — including families, teachers, schools, communities, neighborhoods, and culture — influence learning and development  
• Evaluation of evidence and research from human developmental science can inform effective change strategies to lead, design, and implement intervention, prevention, and support efforts  
• Engagement in continuous learning can emerge from reflective practice, community involvement, and evaluation of intervention, prevention, and support efforts    

Curriculum Information

The HDE Program is designed to help you gain the knowledge and skills essential to promoting healthy development for all learners. A minimum of 42 credits are required to graduate with an Ed.M. degree from HGSE.

The main elements of the 2024–25 academic year are: 

• This program commences with How People Learn, an immersive online course that runs June–July and requires a time commitment of 12-15 hours per week.
• You will continue Foundations with Leading Change, Evidence, and Equity and Opportunity on campus in August. 
• Your Equity and Opportunity Foundations experience culminates in an elected course, which will take place during terms when electives are available.

To fulfill the program requirement, students must take a minimum of 12 credits specific to HDE, including the following:

• The HDE Program Core Experience (4 credits), is a combination of required coursework, program-wide events, and small group experiences. It is designed to help you develop the capacity to bridge research and practice across human development contexts. Whether your professional trajectory leads you to focus on children, families, communities, or organizations, there are "through lines" (ways of thinking and connecting) from the field of human development that can expand our vision and understanding. For example, understanding individual development within the larger ecological contexts or recognizing human relationships as the driver for many different developmental outcomes. The program experience provides opportunities to discuss and reflect on your insights and professional goals with peers and the teaching team.
• Research methods and applied professional skills courses (4 credits), you will choose from a list of qualitative, quantitative, and skills-based courses. Course subject matter may include statistics and data science in education and organizations, participatory action research for educational justice, and ethnographic methods. 
• Human development, age/context/domain-specific courses (4 credits), tailor your coursework to your chosen career pathway by selecting from a rich and diverse set of courses that deepen your knowledge in a specific age category, context, or domain. Course subject matter may include early childhood development, developmental psychology, preventative and developmental group counseling, college student development, or language and literacy development. 
• The remaining credits are taken via  elective coursework , which includes the opportunity to specialize in a  Concentration . 

Explore our  course catalog . Note, a ll information and courses are subject to change.

School Counseling Strand

Students can get licensed as a school counselor by taking two years of sequenced coursework and fieldwork through our School Counseling Licensure Pathway . Year one consists of pursuing an Ed.M. in the HDE Program and our School Counseling Strand. The School Counseling Strand begins the pathway to Massachusetts licensure in school counseling and prepares K–12 school-based counselors-in-training with the skills necessary to promote positive, healthy academic and social emotional development with an emphasis on prevention and social justice.

Year two consists of our Certificate of Advanced Study in Counseling program, which allows students to pursue Massachusetts initial licensure as a school counselor or school adjustment counselor. Through this curricular sequence and field-based placement, graduates will be prepared to enter K–12 schools as counselors, leaders, and advocates.

Program Faculty

Students will work closely with faculty associated with their area of study, but students can also work with and take courses with faculty throughout HGSE and Harvard.  View our faculty directory for a full list of HGSE faculty.

Faculty Co-Chairs

Junlei Li's research and practice focuses on understanding and empowering human relationships across developmental contexts.

Meredith L. Rowe

Meredith Rowe's research focuses on young children's literacy and vocabulary development, particularly as it is influenced by communication between children and their caregivers.

Gretchen Brion-Meisels

Elizabeth Bonawitz

Hadas Eidelman

Catherine Elgin

Nadine Gaab

Paul L. Harris

Nancy E. Hill

Stephanie M. Jones

James S. Kim

Josephine M. Kim

Nonie K. Lesaux

Huan-Tang Lu

Pamela A. Mason

Dana Charles McCoy

Joseph McIntyre

Luke W. Miratrix

Charles Nelson, III

Gabrielle Oliveira

Ola Ozernov-Palchik

Alexis Redding

Mandy Savitz-Romer

Jack P. Shonkoff, M.D.

Catherine Snow

Carola Suarez-Orozco

Paola Uccelli

Adriana Janette Umana-Taylor

Richard Weissbourd

Jacqueline Zeller

Career Pathways

The HDE Program prepares you for a variety of career pathways, including: 

• School counselor (K–12)   
• Curricula developer
• College or university administrator   
• Afterschool program, camp, or youth organization director  
• Researcher (university centers, nonprofit/for-profit think tank)  
• Local, state, or federal government program administrator  
• Field-staff or program manager at domestic or international non-governmental organizations (NGOs) 
• Consultant, trainer, facilitator, technical assistance provider 

Cohort & Community

You will join an extraordinary cohort of students representing a rich diversity of personal and professional backgrounds. As an HDE student, you will engage in events and professional development opportunities that build community — including discussions about career pathways, conversations with faculty members about their research interests, and other community events. You will find that your cohort members exhibit energy, curiosity, and compassion, as well as a common commitment to understanding the deepest puzzles of development and addressing the greatest practical challenges. This community results in an exhilarating learning environment that forms the basis for lifelong friendships and long-term professional networks.

Introduce Yourself

Tell us about yourself so that we can tailor our communication to best fit your interests and provide you with relevant information about our programs, events, and other opportunities to connect with us.

Program Highlights

Explore examples of the Human Development and Education experience and the impact its community is making on the field:

Collegiate Recovery

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Can School Counselors Help Students with "FAFSA Fiasco"?

Support for low-income prospective college students and their families more crucial than ever during troubled federal financial aid rollout   

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PhD in Applied Developmental Psychology

The PhD in Applied Developmental Psychology (ADP) trains students to become world-class research scientists studying human development.

Our ADP faculty and students engage in applied research using a variety of methods and approaches, including in-depth observation, longitudinal modeling, and experimental designs.  ​

This 90-credit program can be completed in approximately five years. Students have the opportunity to learn and grow as researchers through the close mentoring relationships developed with our faculty.

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Program Facts

Degree Type

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Time Commitment

5 years on average

Enrollment Term

Admissions Deadline

Admissions Requirements

No GRE Exam is required

Program Overview

Our PhD program in Applied Developmental Psychology prepares you for research careers answering meaningful practice and policy questions relevant to improving the lives of children, youth, and families.

You will study the following subjects in depth:

• The influence of individual, interpersonal, and contextual factors on learning and well-being outcomes for children and youth in school and out-of-school settings
• How human development and context interact to generate dynamic patterns of child and youth behavior
• The effectiveness of interventions to promote learning and wellbeing outcomes for children and youth

Students complete coursework in a diverse set of topics to learn academic writing skills, real-world applied research design, data analytic tools that match the complexities of the context under study, and authentic assessment strategies.

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Degree Requirements

The degree requirements can be found in our PhD in Applied Developmental Psychology Handbook (PDF)

Prerequisites

There are no specific prerequisite requirements. However, prior research and/or professional experience working with children and families in community or school settings is preferred.

Our most successful students have a few post-baccalaureate years of child- and youth-serving work experience to develop first-hand knowledge of child development in context.

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Upcoming Info Sessions

General Info Session (Virtual)

May 13, 2024 | Noon-1 PM

June 3, 2024 | Noon-1 PM

"I attended Pitt for all of my education. As a doctoral student, I've enjoyed instructing classes and conducting research both independently and collaboratively." Ashley Shafer - Pitt Alumni

Career Pathways

Our graduates go on to have successful research careers in a variety of settings including institutions of higher education and research centers.

Program Faculty

Program Coordinator

Brian Galla

Heather Bachman

Kevin Crowley

Shannon Wanless

Program News

PhD Student Meghan Orman Connects Ecology to Psychology in Iceland

PhD Student Meghan Orman Connects Ecology to Psychology in Iceland - Read more

Shannon Wanless to Lead AERA Special Interest Group

Shannon Wanless to Lead AERA Special Interest Group - Read more

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Research and Research Impacts Resources for PhD Students

Research in your discipline is an important skill you will develop throughout your program. The professional development skills in research that you gain in your degree program will be unique to your discipline. You will cultivate discipline-specific research skills through completing courses, degree requirements, research roles, and through more applied experiences like internships or field rotations.

Graduate students typically take research methods classes as part of their degree program at UB and have research requirements like producing a master's thesis, project or doctoral dissertation.

But, there are multiple skills to learn, disciplinary research and research skills beyond your discipline. How can you gain research skills or build upon your current skills?

Write a fellowship.

Write a grant.

Grant writing skills are critical to completing and disseminating your research and a mark of success in academic and professional careers. To gain these important skills, students can assist faculty with grant proposals, attend a grant writing workshop hosted by the Graduate School or submit a grant on their behalf.

Graduate Professional Development offers  grant writing workshops  for graduate students in STEM disciplines and Social Sciences/Humanities. Workshops are offered online and live twice yearly and recorded for additional access.

Complete training in responsible conduct of research.

All students admitted to a PhD program for the fall 2009 semester or thereafter are required to document successful completion of Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR) training when they submit their PhD Application to Candidacy form for their PhD degree. This training requirement may be fulfilled by either (1.) Enrolling in and passing with a grade of B (3.00) or better LAI 648 Research Ethics or RPG 504 Responsible Conduct of Research or BMS 514 Intro to Scientific Investigation and Responsible Conduct or RSC 602 Research Ethics for the Health Sciences or (2.) Completing a Collaborative Institutional Training Initiative (CITI) online Responsible Conduct of Research course with an average score of 80 percent or higher, or (3.) Successfully completing UB's Responsible Research micro-credential . Students opting to complete the CITI online course or the Responsible Research micro-credential must supply proof of completion with their PhD Application to Candidacy.

Serve as a Research Assistant (RA).

Faculty with research grants or contracts hire graduate students as research assistants (RA). The RA assignment and funding are tied to the faculty member's work. Discuss research assistantships with your faculty mentor or director of graduate studies. 

Present your research.

Any time you present your research you improve your communication skills. Present in your research group, at department talks, and to groups outside of your discipline. Each type of research talk is valuable to your professional development.

Every year in April the University at Buffalo hosts a campus-wide student showcase of research as part of the  Celebration of Academic Excellence . Departments nominate graduate students to present their research posters for the showcase. Attend the showcase to learn about the research happening across the university and apply to present your research.

Attend research talks in and out of your department.

Take advantage of all the public research talks in and out of your department. Even if the research is not something you're familiar with, you can learn about the wider research in your discipline and pick up communication tips. Asking questions of experts and getting to network with the speaker and attendees is also important for professional development.

Think about how your research fits into diverse career paths.

Your research does not necessarily lead you into one specific career path. Take time to explore how your research interests and skills can be applied to multiple career paths, both inside and outside of academia. Online Individual Development Plans (IDPs) and platforms, such as MyIDP for STEM disciplines and ImaginePhD for humanities and social sciences, give you a way to assess your skills and see how they match to opportunities. UB also subscribes to Beyond the Professoriate , which helps graduate students and postdoctoral fellows understand and articulate how their research skills match with career and job opportunities.

Through UB's Social Impact Fellows program , MBA and MSW students from the School of Management and School of Social Work, along with graduate students from the College of Arts and Sciences create social innovation in Western New York. Together, students collaborate, address pressing issues and make an impact.

Fellowships and scholarships are among the most valuable forms of aid you can receive during your college career and are designed to support students who have exceptional academic records and potential. Meet with the Office of Fellowships and Scholarships to discuss scholarship opportunities. 

University Libraries offer an outstanding array of information resources, technologies, services and people to support the academic and creative achievements of our students.

Other Research Training Opportunities

• Research Bootcamp—Biostatistics, Epidemiology, Research Design (BERD)
• SUNY Office of Research, Innovation and Economic Development
• Build Your Research Community is a free course consisting of five modules offered by the Science Communication Lab. This course guides science trainees through identifying mentors and building and maintaining strong mentoring relationships.
• The University Libraries offer research support. They have compiled Research Guides by discipline, Research Tips on locating materials, and Workshops to assist students, including Endnote, Microsoft Excel, database searching and more.

External Resources

• Google Scholar Profiles  is a way to showcase your academic publications. If your profile is public, you will appear here when people search for your name.
• Research Gate  is a free platform that connects science and research communities. Connect with experts in your field.
• Research Rabbit  is an innovative citation-based literature mapping tool available online.
• Connected Papers  is a tool to help researchers and applied scientists find and explore papers relevant to their field of work in a visual way.

Stay Informed

The graduate brief.

Every Wednesday during the semester, the Graduate School emails the "Graduate Brief" to all graduate and professional students, which is a weekly selection of news and happenings within the Graduate School and its partnering offices. If you would like to be added to the mailing list, please contact [email protected] .

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Doctor of Philosophy in Leadership & Human Resource Development

The Leadership & Human Resource Development (LHRD) doctoral program offers a research-oriented, broad-based program of study that can be modified to fit student interests. The program is strongly grounded in leadership, human resource and organization development, and change management theory. The curriculum is focused on foundational and advanced theory and evidence-based practice to ensure relevance in today's challenging organizational environments.

Because human resource, organization and leadership development are applied fields, the goal of the PhD program is to develop highly skilled and innovative researchers and scholar-practitioners. This effectively prepares students for a wide range of careers ranging from academicians at leading educational institutions, professional consultants, human resource and organization development leaders, and other careers in which advanced research, analytical, and organization change capabilities are required. Recent alumni are employed as tenured or tenure-track faculty, organizational change agents, workforce development consultants, and human resource development/training and development directors.

Table of Contents

About the program

expectations

admission criteria

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION & Resources

Apply to the Program

About the LHRD PhD Program

Faculty teaching in the LHRD program have wide and varied research interests including topics such as organizational leadership, multilevel analysis and social network modeling of person-environment interactions in organizations; responses to large-scale organizational change; workforce aging; change reactions to workplace disasters; training effectiveness and learning transfer in the workplace; talent development systems; program monitoring and evaluation; organizational culture and workplace learning; knowledge sharing; instructional technology; colorism and diversity in organizations; and social justice in education across institutional types.

Doctoral training involves close collaboration with faculty members on shared research interests, coursework in human resource development, organization development and change, emotion in organizations, leadership and leadership development, and independent research activities. Students are encouraged to co-design their program of study in consultation with a faculty mentor in ways that are personally meaningful and which optimize student goals. For the dissertation, students collaborate with a faculty mentor to co-design a study that is often groundbreaking and which advances knowledge and science in a particular area of interest.

Partial List of Doctoral Graduate Dissertations

• Self-direction in adult learning: Effect of locus of control and program design on learner motivation and training utility.
• Toward construct validation of the Louisiana School Analysis Model Instructional Staff Questionnaire.
• Construct validation of an Arabic version of the Learning Transfer Systems Inventory for use in Jordan.
• Contributors to an enterprising sex: Examining the influence of creativity on entrepreneurial intentions and the moderating role of political skill controlling for gender.
• Dispositional influences on the intent to transfer learning: A test of a structural equation model.
• Workforce implications for hurricane affected Gulf Coast region industrial companies.
• A test of andragogy in a post-secondary educational setting.
• A theory of effective computer-based instruction for adults.
• Cross-cultural construct validation of the Learning Transfer System Inventory in Taiwan.
• The effectiveness of managerial leadership development programs: A meta-analysis of studies.
• Cognitive complexity, transformational leadership, and organizational outcomes.
• The early identification of business leaders: The development and validation of a leadership potential instrument.

Expectations and Outcomes

In SLHRD, the Ph.D. is a research-based degree. We expect that you will join us with a general sense of one or two big questions that you will want to empirically study. (These should be described in your Personal Statement). It’s very common for students in Ph.D. programs to change the questions they want to explore, but the earlier you have a sense of your focus area, the more you can tailor your experience in SLHRD to ultimately completing your dissertation.

The faculty in SLHRD will help you establish the skills to answer these questions with credible evidence as you develop a deep understanding of Leadership and Human Resource Development. Ninety (90) credit hours beyond the baccalaureate degree are required. Coursework within the degree will be divided into a research block, a leadership & human resource development core, and one or more minors.

Basic Research Block

Consist of a minimum of 31 semester hours of course work including the dissertation. The exact makeup of this block will be determined by the student and his/her major professor and graduate committee.

The research block will contain coursework in qualitative and quantitative research design, statistical procedures, and interpretation of data.

LHRD Development Core

Consist of a minimum of 36 semester hours of coursework available within the School of Leadership and Human Resource Development. Following the guidelines of the School, the core will be composed of coursework selected to ensure a broad understanding of the field.

May be drawn from a discipline either within or outside of the school. Parameters relative to the minor will be consistent with LSU Graduate School regulations.

Final Coursework Requirements

Requirements will be determined by the student and his/her graduate advisory committee. The student will work with his/her chairperson to determine recommended coursework. Coursework to remove deficiencies may count as part of the student’s program.

Serious deficiencies may require work that, although necessary, will not be counted towards the degree requirement. All recommendations will be presented to the student’s advisory committee for final approval.

Ethical & Professional Standards

SLHRD  faculty expect our students to adhere to the highest ethical and professional standards, such as those set out by the Society for Human Resource Management ( review the SHRM Code of Ethics ), the Association for Talent Development ( review the ATD Code of Ethics ) and the American Evaluation Association ( review AEA’s Guiding Principles ). These codes outline our expectations for professional conduct, ethical behavior, and quality work. 

Pre-Graduation Expectations

• Achieve a broad understanding of the scholarly literature cross-cutting human resource development, leadership, and organizational development.
• Develop and communicate logical and coherent scholarly arguments through the critique of theory, research, and practice.
• Synthesize ideas and integrate theory, research findings, and practice from past and current publications.
• Demonstrate graduate-level writing skills including the appropriate use of primary and secondary resources, scholarly language, and the logical flow and sequencing of ideas.
• Understand diverse cultural world views and epistemologies and the social justice implications of knowledge, theory and practice.
• Distinguish different research methods and demonstrate foundational knowledge of social science analytics and a depth of knowledge in one or more quantitative or qualitative methods consistent with the student's dissertation research.
• Indicate the strengths and weaknesses of various research strategies and be able to connect various research methods to different research objectives and questions.
• Connect the results of dissertation research to other relevant research and theory.
• Reflect on and develop applied practice skills in light of relevant theory and research.

view the lhrd phd curriculum worksheet

Admissions criteria.

We make every effort to review application materials as quickly as possible.  In order to do so, you will need to submit several pieces of information with your application.  Failure to submit ALL of the documents listed below in a timely fashion will slow the admission decision. 

Students are admitted to the FALL semester only.

Required Application Materials

• Resume or C.V. with a complete and accurate chronological outline of all previous college-level education and full-time professional work experience
• Three letters of recommendation
• Undergraduate transcripts
• Post-baccalaureate transcripts
• Graduate transcripts
• What do you want to study in our PhD program? We see leadership and human resource development as logically connected and mutually supportive areas of study and practice. Both fields have their origins in the social sciences (psychology, sociology), the humanities (ethics, philosophy), and professional and applied fields (organization development, education). Both are multidisciplinary academic fields and both are developmental insofar as they seek to create positive change in people, organizations, and communities. Within this broad sphere of research, theory, and practice where do your interests lie? Why does this make you a good match for our program?
• What are your research interests? Our PhD program offers a research-oriented degree in which the completion of a research-based dissertation is the capstone achievement. Describing your research interests will help our faculty gauge areas of overlap between your interests and theirs. Therefore, please provide a statement of your potential research interests. In doing so, try to situate your research interests within the larger fields of leadership and human resource development, articulate one or more broad questions you are interested in answering, and describe why the question or questions are important.
• How has your past academic or work experience prepared you for conducting scholarly research? Please describe experience you might have with conducting original research or assisting faculty with research projects. Describe any involvement you might have conducting literature reviews and/or writing scholarly papers for publication or conference presentations

Grade Point Average (GPA) Regular Admission Requirements

An applicant is eligible for regular admission if the applicant meets one of the following Grade Point Average (GPA) requirements:

• The applicant’s cumulative undergraduate GPA or last 60 credit hours from earned bachelor’s degree is at least 3.6.
• The applicant’s cumulative undergraduate GPA or last 60 credit hours from earned bachelor’s degree is between 3.4 to 3.59 and the applicant has earned a graduate GPA of 3.2 or higher in at least nine hours of graduate-level coursework.

Transfer Credit

With your Doctoral Advisor's approval, up to 12 Graduate credits may transfer with a maximum of 6 credits towards core courses and 6 credits towards electives .

Credit for Prior Learning (CPL)

Graduate students may submit requests and may be eligible for credit for prior learning (CPL) provided the equivalent non-credit experience or training was completed within the last five years.

Alternatively, students may also be eligible for CPL if they have remained up to date with their certification through Continuing Education Units (CEUs) that the specific certifying organization mandates.

Graduate Record Exam (GRE)

The Graduate Record Exam (GRE) is highly recommended, but not mandatory, for applicants

Deadlines & Dates

Application and supporting materials must be received by the following dates to be considered for admission into the program and/or funding opportunities: SLHRD Graduate Assistantship; Applied Research Consultant (externship).

January 15th  - Program Admission & Funding

March 15th  - Program Admission Only

NOTE: Meeting the minimum admission requirements does not ensure acceptance into the program. The compatibility of the applicant’s research interests with those of current faculty is considered when evaluating the applicant. Applicants will be notified of their admission after the March 15 deadline.  All applicants must adhere to the application procedures and deadlines established by the LSU Graduate School and the School of Leadership and Human Resource Development.

More Information & Apply

Are you ready to unlock your full potential and make a profound impact in the field of human resource development? If so, we invite you to consider applying to our esteemed Leadership & Human Resource Development Doctoral Program.

Our program is designed to empower and shape the next generation of  Changemakers  in this dynamic and ever-evolving field. By joining our community of dedicated scholars and practitioners, you will embark on a transformative journey that will propel your career to new heights.

Tyree Mitchell, Ph.D.

Associate Professor, Associate Director 225-578-7362 [email protected]

make an appointment

Melissa Turnage

Academic Program Manager 225-578-2710 [email protected]

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Video Modal

Doctor - R & D Research & Development

Distance degree programs for adults & professionals., bircham international university - adult degree programs online., doctor ph.d. degree - engineering & technology, r & d research & development via distance learning.

This Doctor Ph.D. Degree presents concepts, methodologies, and tools to strategically plan technology developments, to effectively manage core competencies, and to competently integrate these developments into existing or future products of the world economy. It also introduces the techniques used to stimulate and manage innovation in the workplace. Managing Research and Development (R&D) is largely the art of integrating the efforts of diverse, creative, intelligent, and independent individuals. The ideas displayed in this program are the condensed work of a multitude of experts who focused on ways to improve the productivity of R&D and foster excellence and innovation in organizations.

Academic Supervisor : Ahmad Khodaverdi Darian More information about this academic supervisor at Bircham University Human Network. More info...

The Doctor Ph.D. Degree online via distance learning offers students the highest level of specialization a discipline can offer. More info...

* 45 to 72 academic credits above a Master's program. * Average Duration: 24 months. * Program Structure: 70% textbooks + 30% Thesis. * Admission is open for adults over 27 years of age. * Master's degree or international equivalent (5 years of study) is required for admission.

Fees include all: Program of study, textbooks, study guide, evaluation and assessment, diploma, and transcript. Cost per BIU earned postgraduate credit: 130 Euros (170 US$) Cost per transferred credit from previous education and/or professional experience if required: 20 Euros (25 US$)

45 ... 72 Academic credits Tuition Fee :Min. 5.850 Euros (7.650 US$) ... Max. 9.360 Euros (12.240 US$).

"Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever. " Mahatma Gandhi.

Payment plans are available upon request up to 36 monthly installments. More info...

Faculty of Engineering & Technology via distance learning

• Doctor Ph.D. Degree

45 ... 72 Academic credits required for this distance learning degree program.

Composition:.

+ 42 Academic credits - R & D Research & Development Online + Other additional subjects + 18 Academic credits - Research methodology and final project or thesis.

+ 42 Academic credits: R & D Research & Development Online

BIU Earned Credits Credits earned through the completion of academic work at Bircham International University (Reports, Projects and Thesis).

1 BIU Earned Credit = 1 USA Semester Credit (15 hours of learning) = 2 ECTS Credits (30 hours of study). Courses list (each subject accounts for 3 academic credits): You may study any subject as an independent online continuing education course. More info...

Postgraduate level continuing education course. Previous knowledge in this field of study is required.

601R&D - Alternative Energies 602R&D - Energy Science 603R&D - Power Generation Technologies 604R&D - Software & Hardware Management 605R&D - Management Information Systems 606R&D - Systems Analysis & Design 607R&D - Process Improvement Management 608R&D - Engineering Systems Simulation 609R&D - Engineering Economics 610R&D - Software Systems Integration 611R&D - Project Engineering Management 612R&D - Innovation Management 613R&D - R&D Research & Development 614R&D - Process Technology More info...

Bibliography: R & D Research & Development via distance learning The corresponding textbooks are included in the fees. Once the fee has been paid, the books may take between two to five weeks to reach your address. Bircham International University offices may inform you at any time of the status of your books. If the book is in English, the required report must be written in English unless you have requested to write it in other language and have gained Bircham International University authorization. More info... Click here to access the recommended bibliography.

+ Additional courses may be selected from other modules in the Faculty of Engineering & Technology from Bircham International University if required. This selection must be approved by the Distance Learning University Education Board. For example: Project Engineering Management .

Research work resources and network - Doctor - R & D Research & Development:

AACTE - Asociación para el Avance de la Ciencia y la Tecnología en España ABEPRO - Associação Brasileira de Engenharia de Produção AEC - Asociación Española para la Calidad ALTEC - Asociación Latino-Iberoamericana de Gestión Tecnológica y de la Innovación AMCSTI - Réseau des Acteurs des Cultures Scientifique, Technique et Industrielle ANIPES - Associação Nacional das Instituições de Planejamento, Pesquisa e Estatística ASTC - Association of Science and Technology Centers ATA - Alternative Technology Association CYTED - Programa Iberoamericano de Ciencia y Tecnología para el Desarrollo EADI - European Association of Development Research and Training Institutes EASST - European Association of Science & Technology ESW - Engineers for a Sustainable World EURO - Association of European Operational Research Societies EUROSCIENCE - European Association for the Promotion of Science & Technology FECYT - Fundación Española para la Ciencia y la Tecnología FST - Foundation for Science and Technology IAMOT - International Association for Management of Technology IASTED - International Association of Science and Technology for Development IEEE TEMS - Technology and Engineering Management Society IESF - Ingénieurs et Scientifiques de France IFORS - International Federation of Operational Research Societies IRED - Institute of Research Engineers and Doctors NORDP - National Organization of Research Development Professionals PTRCA - Patent and Trademark Resource Center Association RADMA - Research and Development Management RDA - Research Development Association India RDS - Research & Development Society SBPC - Sociedade Brasileira para o Progresso da Ciência SEIO - Sociedad de Estadística e Investigación Operativa SJDM - Society for Judgment and Decision Making SOBRAPO - Sociedade Brasileira de Pesquisa Operacional More info...

Joining the proper association is the best way to become an updated professional. Bircham International University graduates may join many professional associations. Membership requirements for each association may vary depending on the degree program, specialization and graduate resume en each occasion. BIU can not guarantee membership in all instances. BIU does not intermediate in these procedures. Bircham International University provides a list of available memberships and professional references from each faculty where some BIU graduates may belong. Contact directly the ones you select. More info...

+ 18 Academic credits (Research methodology and final project or thesis. More info... ).

Admission requirements: Doctor - R & D Research & Development

Bircham International University distance learning degree admission requirements differ depending upon the Faculty and the major of study. There is no discrimination with respect to race, color, sex, beliefs and/or religion. A minimum of 30% of the total number of credits required by any adult degree program syllabus has to be transferred from previous education and/or validated from professional experience in order to gain admission. A maximum of 20% of the total number of credits required by the distance learning degree program can be transferred from professional and life experience. More info...

Click to Download... Application for Admission

Learning outcomes: Doctor - R & D Research & Development

The following learning outcomes are compatible with the European Qualifications Framework (EQF) for lifelong learning and continuing education. The EQF directives facilitate acceptance of this course credits by many higher education institution. These learning outcomes are achieved after completion of this course with a passing grade. Better grades will demonstrate higher analysis, evaluation and critical thinking skills. More info...

EQF LEVEL 6. Advanced knowledge and critical understanding. Outcome resulting from course content assessment and its applicability to problem solving. The student's ability to combine the different parts of the text and to form a new coherent and harmonic final report will determine the critical understanding of the subject and an advanced knowledge of R & D Research & Development. The student written report style, content, and structure play an important role in the assessment and applicability of the knowledge about R & D Research & Development to different Engineering & Technology decision making scenarios and problem-solving. More info...

EQF LEVEL 7. Advanced knowledge and critical thinking. Outcome resulting from written critical thinking and its applicability to problem solving. The student will contrast and evaluate the learned material with his/her own knowledge and experience to express an opinion about R & D Research & Development, to consider the practical application of the key concepts, and to argue the conclusions along the written report. Personal judgments and opinion should be based on sound criteria and must be clearly discussed. More info...

BIU adapts each Distance Learning Higher Education degree program to the needs of each student. More info...

R & D Research & Development Online

Recognition - Distance degree programs - More info... Accreditation - Distance Learning University - More info... Degree Legalization - Graduate Services - More info... Acceptance of these Distance Learning Higher Education academic credits is always the prerogative of the receiving institution or employer. Recognition criteria differ depending on each educational institution, or company policy, or country legal framework.

2024 Best Online PhD in Training and Development [Doctorate Guide]

A PhD in Training and Development helps you develop your expertise in driving high performance and positive change in both individuals and organizations.

This program combines adult learning, organizational leadership, and human resource development, so graduates are often well equipped to take on high-level roles. Every industry needs training and development professionals, especially as continuous learning becomes the norm.

Editorial Listing ShortCode:

With a PhD, you can advance your career further, produce original research, and gain expertise in a field that’s increasingly in-demand for organizations of all types.

Universities Offering Online PhD in Training and Development Degree Program

Methodology: The following school list is in alphabetical order. To be included, a college or university must be regionally accredited and offer degree programs online or in a hybrid format.

Baylor University

Baylor University offers an EdD in Learning and Organizational Change. The program requires 54 credit hours and typically takes 3 years to complete. It is mostly online but does include two immersions. Online courses are designed to be flexible but still interactive. Applicants do not need to have master’s degrees or GRE or GMAT scores.

Baylor University is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges.

Colorado State University

Colorado State University offers an online program for a PhD in Organizational Learning, Performance, and Change. The program requires 60 credits to graduate, and most students can finish within 4 years. Coursework includes Workforce Development, Scenario Planning in Organizations, Theory Building in Applied Disciplines, and more.

Colorado State University is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission.

Kansas State University

Kansas State University offers a Doctorate in Adult Learning and Leadership. This hybrid online and in-person program requires 90 credit hours. Courses are 8 to 14 weeks long. There are two specific courses that must be completed on campus, but they are offered during the summer.

Kansas State University is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission.

Louisiana State University – Shreveport

Louisiana State University—Shreveport offers an online program for a Doctor of Education in Leadership Studies. Concentrations are available in Leadership Studies, Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management, and Health Communication and Leadership. The program requires 63 credit hours, and multiple start dates are available each year. Courses are taught by faculty with real-world experience.

Louisiana State University – Shreveport is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges.

Northwestern State University of Louisiana

Northwestern State University of Louisiana offers an online program for a Doctor of Education in Adult Learning and Development. Students can choose a concentration in Community College Leadership or Adult Learning and Workforce Development. During the fall and spring, Northwestern offers 8 week, fast-track classes.

Northwestern State University of Louisiana is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges.

Rivier University

Rivier University offers an online program for an EdD in Leadership and Learning. The program requires 51 credit hours and usually takes 3 years to complete. Each course is 7 weeks long, with a total of six terms per year. Students can begin work on their dissertations during their first year. The program is intended for working professionals.

Rivier is accredited by the New England Commission of Higher Education.

University of Illinois – Urbana Champaign

The University of Illinois—Urbana Champaign offers a Doctor of Education in Education Policy, Organization, and Leadership. Students in the program can choose from a variety of concentrations, including Diversity and Equity in Education, Global Studies in Education, Human Resource Development, and more.

The University of Illinois – Urbana Champaign is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission.

University of North Texas

The University of North Texas offers a Doctor of Philosophy in Learning Technologies. The program is available both on campus and online. Online students are required to attend an annual in-person meeting in the fall but can otherwise complete requirements from anywhere on their own schedule. For both online and on-campus students, new cohorts begin every fall.

The University of North Texas is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges.

Vanderbilt University

Vanderbilt University offers a Doctor of Education in Leadership and Learning in Organizations. The program is intended for mid-career professionals. Online classes meet weekly via webcam. Students must complete 54 credit hours and a capstone project to graduate. Courses include Leading Inclusive Organizations, Economics of Human Resources, and Data Science.

Vanderbilt University is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges.

Walden University

Walden University offers a Doctor of Education in Organizational Leadership and Development. The program is mostly online but does include one academic residency. Coursework includes Leading the Future of Education, Tools for Doctoral Research Success, Organizational Decision Making and Judgment, Qualitative Reasoning and Analysis, and more.

Walden University is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission.

Online PhD in Training and Development Degree Programs

An online PhD in Training and Development is an intensive doctoral program that studies both human and organizational behavior. Ultimately, training and development aims to empower people by enhancing their knowledge and skills, which often leads to professional growth and positive results for their organizations.

Students of this PhD program are required to be working professionals with at least a few years of experience in the field. The program does involve plenty of research, but the focus is on applying theories and findings to create evidence-based solutions for workplace challenges.

Training and development PhD programs are offered in several concentrations, such as global training and development, organizational development, adult learning, and human resource development. Here are some topics that this type of program might tackle:

• Cultural diversity in the workplace
• Optimizing performance using technology
• Effective methods for adult learning
• Adapting training programs for a global workforce
• Creating a healthy company culture
• Implementing efficient management processes
• Addressing complex leadership dilemmas

During the first part of this doctoral program, you’ll take advanced coursework in human resource development, adult learning, career development, and other foundational topics.

Since organizations today are diverse, you can examine real-life challenges across all sorts of settings, including corporate companies, global corporations, startups, and government agencies. Much of your PhD will likely be spent working on a dissertation, where you’ll be supervised by professors with the same research interests.

As preparation for your dissertation, you’ll take several courses on research design for the social sciences as well as qualitative and quantitative research methods. Since you’ll be producing your own original research, you can effectively become a specialist in the training and development field by the time you finish your PhD.

A PhD in Training and Development can be adaptable to your career goals because you’ll have plenty of freedom to decide on your research interests. Graduates typically lead training and development initiatives in companies, work in management positions, or provide organizational consulting. Others may teach in universities or mentor executives and other professionals in taking their performance to the next level.

Common Doctorate in Training and Development Specializations

Since training and development is a broad field, doctorate in learning and development degrees offer various specializations, such as:

• Human Resources Development . One of the most common PhD specializations, human resources development is all about training and motivating employees to improve their productivity, abilities, and knowledge. This involves practices like mentoring, coaching, online courses, tuition assistance, and workshops. The end goal is to promote growth in both employees and the organization as a whole.
• Organizational Development . With an organizational development PhD program, you’ll specialize in managing and refining the processes of an entire organization. Human resource development is one part of this. It also includes making overall communication more seamless, coming up with more innovative and effective products, and removing unnecessary expenses.
• Adult Learning and Development . Adult learning and development puts more emphasis on education, with graduates becoming experts in promoting learning in business organizations, nonprofits, and schools. You’ll delve into various theories of adult education, take into account different learning styles, and apply strategies like project-based learning.
• Organizational Leadership . An organizational leadership PhD will train you in how to take charge of an organization effectively, from deciding on major strategic goals to bringing out the strengths of employees. It’s mainly a business degree that takes into account psychology and sociology. You’ll get familiar with leadership tools and approaches for different workplace situations.
• Global Training and Development . Because more organizations are going global, a PhD specializing in global training and development can teach you how to develop employees and teams with diverse languages, cultures, and perspectives. For example, this could mean using several modes of delivery for trainings and making correct translations to avoid cultural misunderstandings.

There is some overlap among these specializations, so whichever you choose, you’ll still likely take courses in instructional design, career development, and other core topics.

Training and Development Careers & Salaries

A PhD in Training and Development is the highest academic credential in the field, so it can open up opportunities for you to pursue more advanced positions.

For one, many PhD students come from a human resources (HR) background. Because of the intensive coursework, they may become HR managers or training and development managers who supervise staff, lead employee programs, and provide mentoring and coaching.

A training and development doctoral program can help prepare you for management roles in general. After all, you can gain a deeper understanding of how to drive organizational change while helping people achieve their professional goals. Some graduates work in business and organizational analysis, where they analyze organizational structures and challenges and develop solutions.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics , here are some careers related to training and development.

Beyond high-ranking positions in an organization, another option for PhD graduates is consultancy. Some graduates become management consultants or learning and development consultants who develop training programs for various companies. They could specialize in corporate training as well and hold workshops and courses on career and personal growth.

With further training, PhD graduates may opt to go into executive, performance, or leadership coaching. This allows them to work with a wide range of individuals, from CEOs to people starting out in their careers. Since a PhD gives plenty of exposure to research, graduates may join the academe as professors and scholars who conduct their own studies.

It’s actually common for graduates to combine several careers. For example, a training and development professional may become a professor, executive coach, and training consultant.

Training and Development PhD Curriculum & Courses

When earning a PhD in Training and Development, you’ll likely come across these courses:

• Foundations of Human Resource Development : This course studies how to train, nurture, and manage employees so they can hone their skills and make a positive impact on their organization.
• Adult Learning : You’ll examine the factors that affect adult learning—including motivation and developmental challenges—with the goal of creating effective educational programs for adults.
• Theory and Practices of Leadership : This course looks at the core elements of leadership—including innovation, ethics, and team-building—and how these play out in actual work situations through case studies.
• Career Development : You’ll learn how to promote career growth for individuals and teams by assessing personal strengths and weaknesses, pinpointing marketable skills, and making a customized plan.
• Instructional Design : This course teaches you how to prepare effective learning resources, following a systematic process where you’ll make prototypes and gather feedback.
• Organization Theory and Design : You’ll examine the social structures of organizations and look at the most common forms of modern organizations, covering topics like decision-making, culture, and power.
• Program Planning and Evaluation : This course goes over the process of designing a training program, from gathering information to developing program steps and measuring outcomes.
• Educational Statistics : You’ll work with methods of inquiry for educational research, including doing hypothesis testing and applying inferential techniques like T-tests.
• Quantitative Research : This in-depth course teaches you how to conduct your own research by using the right quantitative methods and working with data analysis software.
• Qualitative Research : You’ll get to practice handling qualitative data, with methods like field interviews, ethnography, document studies, field observations, and focus-group discussions.

You’ll likely go through most of these courses during your first year, after which you may devote much of your time to your dissertation.

How to Know If a Doctorate in Training and Development Is Right for Me

A doctorate in training and development often appeals to those who would like to advance their careers in management, organizational planning, education, and human resources. A doctorate in training and development might be right for you if you have the following:

• Passion . You have a passion for teaching or mentoring people and helping them grow professionally.
• Curiosity . You’re fascinated with how organizations achieve success along with what makes people tick.
• Experience . You already have some related experience with training and development, whether you’ve studied it formally or it’s part of your professional life.
• Career drive . You want to build a long-term career focused on improving the performance and efficiency of both organizations and people.
• Interest in research . You’re interested in conducting in-depth research and learning about academic theories in adult learning, organizational development, and leadership.
• Time . You have the time and the resources to work on a PhD for several years.

Training and development is held in high importance today in most organizations, and a PhD shows that you have expertise in this topic and can contribute original insights.

Admissions Requirements

Admissions for a PhD in Training and Development tend to be rigorous, with requirements such as:

• Official transcripts . These cover all of the courses you’ve taken at the college and postgraduate level.
• Recommendation letters . You’ll may submit letters from managers at work and previous professors.
• Resume . Most programs expect you to have related work experiences, extracurriculars, and education.
• Personal essay . You’ll likely explain your background, career, and research interests.

Schools with a more traditional admissions process may ask for GRE or GMAT scores too.

Accreditation

Getting a PhD in Training and Development takes plenty of dedication, so it’s strategic to choose a reputable school that’s regionally accredited.

For a school to receive regional accreditation, it has to be reviewed thoroughly by external accrediting organizations, and it’s evaluated based on high educational standards. A PhD from an accredited school will often make a stronger impression on future employers. If you’re planning to work in the academe, many universities only credit PhDs from accredited schools. Studying at an accredited school will also allow you to apply for federal financial aid.

You can verify the accreditation status of prospective schools by visiting the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) online. 

Financial Aid and Scholarships

Applying for financial aid can significantly lighten the expenses of doctoral students who qualify. Many PhD programs offer funding to students, with some programs giving full scholarships with stipend once you’re admitted. These PhD programs tend to be more competitive, though.

Alternatively, you might be able to find scholarships from external sources, especially if you have strong academic credentials and a good track record in your field. Some employers even offer financial assistance to workers who are advancing their education.

You can also look into assistantships and fellowships. Many PhD programs allow you to do research or teaching assistantships while studying. Fellowships may be available, too, but these often give you funding for 1 year or less. To apply for federal aid, you can fill out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) . Your FASFA can determine your eligibility for federal student loans, grants, and work-study programs.

Training and Development Professional Organizations

Since training and development is a highly collaborative field, you can benefit from joining professional organizations to expand your network and access more career opportunities.

Here are three major professional organizations for training and development specialists:

• Association for Talent Development (ATD)
• International Society for Performance Improvement (ISPI)
• Quality Matters Instructional Designers Association (QM IDA)

These organizations have multiple branches across the country, with thousands of members in total. By joining, you could receive event invites, trainings, and up-to-date industry resources.

What Is Training and Development?

Training and development is the process of providing education to employees so they can sharpen their skills and increase their job performance within an organization.

It’s usually coordinated by an organization’s human resources department, with initiatives ranging from one-day workshops to regular mentoring and coaching. Training and development can target a variety of skills, including hard skills like data analysis or strategic planning as well as soft skills like communication and empathy.

Programs can be delivered in different formats, such as online learning, in-person lectures, group discussions, and on-the-job training.

Is Training and Development a Good Career?

Yes, training and development is a good career for many professionals. Because the work world has become very dynamic and fast-paced, organizations are investing more in training and development so their employees can adapt.

This opens up demand for training and development experts. Aside from leading in-house teams, they might work in management, coaching, or business consulting—all of which are fields with many highly paid jobs. At the same time, this career can be fulfilling if you enjoy helping people directly and making a significant contribution to an organization.

What Can You Do with a Doctoral Degree in Training and Development?

A PhD in Training and Development may help you advance in your current career as well as open up new career paths for you. It can prepare you to become a thought leader in your field, whether as an academic researcher or as an organizational consultant who can provide high-level advice to companies.

Possible career paths include human resource management, training and development management, and organizational planning. Some experts become executive coaches or trainers who conduct one-on-one sessions for professionals or group workshops for companies.

What Does a Training and Development Specialist Do?

A training and development specialist plans, creates, and evaluates training programs and materials, usually for employees of an organization.

Training programs tend to be diverse, with formats such as orientation sessions, negotiation workshops, team-building activities, and consultations with executives. It’s a fairly involved job because training and development specialists handle the entire process.

In addition to doing surveys and interviews to design a good training program, they may either teach the program themselves or supervise instructors. Afterwards, they’ll also assess results and gather feedback.

How Long Does It Take to Get a PhD in Training and Development Online?

Most PhD programs in training and development require around 60 credits or less. This is actually a bit shorter compared to other PhDs, which can reach up to 120 credits. A PhD can typically be completed in 3 to 5 years with full-time study.

If no dissertation is required, a PhD can often be completed in 3 years with full-time enrollment. It’s traditional for PhD students to study full-time. Since more online PhDs are available, though, and many training and development specialists prefer to stay active in their careers while studying, some programs may allow for part-time enrollment. This is also the case with many online masters in training and development programs.

Is a PhD in Training and Development Worth It?

Yes, a PhD in Training and Development is worth it for many students. A PhD is a well-respected credential that shows you’re an authority in your field. This could help you qualify for leadership or high-level management roles. PhD holders have the highest median wage compared to other education levels, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Training and development is also a thriving field that’s estimated to grow faster than average. For instance, the Bureau of Labor Statistics projects 11% job growth for training and development specialists and managers over the next ten years.

A PhD program can enable you to develop specialized expertise. Having high levels of industry knowledge and a deep understanding of learning principles can help you stand out in this growing field.

Getting Your PhD in Training and Development Online

If you love solving organizational challenges and empowering people to achieve their goals, then you might consider getting a PhD in Training and Development to enhance your career.

A PhD can train you in rigorous, evidence-based approaches and allow you to make your own mark in the field. As a working professional, you might find it even more convenient to earn your PhD online.

If you’re ready to advance your expertise with a PhD in Training and Development, you can start exploring doctoral programs from accredited schools today.

Research Development

NYU’s Office of Research Development is dedicated to initiating catalytic and capacity-building activities to enhance the competitiveness of NYU’s research and sponsored programs portfolios.

Overview of Support Services

Find extramural funding opportunities, receive hands-on proposal support, apply for internal research seed funding, connect to the nyu research community, in the office of research development.

Nina Gray, PhD Assistant Vice Provost for Research Planning and Analysis

Trinh D. Eng Assistant Director of Research Proposal Development and Planning

Ashley Anne Richardson Research Development Specialist

Samanta Shaw Research Development Coordinator

Alexandra E. Wesnousky, PhD Assistant Director of Research Development and Analysis

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University of South Florida

School of Interdisciplinary Global Studies

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Graduate programs, phd in politics and international affairs.

The doctoral degree in politics and international affairs is an interdisciplinary program designed to prepare students to teach at the university and college levels and to conduct high-level research in the academic and nonacademic sectors. It combines a broad focus on international relations, comparative politics, American politics, and political theory with a critical understanding of institutions, rights, citizenship/identity, governance, global policy, and justice. Students work closely with faculty to frame their dissertation research and to advance their knowledge of their chosen fields of specialization. The program’s interdisciplinary approach to a variety of global issues provides a rich and open-ended opportunity to research current and past problems, movements, and transformations in politics.

We welcome your interest in our doctoral program. The department's deadline for fall admission is January 5. The School of Interdisciplinary Global Studies only admits for the fall semester. Students must apply online through the Office of Graduate Admissions. For a listing of the admission requirements, students should consult the Graduate Catalog . 

*Effective starting with the 2023-2024 admissions cycle, GRE test scores are no longer required for applications to our doctoral program in Politics and International Affairs*

*International students should review the Office of Admissions International Students website for additional information and requirements.

*International students are also encouraged to contact the Office of International Services for information on visas, international travel, etc. 

PLEASE NOTE: International students whose native language is not English and who want to be considered for a teaching assistantship must show proficiency in spoken English even if their TOEFL has been waived for admission to a graduate program. More information on the TOEFL requirement can be found under Admission Requirements in the graduate catalog.

Program Requirements

For the Doctoral Degree in Politics and International Affairs degree requirements, students should consult the Graduate Catalog. Students should adhere to the requirements within the Graduate Catalog under which they were admitted.

• Degree Requirements Beginning 2023-2024 Catalog

*Students can elect another catalog following the one they were admitted under. More information on this policy, and other policies, can be found in the Graduate Catalog.

*Students must request approval from the graduate director for any course not pre-approved and listed under the degree in the Graduate Catalog.

Additional information on program requirements:

Student can also select POS 6933/6747 Advanced Topics in Quantitative Political Analysis or another graduate course approved by the graduate director for the methods requirement. The Capstone Seminar will be conducted with doctorial students in Sociology and History and focus on dissertation proposal. 

Research Fields

The Doctorate in Politics and International Affairs specializes in the following four fields of research:

International Relations In the School of Interdisciplinary Global Studies, the International Relations (IR) faculty focuses on four areas of study: international relations theory, global political economy, international security, and human rights. We stress the importance of cutting-edge scholarship in our teaching of the graduate seminars as well as bridging the many emergent gaps in theory and practice in the various subfields that comprise International Relations, including American foreign policy, international ethics, global governance, and international law and organizations. One of our central aims is to advance innovative applications of the central theoretical perspectives (and their variant strands) in International Relations, namely, realism, liberalism, critical theory, constructivism, Marxism, international political theory, and gender. These applications involve in-depth theoretical and empirical analysis of key global issues, such as Asian security, moral accountability, the enforcement of human rights, immigration, and political and economic inequality. The International Relations faculty have published numerous books and peer-reviewed articles on these issue areas. These include monographs on the political tensions on the Korean Peninsula or North Korea’s nuclear arms buildup, the political cosmopolitan character and shifting dynamics of the International Criminal Court (ICC), hegemony and inequality in the global political economy, and China’s rapidly increasing support of intervention in African states. Together our published research emphasizes the production of critical theoretic knowledge, or the advanced methodological analysis of the contradictions and tensions informing the substantive debates in International Relations. This not only requires the particular mastery of concepts, methods, and claims but also an open-ended and historical understanding of the changing social forces shaping the behavior of states and the relations among global and local actors. It is this scholarly approach that we adopt to train our graduate students specializing in international relations, particularly as they advance their dissertation research and empirical knowledge of the global and regional contexts of problems and issues. One of the outcomes we strive for, then, is to encourage our doctoral students to develop rigorous theoretical and contextual analysis from which they can devise solutions and prescriptions to global issues.

Comparative Politics Comparative Politics in the School of Interdisciplinary Global Studies is committed to theory-driven, empirical research from an interdisciplinary perspective that is situated in a political, historical, cultural, and economic context.  The Comparative Politics faculty employ a variety of methodological approaches from both the social sciences and humanities, which utilize qualitative and quantitative research methods to study the patterns of similarities and differences. In particular, we conduct comparative and case study research to inquire into these patterns and to develop our theoretical propositions. One of our aims is to produce knowledge about the changing social, political, and legal conditions affecting the lives, development, cultural practices, and customs of underrepresented peoples. In meeting this aim, our research focuses on several themes of comparative politics, including social movements, democracy/democratization, citizenship, decolonization, genocide, hegemony, race and identity, development, legal systems and customary law, social justice, and indigenismo or the political ideology focusing on the changing relations of state and local peoples. Much of our published research draws creatively on social, critical, and political theory to advance knowledge of the laws, changing social relations, and attitudes in several countries, which includes Brazil, Ecuador, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Rwanda, Uganda, South Sudan, Ethiopia, and Iran. Our research strengths lie in the areas of race and citizenship, social movements theory, human security and law (or legal custom) in Eastern Africa, indigenous rights in various Latin American countries, and security relations in the Middle East. With these thematic foci, we encourage graduate students to create and develop their own research by selecting a region of the world as their emphasis and adopting theoretically informed research and comparative methods that allow them to analyze the changing social and political conditions in the countries of this region.

American Politics The study of American Politics in the doctorate program in politics and international affairs provides a comprehensive overview as well as an in-depth analysis of American politics. Our faculty focus on various aspects of American politics, including theoretical foundations, federalism, institutions (Congress, the executive branch, the bureaucracy, the judiciary), political behavior (political parties, the media, interest groups, social movements, and elections), and public policy (foreign and domestic), and employ a range of methodological approaches such as historical development, legal doctrine, institutional rules, and quantitative analyses of the behavior of political actors and the mass public, to advance the student's research skills.  Our core class, Seminar in American Politics, for instance, surveys the key foundations, institutions, and behavior in American politics, introducing students to both qualitative and quantitative methodological approaches for analyzing and testing the changing trends and outcomes in American politics. Special topics courses provide opportunities to gain in-depth knowledge on new research on a range of themes, including political development, the social bases of politics, and the global impact of American politics. The faculty in American politics have made important contributions in the areas of race and ethnicity, the judiciary, the presidency, Florida government, civil liberties, health care, environmental justice, economic inequality, and animal rights. Our strengths lie in economic inequality, animal rights, the Presidency, Judicial Behavior, Race and Ethnicity, and State and Local Government. In these specific areas, we have published several cutting-edge books and articles in leading peer-reviewed journals, which examine the emergence and implementation of nonhuman animals' regime of rights, the changing directions of the U.S. Federal Reserve Bank and its impact on world politics, and alternative strategies for natural disasters in the United States. Our scholarship is thus distinctive for the ways in which it addresses American government and politics in a global context. This is how we seek to train our doctoral students on the rapidly changing, nuanced linkages between local, state, federal and global institutional politics.  

Political Theory Political Theory introduces students to the core normative issues in the study of political science. These normative issues provide the bedrock assumptions on which much of the study of political science depends. For example, while nearly everyone agrees that democracy is the best form of government, why do we place such faith in it? In addition, the long tradition of political thought offers multiple versions of democracy, each with its own strengths and limitations. How are we to identify the best version for our needs? Similarly, while we might extol non-violence in politics, is it always the best path for political movements? How are we to justify its alternatives? Clarifying our moral commitments, sharpening our conceptual tools, and outlining pathways for transforming theoretical knowledge into action requires philosophical, historical, and conceptual capabilities. The political theory faculty at the School of Interdisciplinary Global Studies trains students to develop these capabilities. To that end, political theory classes not only familiarize students with many of the canonical texts that were read by generations of prominent political thinkers (from Aristotle to Martin Luther King Jr), they also teach students to read these texts critically and with an eye towards contemporary political developments. As such, training in political theory is a critical supplement to graduate work at School of Interdisciplinary Global Studies. The faculty’s expertise in feminist theory, postcolonial theory, the role of emotions in politics, environmental political thought, and Indian political thought complements the terminal degrees offered in American Politics, Comparative Politics, and International Relations.

Financial Assistance 

Most of our successful applicants qualify for funding offered by the department or the Office of Graduate Studies. Funded doctoral students will receive a graduate assistantship that includes:

• a stipend for the academic year (9 months)
• a tuition waiver (not including school fees)
• the option of health insurance mostly paid by the department (the student only pays a small amount towards insurance).

All applicants for the doctoral degree are considered for a graduate assistantship - they do not need to complete a separate form.

The graduate assistantship is guaranteed for four years but is based on maintaining satisfactory annual academic progress. It requires each student to work 20 hours per week, in which case the student would be first assisting professors of the department with their teaching and class preparations and later, after having passed the doctoral comprehensive exams and completed teacher training seminars, teach a class at the University of South Florida. 

Please visit the graduate assistantships page for further information. The department also provides funding for conference travel or the presentation of research at conferences upon approval.

Information on eligibility for graduate assistantships can be found on the Graduate Assistantships Resource Center website. 

We also strive to fund our students in the fifth year, though this funding is not guaranteed. Depending on additional funds that become available, students may have the opportunity to extend their graduate assistantship to one, possibly two academic semesters. Students in the fifth year are also encouraged to seek external funding. For more information on this, please consult our Graduate Resources Page .

Outstanding candidates may also be nominated by the school’s director and/or graduate committee for prestigious and highly competitive university fellowships, including the Presidential Doctoral Fellowship , the Dorothy Auzenne Fellowship , and the University Graduate Fellowship. There is also the opportunity for minority students to be awarded a McKnight Fellowship, which provides annual tuition up to $5,000 for each of three academic years, plus an annual stipend of $12,000. The program also offers travel grants and other forms of financial support. For additional information on this fellowship opportunity, please visit the McKnight Fellowship's informational page.

• Politics and International Affairs Doctoral Handbook 2022 - 2023
• School of Interdisciplinary Global Studies Graduate Resources
• Independent Study / Directed Research Contract
• Office of Graduate Studies Forms
• Dissertation Proposal Approval Form
• Admission to Doctoral Candidacy Form
• Graduate Student Supervisory Committee Appointment Form
• Dissertation Checklist
• Electronic Thesis & Dissertation Certificate of Approval Form
• Comprehensive Exam Reading Lists
• Research Conference Travel Award Request
• Dissertation Defense Announcment

Spring 2024 Course Offerings

Recent Placements

For further information or questions about the PhD in Politics and International Affairs, please fill out this form . 

College of Education and Human Development

Institute of Child Development

ICD PhD student Lydia Lewis awarded NSF Graduate Research Fellowship

• May 2, 2024

Lydia Lewis, a 2nd year PhD student in the Institute of Child Development (ICD), has been awarded the prestigious National Science Foundation (NSF) Graduate Research Fellowship.

The NSF Fellowship program recognizes and supports outstanding students who are pursuing research-based graduate degrees in NSF-supported science, technology, engineering, and mathematics disciplines. Fellows receive a three-year annual stipend of $37,000 and a cost of education allowance for tuition and fees, as well as opportunities for professional development.

Lydia's broad research interests include relationships between adolescent neurodevelopment, sleep health, and the impacts of early adversity, including neighborhood-related exposures. In her upcoming research, she will focus on understanding whether sleep is a mechanism underlying the effects of air pollution on the adolescent brain. Her future plans include studying sleep as a potential buffer for the impacts of other neighborhood characteristics. She also hopes to incorporate geo-coding methods in her future research. 

Lydia received a B.S. in Neuroscience from the University of Pittsburgh in 2018, where she worked with Dr. Maria Jalbrzikowski studying age-associated trajectories of white matter development in adolescents with and without psychosis. During her time at Pittsburgh, Lydia completed a certificate in Global Health, which contributed to her interests in the social determinants of health. 

Congratulations Lydia! 

Brandeis combines the resources of a world-class research university with the personal attention of a liberal arts setting. The Graduate School of Arts and Sciences offers 17 doctoral programs and more than 40 master's and postbaccalaureate programs.

One of the key differences at the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences is our emphasis on interdisciplinary learning. You will learn the importance of connecting with people who have a broad range of expertise and experience.

We support all doctoral students and the majority of master’s and post-baccalaureate students who maintain satisfactory academic progress with loans and scholarships.

Keep up to date with the latest news and events from the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences.

• Student Life
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• Teaching Opportunities and Resources
• Conference and Research Awards

Find important resources and information to help you succeed as a GSAS student.

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Professional development at GSAS is for PhD and MA students in all departments and in all stages of their career. Whether you are just starting or are about to finish your degree, the resources we provide are for you. Our goal is to enable students to pursue fulfilling careers in the private sector, academia, non-profits and government.

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Find a member of staff who can address your questions. Meet your Graduate Department Representative and your Director of Graduate Study.

Graduate School of Arts and Sciences

Gsas students shine in 2024 three minute thesis competition.

April 30, 2024

Ayla Cordell | Graduate School of Arts and Sciences

The 2024 Three Minute Thesis Competition (3MT) at Brandeis Graduate School of Arts & Sciences was not Will Dahl’s first rodeo. “It took me two tries,” the Molecular and Cell Biology PhD student said. “On my first attempt last year, I missed a line and stood silent for what felt like ages. To be honest, I was terrified!” This year, Will took home the first place prize for the Sciences of $1,000 and the overall win. He credits his success to careful planning, refinement, and lots of practice. He focused on formatting his talk as a story that would resonate with a wide audience: “Every sentence must be calibrated to communicate, and there is no room for asides. The talk converges from broader impacts to the actual thesis.”

Explaining your research in just three minutes is a tall order, but on April 5, the third annual 3MT Competition, founded by the University of Queensland , saw ten GSAS students meet that very task. Marika McCann, Associate Director of Professional Development at GSAS and member of the 3MT team, alongside Associate Professor of Anthropology and Faculty Director of Professional Development Jon Anjaria; Anahita Zare of MRSEC ; and Becky Prigge, Assistant Dean of Student Affairs at GSAS, said this about the 2024 competitors: “Our team was very impressed with how hard our students worked and the overall enthusiasm they brought to their talks. The audience learned so much from our students in this short time, including the possibility of early detection of Parkinson’s Disease, the importance of examining circadian rhythms, patterns in Honduran ceramics, and Tamil transfeminine performance in post-war Sri Lanka.”

Under the bright white stage lights and looking out upon an audience of friends, family, members of the Brandeis community, and a panel of five judges, finalists took to the Spingold Theatre stage. While it was certainly nerve-wracking, contestants noted the benefits of presenting in this format.

Manning Zhang, who won first place in the Humanities/Creative Arts/Social Sciences category, said the best moment of the competition was standing on the stage for the final round with rushing adrenaline. Acknowledging that few friends and family know about what she researches in Sociology and Health Policy, she began sharing more with them to understand how different people would react to her research. While this helped her prepare for the competition, it ended up holding deeper meaning for Zhang: “It took me a really long time to pursue my research and say, ‘This is meaningful.’ Getting feedback from people and hearing that they understand what I’m doing is really important to me.”

Victoria Khaghani, a Master’s student in Anthropology who was Runner Up in the Humanities/Creative Arts/Social Sciences category, echoed this sentiment. “You have to push yourself pretty hard to be able to condense your research down. But being able to then present my research to my family and have them say, ‘We finally understand what you’re doing,’ where they can understand the importance of it…that was huge.”

While contestants hoped to teach their audience something about their research, some finished the competition having learned new things about themselves. “I really like speaking in front of people,” Pranav Ojha, a Molecular and Cell Biology PhD student, discovered. “Figuring out what words to say, how to communicate them to inspire care - I enjoyed that process, and I’m coming out of it with different career ideas.” His passion for public speaking was evident - Ojha finished the competition with a total $1,250, after winning both Runner Up in the Sciences and the People’s Choice Award, which is determined through audience vote.

The final round may have showcased three minutes of individual presentation, but 3MT thrives as a collective and collaborative effort. “This is one of the only opportunities GSAS students at Brandeis have to share their research with the overall Brandeis community, outside of their departments,” McCann noted. Zhang (Sociology and Health Policy) even reached out to 2022 winner Emiliano Gutierrez-Popoca (PhD English ‘23), whose talk on Master-Servant Relations in Early Modern Drama led him to the National 3MT competition. Though they come from different disciplines, 3MT provided a platform for shared experience, and Popoca helped Zhang revise her draft for the final round. “I’ve gained a lot of rapport with people I didn’t think I could have rapport with…networking is very precious,” Zhang said. The 3MT community at Brandeis continues to strengthen and grow, and we cannot wait for next year!

Special thanks to 3MT sponsors: Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, Materials Research Science and Engineering Center, Mandel Center for the Humanities, Office of the Vice Provost for Research, and the Division of Sciences

This year’s winners include:

First Place - William Dahl (overall winner), Molecular and Cell Biology, Stressed Cells' Secret Weapon for Survival

Runner Up - Pranav Ojha, Molecular and Cell Biology, What Makes our Clock Tick: A Look at Where It All Starts

Humanities/Social Sciences/Creative Arts

First Place - Manning Zhang, Sociology and Health Policy, Move It or Lose It

Runner Up - Victoria Khaghani, Anthropology, The Devil’s in the Details: Neglected Patterns of Honduras

People’s Choice

Pranav Ojha

• Campus News /

Dr. Jimmy Feix Receives R21 to Study Parkinson's Disease

April 24, 2024

Jimmy B. Feix, PhD , professor of biophysics , was awarded a two-year, $429,000 R21 grant from the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke to investigate probiotic treatment to mitigate levodopa (L-dopa) metabolism by the gut metabolism as a promising novel approach to enhance the effectiveness of oral L-dopa therapy in Parkinson’s disease (PD).

PD is a progressive neurodegenerative disease resulting from the loss of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra. It is the second-leading neurodegenerative disease associated with aging. For over fifty years, treatment with L-dopa, which crosses the blood-brain barrier and is converted to dopamine, has been used to mitigate the debilitating motor symptoms associated with PD. However, there are several caveats associated with L-dopa therapy. The scientific impact of these studies will be to further elucidate the effects of gut microbial metabolism on the efficacy of oral L-dopa therapy. There is a clear unmet need for novel approaches that enhance or extend the usefulness of L-dopa in PD treatment, and the development of a probiotic that effectively prevents decarboxylation of L-dopa in the gastrointestinal tract may have significant potential as an adjunct to L-dopa in the management of PD.

Collaborators on the project include Cecilia J. Hillard, PhD ; associate dean for research, professor of pharmacology & toxicology, director of the Neuroscience Research Center, and G. Frederick Kasten, Jr. Endowed Chair in Parkinson’s Disease Research; Christopher J. Kristich, PhD , professor of microbiology & immunology and director of the Center for Infectious Disease Research; and Nita H. Salzman, MD, PhD , professor of pediatrics and microbiology & immunology, director of the Medical Scientist Training Program, and founding director of the Center for Microbiome Research.

Professor Jill V. Hamm named interim education dean

Since 2017, Hamm has led growth as the UNC School of Education’s associate dean for research and faculty development.

Jill V. Hamm , William C. Friday Distinguished Professor of Education, will serve as interim dean of the UNC School of Education effective May 15. Provost J. Christopher Clemens made the announcement during the school’s full faculty meeting on April 30.

In addition to her faculty role, Hamm serves as the school’s associate dean for research and faculty development.

Hamm will assume leadership duties ahead of the departure of Fouad Abd-El-Khalick, who leaves Carolina to become provost and senior vice chancellor for academic affairs at the University of Massachusetts Amherst on June 30, overlapping to ensure a seamless transition.

Hamm has served as a faculty member in applied developmental science at Carolina since 1999. As associate dean for research and faculty development, a role created in 2017 and held by Hamm since, she has played a leading role in growing the school’s annual research expenditures from $6.2 million in 2016 to $22.2 million in 2023. This growth greatly expanded Carolina’s ability to better serve the people, especially students and educators, of North Carolina and beyond. Under her direction, the school increased its research capacity and expanded its pipeline through the creation of several pre- and post-award staff positions.

Hamm’s research interests center on early adolescents’ social, behavioral and academic adjustment, and the role of peer relations in successful school adaptation. She has applied her research findings on naturally occurring academic and social processes in schools to the development and testing of professional learning experiences designed to help middle and high school teachers create supportive classroom and school environments. She is the author or co-author of more than 50 peer-reviewed journal articles and 16 handbook, monographs, and book chapters. Hamm has served as principal investigator or co-principal investigator on funded research projects totaling over $18 million.

Her research has been funded by the National Science Foundation and the Institute for Education Sciences, as well by the William T. Grant Foundation and the Spencer Foundation. She currently co-leads a $1.5 million NSF-funded collaborative research grant — CASCADE or Collaborative Activities in STEM Careers for Adolescent Engagement — with Horizon Research Inc., a Chapel Hill-based company that works to improve STEM education efforts through research.

Hamm is a past associate editor of the Journal of Applied Developmental Psychology and has served on the editorial boards of JADP and the Journal of Educational Psychology. She also previously directed the Social Development Intervention Research Program at the Center for Developmental Science at UNC-Chapel Hill.

Hamm holds a doctorate and Master of Science in educational psychology from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and completed a post-doctoral research fellowship through the Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

With Hamm serving as interim dean, Jeffrey A. Greene , McMichael Professor, will take on her role as interim associate dean for research and faculty development on May 15.

Greene was associate dean for academic affairs and director of graduate studies for 2½ years until July 1, 2020. He has served on the school’s faculty since 2007 after earning his doctorate in educational psychology from the University of Maryland. His research leverages the science of learning to help people be better critical consumers and producers of information, particularly in online and technology environments.

Read more about Hamm and Greene.

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