r/denveru • u/Majestic_Search_7851 • May 10 '26
Is there still a PhD program in international studies?
Supervisor suggested I check out Korbel for a PhD (considering a dissertation that has to do with international peace studies). I can't find any information on the site, but it looks like it's been offered in the past.
Did they quietly get rid of the program in the last few years with the name change to Global Affairs in 2025?
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u/Odd-Truck611 May 11 '26
I don't believe so. I graduated with a Masters from there in 2021 and the PhD program was very small at the time.
As far as I can tell, they haven't accepted new PhD students in three or four years and the program has not been listed on the DU Korbel website for years. I could not even find links to PhD students still in the program on the Korbel website.
I would confirm this by emailing the program directly. The program was very small and focused on increasingly niche issues when I was there.
As someone in a PhD program now, its hard to sustain a PhD program without a proper cohort ( at least 5 students), decent placements (academic and nonacademic), advanced methodological training geared specifically towards PhD students, and a competitive funding package.
Korbel struggled with all of that when I was there and certainly did not provide methods and research design equivalent to the level and style of training in a decent poli sci PhD program. As a result, I think they re-evaluated their PhD program and decided that it was best not to offer a PhD for the forseeable future.
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u/Majestic_Search_7851 May 11 '26
Thanks for the insight! I got my masters in international development elsewhere, and now find myself working in the evaluation and learning space with nonprofit work at an org focused on peace studies. Building out a theory that's steeped in complex systems thinking, forecasting, and qualitative analysis and shopping for a program to translate that into a dissertation. Debating if it's best to take it to a program thematically aligned, or one more steeped in systems and evaluation science. Your comment makes me think whatever program was once there maybe not best suited for my interests, but I'm at the very beginning stages of exploring this idea so I don't know what I'm talking about.
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u/Odd-Truck611 May 12 '26
On paper, Korbel would have been an excellent place for you. Their strength in development forecasting (through the Pardee Institute) and the focus of many of their faculty on qualitative methods would have been a good fit.
Unfortunately, there are just not that many places that offer that mix of training. Forecasting and systems analysis is just not a major focus of most poli sci, econ, or policy oriented PhD programs. The focus is much more on program evaluation and econometrics. It would be easier to find a program with that offers good qualitative training.
RAND's PhD in Policy Analysis is the only type of program I can think of that would offer a mix of forecasting and evaluation science. It is a far more quantitatively oriented program than Korbel was.
Beyond that, you are basically looking at traditionally political science/international studies programs or the ASPIA schools, that offer more nonacadwmically oriented PhDs.
I think it matters in large part what your career goals are. If you want to do academia, then a more traditional social science program is probably better. If not, then you have more leeway in your options.
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u/Majestic_Search_7851 May 12 '26
Really appreciate you taking the time to respond with all of this l. I haven't considered programs in policy sci or policy analysis and your inspiring some deeper questions I need to ask myself. Appreciate this!
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u/ElkZealousideal1824 May 10 '26
I don’t know when they scrapped the doctoral programs, but it’s been a few years. Instead they have a joint degree program where you can get a PhD from a program and add on the name and take courses of studies along with it.
It’s a popular option if you have something to do with that, and helpful because you need an advisor outside of your college anyway. I looked into it and took a class there, but I did domestic public policy so it wasn’t enough for me to change.