IWP is pleased to announce the launch of its first Ph.D. program: the Doctor of Philosophy in Statecraft and Strategy. It will be offered both in person and online starting in the fall of 2025.
While other academic programs at IWP are designed primarily for professionals in national security, intelligence, and international affairs, this Ph.D. is a traditional academic doctorate for those who wish to pursue more academic or research-oriented careers.
The Ph.D. in Statecraft and Strategy will require the most intense individual preparation. This Doctor of Philosophy is the Institute’s “gold standard” and will demand meeting the highest requirements for admission, development, matriculation, and graduation, through a series of courses, comprehensive examinations, and a dissertation.
“This is a tremendous step forward in our academic programs,” said Dr. James S. Robbins, IWP Dean of Academics. “IWP has been a leader in professional doctorates in national security, and it’s wonderful that we are now adding an academic doctorate as well.”
Prospective Ph.D. candidates who have not yet completed a master’s degree in a relevant field may apply for the 72-credit track to obtain an M.A. and Ph.D. Students who already possess an IWP M.A. may apply for a 20-credit track of strictly doctoral-level courses, comprehensive exams, and the writing and defense of a dissertation. Students entering this program who possess a master’s degree from another institution may transfer a maximum of 16 credit hours towards the IWP degree (leaving 56 credits to complete), on a case-by-case basis upon review of transcripts.
IWP Ph.D. recipients will be able to integrate the arts of statecraft masterfully into national security and strategy and appreciate the principles of the American founding and the Western moral tradition as applied to national security and strategy. They will possess a strong understanding of the challenges facing national leaders under the ideological currents of the modern era. And they will demonstrate expertise in two areas of concentration – major instruments of statecraft, a region of the world, or a customized topic relevant to the field.