Overview
International Relations and Political Science from Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies coursework and dissertation prospectus, combined with specialised doctoral seminars, participation in colloquia and doctoral retreats, where students get individualised feedback from all the professors, and close work with an adviser, gives students the range of skills needed to design and implement their own research.
Careers
The PhD programme is designed to prepare students for a career in international relations involving research, whether as a producer or consumer. Students admitted to the programme must have a solid master's level grounding in international relations and, if possible, in political science more generally.
Programme Structure
Courses include:
- Doctoral Seminar in Political Science
- Qualitative Methods in International Relations Research
- Statistics for International Relations
- Research Design
- Political Science Research Colloquium
- International Security
- International Political Economy
- Foreign Policy Analysis
Admission requirements
Academic requirements
We are not aware of any specific GRE, GMAT or GPA grading score requirements for this programme.
English requirements
- TOEFL® IBT — TOEFL iBT® is accepted by more than 13,000 universities and other institutions in over 160 countries. The test can be taken at a test center or at home. The test measures your English-language abilities in an academic setting. The score refers to the total score of 4 subjects (writing, listening, speaking, and reading), each subject has a range of 0 - 30. Required score: 100
- IELTS — The International English Language Test System (IELTS) tests your English-language proficiency on a scale of 1 – 9. The score refers to the combined average score of 4 subjects (writing, listening, speaking, and reading). Required score: 7
Other requirements
General requirements
- You should hold, or at least receive upon arrival, a master’s degree or its equivalent in a discipline relevant to your study programme, from an accredited university.
- A thesis proposal should be submitted that describes your research project.
- All students must have an excellent command of English.
Fees and funding
Tuition Fees
Tuition fees are shown in AUD and the most likely applicable fee is shown based on your nationality.
- International (Non-residents): 13,655 AUD / year (approximately 8,000 CHF / year)
- Domestic (Citizens or residents): 8,534 AUD / year (approximately 5,000 CHF / year)
Living costs
Genève, Switzerland: 3,286-4,864 AUD / month. The living costs include the total expenses per month, covering accommodation, public transportation, utilities (electricity, internet), books and groceries.
Funding
Scholarships: Below you will find PhD's scholarship opportunities for International Relations and Political Science.
Available Scholarships
You are eligible to apply for these scholarships but a selection process will still be applied by the provider.
- Fulbright U.S. Student Program — Various benefits — Deadline 07 Oct 2026 (U.S. government)
- ACES Scholarships — 3500 USD — Deadline 15 Nov 2026 (ACES Education Fund)
- ServiceScape Scholarship — 1000 USD — Deadline 30 Nov 2026 (ServiceScape)
- Erasmus+ - Grants for study mobility — Various benefits — Merit-based (OeAD, Austria's Agency for Education and Internationalisation)
- ELES-Scholarship (Ernst-Ludwig-Ehrlich-Studienwerk) — 1550 EUR — Deadline 31 Oct 2026 (Austria’s Agency for Education and Internationalisation)
- $1,500 Annual Video Contest Scholarship — 1000 USD — Deadline 31 Oct 2026 — Merit-based (IvyPanda)
- Voice Talent Online Scholarship — 1000 USD — Deadline 01 Mar 2027 (Voice Talent Online)
- PHD Scholarship — 1920 CHF — Merit-based (Swiss Confederation)
- Postdoctoral Scholarship — 3500 CHF — Merit-based (Swiss Confederation)
- Dream Chaser Scholarship — 1000 USD — Deadline 13 Jan 2027 — Merit-based (Salvado Law)
- Scholarship for students with disabilities — 3000 USD — Deadline 31 Dec 2026 — Need-based (Anonymous Hope Fund)
- Grants of the Leopold Figl Foundation for students with residence in Lower Austria — Various benefits — Deadline 31 Dec 2026 — Need-based (Leopold Figl Foundation)
- The Annual IELTS from 6 to 9 Scholarship — 1500 USD (IELTS from 6 to 9)
- Tobacco Harm Reduction Scholarship Programme — 12000 USD — Deadline 11 Jan 2027 (The Tobacco Harm Reduction Scholarship Programme)
