About PhD Program,
Global Studies is a fast-growing field of inquiry dedicated to understanding pressing global issues such as rising authoritarianism, climate change, human rights, ethnic conflict, genocide, inequality, immigration, global health, global governance, and more. Global scholars analyze the social, cultural, political, environmental, legal and economic consequences of these issues, understanding them as multidimensional, multi-level and historical processes. The program interrogates taken-for-granted concepts and relations of power while foregrounding the deep historical legacies of colonialism and imperialism.
Our PhD program leads the emerging field of Global Studies with its cutting-edge curriculum, faculty, and embracing of scholarship from across the social sciences and humanities. Our transdisciplinary curriculum engages multiple theoretical perspectives and critical methodologies. We emphasize the importance of engaging global south scholarship and non-western epistemologies that broaden the base of knowledge production and bring new perspectives to bear on the pressing global issues impacting us all. With close mentorship from our outstanding faculty, graduate students are prepared to develop sophisticated interdisciplinary research on global issues that are relevant in today’s world. Our goal is to produce excellent scholars that are professional, productive, innovative, insightful, and ready to compete in today’s job market.
Successful applicants to our program will have excelled in their undergraduate work. They should also demonstrate strong intellectual capabilities and creativity in pursuit of their scholarly goals. While high GPAs and scores on the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) are helpful, we give primary consideration to the applicant’s statement of purpose, letters of recommendation, and writing sample.
Admitted graduate students have the opportunity to work with faculty from across the social sciences and humanities, as well as faculty in UCI’s outstanding School of Law, the Paul Merage School of Business, and College of Health Sciences. Admitted graduate students also have the opportunity to participate in many research units across campus including:
- Critical Theory Institute
- Center for Ethnography
- Center for the Study of Democracy,
- Center for the Scientific Study of Ethics and Morality
- Center for Global Peace and Conflict Studies
- Blum Center for Poverty Alleviation
PhD Program Degree Eligibility with GPA
UCI offers one of the leading Ph.D. programs in Global Studies. Our program provides a critical transdisciplinary degree that stands out from other programs for its cutting-edge curriculum, faculty, and for engaging multiple theoretical perspectives and methodologies from across the social sciences and humanities. UCI’s program is truly unique for its foregrounding the importance of engaging global south scholarship and non-western epistemologies that broaden the base of knowledge production and bringing new perspectives to bear on the pressing global issues that impact us all.
Most applicants applying for a PhD have completed a Bachelor’s degree, but not a Master’s degree. A Bachelor’s degree is required for admission.
PhD Funding Coverage
All applications for PhD admission are considered for financial support, and all admission offers to Global Studies currently include six years of funding. Applicants are not required to apply separately for admission and financial support. Our competitive, merit-based funding packages include:
annual registration fees;
● comprehensive student health insurance;
● a combination of TA or Graduate Student Researcher (GSR) appointment with individual members of faculty, and fellowship quarters in lieu of employment.
All offers to non-residents of California include non-resident tuition for the first year of study for US citizens and permanent residents, and for the first three years for international students (conditional on satisfactory progress).
Financial assistance based on need (loans, primarily) is available to qualifying student applicants, through UCI Financial Aid & Scholarships: https://www.ofas.uci.edu/content/
All students applying for need-based financial aid are required to file a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA): www.fafsa.ed.gov/
International students who are not US citizens or permanent residents are not eligible to apply for federal need-based financial aid.
Further information on assistantships and funding resources can be found at https://grad.uci.edu/funding/index.php
Application Requirement
Prospective students must hold a bachelor’s degree from a recognized institution with degree standards equivalent to those of the University of California. The degree need not be in Global Studies; degrees in the social sciences, behavioral sciences and humanities may also be accepted.
The following items are required as part of the graduate application:
- Application Fee: $135 for U.S. citizens and U.S. permanent residents, and $155 for all international applicants. The application fee is non-refundable.
- Application Fee Waiversare available to eligible candidates and determined in the campus Graduate Division: https://grad.uci.edu/admissions/applying-to-uci/fee-waivers.php
- Current CV or Resume(include your academic achievements)
- Statement of Purpose – 1200 word maximum(global issues that interest you most, the kinds of issues you are interested in, the areas of academic research you’d like to work in, how your research relates to your career goals, why the Global Studies program makes sense for you)
- Personal History Statement – 1200 word maximum(what drives you, the obstacles you have faced, how you have overcome adversity and thrived, lessons you’ve learned, things you have achieved as a result)
- One (1) Writing Sample. 20 pages is the maximum length. Can be an excerpt from a longer piece. Please upload your writing sample on the application form under “Additional Information”.
- Three (3) Letters of Recommendationuploaded by recommenders into the application portal
- Transcripts – undergraduate and graduate (if applicable). Unofficial transcripts must be uploaded to the application. After you are admitted, and submitted a positive SIR, your official transcript and proof that you earned your undergraduate degree should be mailed to UCI.
- TOEFL or IELTS(if applicable – see below)* please choose institution code 4859
**GRE is no longer required
All records submitted to our office become the property of the University and will not be returned to the student. If your academic records cannot be replaced, please bring them directly to our office and we will photocopy and return them to you. All application materials are to be submitted electronically as part of the online application.
Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) and International English Language Testing System (IELTS)
All graduate students, except those who have earned an undergraduate degree from an institution at which English was the sole language of instruction according to the World Health Education Database, are required to demonstrate oral English proficiency before they admitted to a UCI graduate program and are appointed to Teaching Assistant or Teaching Associate titles. For Teaching Assistant and Associate positions, the aforementioned exception will apply only when the undergraduate degree has been earned within five years prior to admission to a graduate program at UCI. Please read the full policy on English proficiency for graduate admissions and how to search for your institution in the database on the UCI Graduate Division website. The English proficiency requirement for TAs can be found here.
Application Deadline,
Dec 01, 2024
Application Fee,
- The application fee is $135 for U.S. citizens and U.S. permanent residents, and $155 for all international applicants. The application fee is non-refundable.
