<p>Hi all,</p>
<p>So I just graduated last week, with a shiny new BA in International Relations. It's a strange feeling being out of school for the first time in my life, but I'm looking to jump back into academia within the next 1-3 years. I'm interested in a research career, probably in international security and probably with a private organization like the RAND institute, and from what I've learned, for this kind of career a PhD is the best degree. </p>
<p>I've done quite a bit of looking around over the last year, both on this board and the web in general, and although I've found a lot of discussion about IR Master's programs, opinions and experiences from people in PhD programs seem to be few and far between. I know that some schools with great master's programs (SAIS) aren't quite as high-level in doctorates, so I have a couple of questions if anyone has experience in this area:</p>
<p>Degree progression - What are the chances for entry in an IR PhD program going straight from undergrad? I have a fairly good application package (3.64 overall GPA, 3.8 in major, undergrad thesis, great recs, etc), but is that generally considered enough?</p>
<p>School choice - Does anyone have opinions on what PhD programs are best? I've read the USAnews reports from 2005 and 2008 for a general list, but more detailed accounts are harder to find. I'm more interested in the policy/security side of things than the economics/trade/development area, if that helps at all.</p>
<p>Any other info would be really helpful - thanks in advance!</p>