Master & PhD Programmes

The Geneva Graduate Institute is a higher education institution and a pioneer in the exploration of global issues. Through our core missions – academic research, teaching, expertise and forum activities – we produce and share knowledge on international relations, development issues, global challenges and governance.

Through a disciplinary or interdisciplinary lens, our master and PhD study programmes will provide you with a sound understanding of the local and global processes that define the politics and practices of international affairs and development.

INTERDISCIPLINARY MASTER PROGRAMME

Our Master in International and Development Studies ('MINT') proposes a ground-breaking combination of a solid common core with the possibility to specialise in one of seven broader themes. The MINT mixes the advantages of being a rigorous academic programme with a strong accent on applied research, practice and skills.

DISCIPLINARY MASTER PROGRAMMES

The Geneva Graduate Institute offers five disciplinary master programmes: Anthropology and Sociology, International Economics, International History and Politics, International Law and Relations/Political Science. Disciplinary master students in International Economics, International Law and International Relations/Political Science can apply to the Fast Track programme, an accelerated programme that combines the MA and PhD degrees in the same discipline, during the first semester of their studies. More about the application deadlines.

PHD PROGRAMMES

PhD programmes at the Institute require a four-year commitment, with the first three semesters in residence. During the first two semesters, you will take theoretical and methodological doctoral seminars before presenting a preliminary thesis at the end of the third semester, with the defence of your thesis taking place at the end of the eighth semester.

As of September 2023, all PhD admission offers are accompanied by a financial support package covering the four years of the PhD programme. This scholarship includes both a stipend and a contribution towards tuition fees. Also included in the package, an interesting professional development programme for those who choose to benefit from a Teaching Assistant contract during the 3rd and 4th year of study.

PhD students who obtain full funding from the Swiss Government Excellence Scholarship, or from an externally funded research project led by one of our faculty members, may also be admitted. Externally funded research projects usually refer to those supported by the Swiss National Science Foundation.

What can I say about my experience at the Geneva Graduate Institute? One of my favourite parts is that the Institute is a small and diverse community, where people are passionate and empowered by their specific interests in Academia and their professional lives. It has been particularly enriching for me to be part of this tight-knit community of people .

MISHTI / Alumna 2017

How did the Institute help build my career? It is really beyond the education. It's that experience, it's that exposure you get here no matter which country you are from. You will have the ability to develop; you will have the ability to maximise your potential to be able to reach out to different organisations. It's there within the curriculum, within that experience, it's there.

SAMHITA / Alumna 2019

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How do students benefit from faculty? The professors are really willing to help you forge, not just your thesis, but your idea and how you want to learn and proceed. It’s not all about the lectures you have in class, it’s also about what you learn outside.

YUNG-HSUAN / Interdisciplinary master student

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THE PROSPECTIVE NEWSLETTERS SERIES

Insight newsletter

Subscribe to Insight, our new prospective newsletters series, and receive the latest news on our programmes directly in your mailbox.

Select the departments that interest you and regularly receive an overview of their latest articles, videos, podcasts, and upcoming online events, as well as precious application advice suited to their programmes.

Each newsletter is sent six times per year. By subscribing to all of them, you will receive no more than one newsletter per week.

What is the ranking of the Geneva Graduate Institute?

The Geneva Graduate Institute is proud to be considered among the top institutions in programme-specific classifications, highlighting our academic excellence and strong policy orientation.

However, we do not participate in general university rankings, which are primarily designed for large, comprehensive institutions offering a broad spectrum of disciplines and undergraduate education. As a highly specialised postgraduate school focused exclusively on Master and PhD programmes in five disciplines, our unique profile falls outside the scope of these rankings.

The Institute’s standing and impact can be gauged through the achievements of our alumni, the relevance and reach of our research, the quality of our public and academic events, and our ongoing commitment to academic rigour, critical thinking, and global engagement.

Nevertheless, the programme-specific classification available from Foreign Policy lists the Geneva Graduate Institute among the world’s leading master programmes in international relations.

Moreover, for over twenty years, the Geneva Graduate Institute has been a member of APSIA: the Association of Professional Schools of International Affairs. APSIA’s worldwide members are graduate programmes in international affairs that possess a proven track record of superior quality in education, training, and career outcomes. In 2025, the Director of the Geneva Graduate Institute, Marie-Laure Salles, was invited to join APSIA Executive Committee, alongside the leaders of Sciences Po, Paris; Princeton School of Public and International Affairs; Graduate School of Public and International Affairs at the University of Pittsburgh; the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, National University of Singapore; School of Government and Public Transformation of the Instituto Techológico de Monterrey; and IE University Madrid.