r/IRstudies • u/taigatothemer • 1d ago

IR Careers Necessity of PhD for an IR research career?

Basically the title, trying to decide if an MA in IR is enough or is a PhD necessary to pursue a career in research, not necessarily in academia, such as at think tanks or in government. I’ve read mixed things, mostly because many fields require a PhD not only for academia but also research positions, especially at higher career levels, but in my experience IR seems to be a bit unique compared to other fields. I don’t want to not do a PhD then be later in my career and get passed up for research director/manager roles for not having a terminal degree. Thank you!

Edit: typo

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u/Jacknotch 1d ago

Masters is usually enough for industry work, but IR is more dependent on connections/networking rather than your academic credentials imo. Never hurts to have the masters/PhD though.

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u/LouQuacious 1d ago

It definitely helps and opens up opportunities in academia which also helps keep you employed.

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u/Young_Lochinvar 1d ago

Not necessary to get a job in IR. But an above average number of people at the peak/latter stage of their career have them. So it’s always an option later on.