FAQs: Doctoral Program
Very few students are admitted to the Doctoral Program. The admissions process is designed to identify those applicants who are most likely to succeed in their studies and their careers and for whom there is a good match between their interests and those of the faculty. Decisions are not based on one single indicator.
The program admits approximately 5-8 students to the PhD Program each year. The admit rate is around 5%.
The application for admission is available in early September and can be submitted online.
The program prepares graduates for careers at academic institutions, in think tanks, research firms, and research units of public, quasi-public and private organizations, as well as for other positions with substantial responsibilities for the supervision and administration of research.
No. Wagner PhD students are admitted for the fall semester only.
While you can apply without a master's degree, nearly all admitted students do have a graduate degree.
The best way to begin learning about the PhD Program is to browse the website, which contains complete information about the PhD Program's academic policies, admissions procedures, degree requirements, fields of study and program resources, as well as information about the NYU Wagner
An important feature of the Wagner Doctoral Program is the wide range of opportunities for students to obtain the skills and experience necessary to become effective teachers. There are opportunities for doctoral students to work with full-time faculty as tutors, teaching assistants and, eventually, as primary instructors in courses in the master's curriculum.
The Wagner PhD Program prepares students for careers in research. You should be confident that you are interested in pursuing such a career. As a potential applicant, you should carefully consider both the course requirements and the fields of concentration offered by the program to see if they provide preparation in your areas of interest.
PhD students who do not come with their own funding receive a four-year research apprenticeship (or equivalent), which carries full tuition remission, a stipend, student health insurance and a $1,000 start-up grant. No additional application materials are required for consideration.
Successful completion of the doctoral degree requires 72 academic course credits with a B+ or better average, completion and passing of the Preliminary Qualifying Examination, completion and passing of two comprehensive exams, a third year research paper, and a completed dissertation.