About the program
The Global Governance and Human Security PhD program sits at the intersection between the outcomes that matter most to individuals – political freedom, guaranteed human rights, and personal self-respect – and the processes that state, private, and public actors employ to achieve those outcomes. Working to understand these relationships, the program’s primary concentration tracks mirror the interconnected strands of a set of global issues:
- Conflict resolution
- Environment
- Gender, human rights, and human development (including global public health)
- Political economy
Students who wish to explore a new area of inquiry can elect to develop their own track and course of study.
Students in the program acquire expertise in at least one substantive field of global governance and human security, conduct original research on a specific global concern, and develop analytical tools and practical skills for problem solving – including an understanding of global governance and organization, quantitative and qualitative methods, and cross-cultural collaboration.
Research opportunities
Early in the course of the program, students participate in two research groups directed by program faculty. Each student has the opportunity to learn as a research apprentice and to collaborate on research with faculty and other students. UMass Boston’s many research centers provide platforms for student-faculty collaborative research and outreach into the policy world. Faculty and students also participate in a variety of joint research initiatives with universities and organizations in Ethiopia, Germany, India, Nigeria, South Africa, and the United Kingdom, among others.
Centers
Center for Governance and Sustainability
Linking analytical rigor and policy action in environmental, development and sustainability governance globally through state-of-the-art research, interactive dialogue, and comprehensive training for innovative leadership.
Center for Peace, Democracy, and Development
Promoting conflict resolution, democracy, economic development, education building, media development, and legal and judicial reform through partnerships and training programs across the globe.
Support for Career Development
While completing his or her dissertation research, each student works with program faculty, administrative staff, and the program advisory board to develop a job search strategy for the specific field or fields that the student plans to enter or return to. Students also participate in workshops on job-search strategies, presentation of credentials, interviewing, and research talks.
