What should be done to have a PhD in International Trade area?

Hi Hadi,

I work in trade procurement and it definitely is a very important area for any company to function. I did my MBA in International business and ended up in this field. It is very under appreciated simply because people don't understand its value until there is a crisis.  However it is a great field to be in as no country can function without trade professionals.

I would advice you consider a master in trade area as this would be needed to apply for a PhD. I am aware they are some schools that combine the master/PhD degree as well but you may need to research in this area. Again it is a great field to work in, new challenge everyday and always critical. Good Luck!

Dear Hadi,

Good question ! Many people are unaware of the potential of this field when the world is still in the process of shrinking into a global village because of international trade. I came to know about the importance of this field and as a study subject when I interacted with professionals from USA/China and Hong Kong for importing couple of telecom gears few years ago. One has to accept that come what may, international trade will flourish in future as no country can be master of its own in all aspects.

Coming back to the question, this subject is not very common but I can tell you about an institution in India which is well known in this field called India Institute of Foreign Trade, New Delhi. Admission to this institute is considered to be one of the toughest among all B schools (IIMs/FMS/NMIMS, SP Jain etc) in India. Many people who are interested in International trade prefer this Institute over IIM Ahmedabad or even FMS, Delhi University which draws the top rankers in CAT (Common Admission Test) examination. You may like to go through the portal of this institute to get an idea. In addition, cost of Ph.D in India will be much cheaper than Canada, that is for sure.

The basic qualification for applying for Ph.D in any subject is Masters degree in the relevant subject. For your area of interest you should do MA/MS in Economics, International Business or MBA (Finance/International Trade) etc and then opt for Ph.D from a good university.

Since you are in Canada, you can plan for such a course from your country from a decent university. All the very Best.