Many American colleges and universities have campuses located in foreign countries. Most of these campuses are located in Europe, Asia and the Middle East. American colleges with foreign campuses include Johns Hopkins, Yale, Duke and Cornell. Webster University in particular has numerous foreign campuses located in the The Netherlands, Austria, Switzerland and Thailand. PhD programs at American foreign campuses give students an American quality education in an international settings. PhD programs at these schools are offered in the same subjects offered in American PhD programs: business, humanities, science, social sciences and languages.
Some foreign schools are highly desired by American graduate students for their specialized programs. For example, students who wish to study the history or culture of a foreign country are often advised to study at a school in that country. Additionally, certain topics in sociology and anthropology require students to participate in field research, and studying at a school located near the key areas may provide access to resources that American schools do not provide. Cultural antropology research in China, for example, is largely dominated by researchers at Chinese schools.
Most colleges and universities offer programs in foreign languages. For students who are interested in getting a PhD in Russian, Korean or Cantonese, it may be a good idea to look into schools located in a country where the language is widely spoken. It is generally acknowledged that immersion provides a stronger foundation for language learning compared to classroom instruction. Because studying abroad can provide immersion in a foreign language, it is highly recommended to students who want to pursue a PhD in a foreign language.
There are some subjects that are not usually taught at the graduate level in English-speaking colleges. These subjects include Chinese medicine, Eastern Religions and Islamic philosophy. It is possible to find programs in these subjects at American colleges but not often at the PhD level. PhD degrees in these subjects may be offered in a foreign language, and thus may be necessary to be fully bilingual before enrolling. However, some schools, such as the Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, offer PhD instruction in English. Classes and programs in these subejcts may not follow the Western model; for example, graduate work in Chinese medicine does not usually involve writing a thesis.
Ultimately, the value in a foreign PhD depends on goals and aspirations of the student. American Ivy League schools are widely considered to provide the best graduate level education in many core subjects, such as science, engineering, law, math and business. However, for students who wish to work in fields that are not commonly taught at American schools, a PhD from a foreign university might prove more advantageous. For a student who wishes to teach Mandarin Chinese in America, a PhD from a Chinese university would be the ideal credential. For a student who wishes to be a legal academic in a country that does not follow Anglo-American legal traditions, a PhD from a foreign school would be necessary. A student who aspires to be a professor in any subject relating to a foreign culture would benefit from having a PhD from the country they hope to study.