Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies, PhD

Course Requirements

• WST 600 - Feminist Interdisciplinary Histories and Methods 3 credits
• WST 601 - Feminist Theories 3 credits
• WST 680 - Proseminar: Navigating Graduate School and Beyond 3 credits
• WST 698 - Practicing Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies 3 credits
• Twelve additional graduate courses, at least three of which must be WST courses numbered 600 or higher or appropriate graduate level seminars offered by another department and cross-listed by WGSS.

Foreign Language

The WGSS PhD program does not require students to demonstrate proficiency in another language. However, students who plan to undertake research that involves proficiency in a language other than English or their native language will need to work with their advisor to ensure they are prepared.

Comprehensive Examination

The Comprehensive Exam is the foundation for becoming a doctoral candidate. It is designed to demonstrate that you have the historical, theoretical, and methodological foundations needed to undertake doctoral research. The exam process is intricately connected to your dissertation project and serves as a launching pad for the dissertation. The exams and their evaluation procedures also mirror the dissertation defense and other academic processes, and thus are intentionally designed to support your professionalization into academia.

On the Comprehensive Exam, you must demonstrate the breadth of your knowledge and your familiarity with feminist, gender, queer, and/or trans theories, and interdisciplinary methods, and are also required to prove the depth of your knowledge when it comes to your specific area of research as it relates to one of the department’s seven areas of specialization in WGSS: Black & Women of Color Feminisms; Critical Disability Studies; Political Thought, Social Justice, & Policy; Queer & Trans Studies; Transnational Feminisms; Feminist Media Studies; and Race & Ethnic Studies. 

PhD students typically take their comprehensive examination in the early spring of their third year in the program, and no more than one year after completing their coursework. If you have not taken your exams by the end of the third year, this will be discussed during your Annual Review. Although the department will work to help you get you back on track and complete your degree, your advisor, along with the Graduate Studies Committee, may suggest leaving the Ph.D. program and applying to change your Degree Program and acquire a terminal Master’s degree, if you do not have one. 

Dissertation

The dissertation represents the culmination of your doctoral study and must be an original contribution to the scholarship in your field(s) of expertise. The form of the dissertation is determined by the candidate in consultation with their committee members. A traditional dissertation is approximately 200 pages, double-spaced, and written in standard academic prose. However, the dissertation could also take the form of a book manuscript, a series of journal articles, or a multimodal project that combines academic prose with images or other forms of artistic expression. Thus, the length will vary based on the style of the dissertation.

Teaching Assistantships

Ph.D. students awarded teaching assistantships receive four years of support. Awards are renewable annually, provided the student maintains satisfactory academic progress towards the degree and performs teaching duties appropriately. Students (other than Graduate Council fellows and Turner fellows) should not count on assistantship resources beyond the fourth year of study.

Advisor and Mentor

Upon admission to the PhD or MA program, your default advisor is the Graduate Program  Director. You will meet with the Graduate Program Director when your first semester begins to discuss your coursework plans for the year, to talk about your larger goals for graduate study, and to start filling out your Degree Progress Form. As you get started in the program, you should consult the Graduate Program Director with any questions you have about degree requirements,  research projects, teaching activities, or professional development. At a minimum, you should meet with the Graduate Program Director at least once more during the fall and on an ongoing basis during the spring. In sum, the Graduate Program Director will guide you through your first year in the program and will oversee your Annual Review at the end of the spring semester. 

Residence Requirement

The University requires that students receiving a Ph.D. must take at least two consecutive semesters of full-time graduate study. For those entering without prior graduate study or with fewer than 24 graduate credits, this usually means 12 credits per semester; for those entering with more than 24 graduate credits or with advanced standing provided by prior graduate work, this would mean 9 credits per semester.