gender studies phd

Gender Studies, PHD

On this page:, at a glance: program details.

• Location: Tempe campus
• Additional Program Fee: No
• Second Language Requirement: No

The Gender Studies doctoral program accepts applications for incoming cohorts in odd years only. The next admit term is Fall 2025 (applications due in December 2024). Please contact [email protected] with questions.

Program Description

Degree Awarded: PHD Gender Studies

The PhD program in gender studies is housed in the nation's first School of Social Transformation. The inclusive gender studies doctoral program empowers tomorrow's scholars and community leaders by immersing students in:

• creative and critical knowledge production
• deep fluency in feminist theory, methodology and praxis
• publicly engaged academic research

Courses in the gender studies program examine key topics related to gender. These include gendered dimensions of social structures, institutions and organizations; the ways in which policies and laws affect gender relations; the intersections of race, gender, sexualities and citizenship in a transnational world; historical and contemporary representations of gender across genres (e.g., popular culture; social media; scientific, medical, historical and legal discourse); and processes of social change, social movements and community development.

Students can choose to specialize in a wide variety of topic areas:

• activism and social movements
• BIPOC feminisms
• critical globalization and development studies
• critical refugee studies
• feminist social reproduction theory
• immigration and migration
• popular culture studies
• queer of color critique
• reproductive justice
• transnational feminisms

Degree Requirements

Curriculum plan options.

• 84 credit hours, a written comprehensive exam, an oral comprehensive exam, a prospectus and a dissertation

Required Core (12 credit hours) WST 601 Critical Concepts of Gender (3) WST 602 Mapping the Intersections of Gender (3) WST 603 Engendering Methodology (3) WST 701 Research Design and Proposal Development in Gender Studies (3)

Elective Coursework in Methodology (6 credit hours)

Elective Coursework in Specialization (12 credit hours)

General Electives (30 credit hours)

Research (12 credit hours)

Dissertation (12 credit hours) WST 799 Dissertation (12)

Additional Curriculum Information When approved by the student's supervisory committee and the Graduate College, this program allows 30 credit hours from a previously awarded master's degree to be used for this degree. If students do not have a previously awarded master's degree, they select 30 hours of elective coursework with academic unit approval to reach the required 84 credit hours.

Students should see the academic unit for a complete list of approved electives.

Students must maintain an average GPA of 3.50 (scale is 4.00 = "A") in their courses.

The gender studies doctoral program is designed to provide students with the transdisciplinary training in theory and methods needed to conduct original research and scholarship about gender. Thus, students also take two research methods courses relevant to their dissertation, chosen in consultation with their faculty advisor.

Admission Requirements

Applicants must fulfill the requirements of both the Graduate College and The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences.

The gender studies program welcomes applications from qualified students without regard to race, creed, color, religion, sex or national origin. Applicants are eligible to apply to the program if they have earned a bachelor's or master's degree in any field from a regionally accredited institution.

Applicants must have a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.00 (scale is 4.00 = "A") in the last 60 hours of their first bachelor's degree program, or applicants must have a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.00 (scale is 4.00 = "A") in an applicable master's degree program.

All applicants must submit:

• graduate admission application and application fee
• official copies of all undergraduate and graduate transcripts
• resume or curriculum vitae
• statement of purpose
• three letters of reference, preferably from faculty or other researchers
• writing sample (10 to 15 pages)
• proof of English language proficiency

Additional Application Information An applicant whose native language is not English must provide proof of English proficiency regardless of their current residency.

Students should see the ASU Admission Services website for mailing addresses and further admission information.

For additional financial information, students should consult the tuition and aid website.

Next Steps to attend ASU

Learn about our programs, apply to a program, visit our campus, application deadlines, learning outcomes.

• Integrate and apply the core theories of gender in the field of Women and Gender Studies.
• Evaluate and apply core methodologies in the field of Women and Gender Studies.
• Examine and apply intersectionality as a foundational framework in the field of Women and Gender Studies.

Career Opportunities

Graduates of the program have gone on to careers at universities, research and policy institutes, government organizations and nonprofit organizations.

Global Opportunities

Global experience.

With over 250 programs in more than 65 countries (ranging from one week to one year), study abroad is possible for all ASU students wishing to gain global skills and knowledge in preparation for a 21st-century career. Students earn ASU credit for completed courses, while staying on track for graduation, and may apply financial aid and scholarships toward program costs. https://mystudyabroad.asu.edu

Program Contact Information

If you have questions related to admission, please click here to request information and an admission specialist will reach out to you directly. For questions regarding faculty or courses, please use the contact information below.

• [email protected]
• 480/965-7682

• Women’s, Gender, & Sexuality Studies

The Program in Women’s, Gender, & Sexuality Studies (WGSS) offers a combined PhD in conjunction with five departments and programs: African American Studies, American Studies, Anthropology, English, and Sociology. Students pursuing the combined PhD in WGSS will determine their research and doctoral foci in coordination with the directors of graduate studies in WGSS and the partnering department or program.

• Programs of Study
• PhD - Doctor of Philosophy
• Combined PhD

Dara Strolovitch

Director of Graduate Studies

• [email protected]

Maureen Gardner

Departmental Registrar

• [email protected]
• 203-432-7737

Admission Requirements

Standardized testing requirements.

GRE is optional. 

English Language Requirement

TOEFL iBT or IELTS Academic is required of most applicants whose native language is not English.

You may be exempt from this requirement if you have received (or will receive) an undergraduate degree from a college or university where English is the primary language of instruction, and if you have studied in residence at that institution for at least three years.

Combined Degree Program Application Deadline

*The deadline to submit an application to a combined program is always the earlier deadline of the two individual programs, or December 15, whichever comes first.

Academic Information

Combined phd information.

Women’s, Gender, & Sexuality Studies offers a combined PhD in conjunction with several other departments and programs including: African American Studies , American Studies , Anthropology , English Languages and Literature , and Sociology .

Program Advising Guidelines

GSAS Advising Guidelines

Academic Resources

Academic calendar.

The Graduate School's academic calendar lists important dates and deadlines related to coursework, registration, financial processes, and milestone events such as graduation.

Featured Resource

Registration Information and Dates

https://registration.yale.edu/

Students must register every term in which they are enrolled in the Graduate School. Registration for a given term takes place the semester prior, and so it's important to stay on top of your academic plan. The University Registrar's Office oversees the systems that students use to register. Instructions about how to use those systems and the dates during which registration occurs can be found on their registration website.

Financial Information

Phd stipend & funding.

PhD students at Yale are normally fully-funded. During their programs, our students receive a twelve-month stipend to cover living expenses and a fellowship that covers the full cost of tuition and student healthcare.

• PhD Student Funding Overview
• Graduate Financial Aid Office
• PhD Stipends
• Health Award
• Tuition and Fees

Alumni Insights

Below you will find alumni placement data for our departments and programs.

Ph.D. Program in Gender and Women’s Studies

Prospective students.

• Application Process More
• PhD Concentrations More
• Frequently Asked Questions More
• Campus Resources More
• Life in Madison More

Current Students

• PhD Program Handbook More
• Advising More
• Courses More
• Syllabus Library More
• Funding Opportunities More

Our Program

The PhD degree in Gender and Women’s Studies provides advanced feminist training for students with a variety of academic backgrounds and career plans. The degree engages the multidisciplinary perspectives associated with gender studies, including queer studies, transgender studies, sexuality studies, race and ethnicity studies, postcolonial and settler-colonial studies, disability studies, area and global studies, cultural studies, and art, visual culture, and performance studies.

Faculty and students in our program, often working within other departments as well, develop scholarly expertise in areas such as: Gender and Health; LGBTQ2SIA+ Studies; Visual Culture, Art, and Performance Studies; Disability Studies; Gender and Sexuality in History; Gender and Politics; Psychology, Gender, and Sexuality; Transnational, Postcolonial, and Settler Colonial Studies; Care Work, Community Action, and Social Movements.

A unique feature of the Wisconsin PhD program in GWS is that all students complete a 15-credit concentration (mostly) outside GWS. The concentration may be in a traditional discipline (e.g., History or Political Science) or an interdisciplinary area (e.g., Gender and Health, or LGBTQ+ Studies). With the concentration, students will have expanded options on the academic and non-academic job markets, and they will learn research methods and content that will be useful for their dissertation and research beyond that. For more information, see the Concentration tab.

The Department benefits from numerous campus resources including a dedicated Office and Gender and Women’s Studies Librarian, the McBurney Disability Resource Center, the Gender and Sexuality Campus Center, and other vital resources that may be found under the Campus Resources tab.

Land Acknowledgement

From Land Acknowledgement to Action – a Bibliography from the Office of the Gender & Women’s Studies Librarian

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UCLA Graduate Programs

Graduate Program: Gender Studies

UCLA's Graduate Program in Gender Studies offers the following degree(s):

Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.)

Masters available on Doctoral track

• Admission Requirements
• Program Statistics

With questions not answered here or on the program’s site (above), please contact the program directly.

Gender Studies Graduate Program at UCLA 1120 Rolfe Hall Box 951504 Los Angeles, CA 90095-1504

Visit the Gender Studies’s faculty roster

COURSE DESCRIPTIONS

Visit the registrar's site for the Gender Studies’s course descriptions

(310) 206-8101

[email protected] [email protected]

MAJOR CODE: GENDER STUDIES

• Department of Global Gender and Sexuality Studies >
• Graduate >

PhD in Global Gender Studies

For priority consideration, PhD applicants should submit their fall application by  December 15th . Master's applicants should submit their fall application by the first Friday in February . Fall MA applications are considered through August 15 and spring MA applications are considered through January 24.

• 11/17/22 Graduate Admissions
• 10/28/19 Financial Aid and Assistantships

GGSs students touring the Albright Knox Art Gallery

UB's Department of Global Gender and Sexuality Studies is one of only 12 doctoral degree-granting Women/Gender Studies departments in the U.S., and offered the first  doctoral program in women's studies in the SUNY system. We build collaborations among faculty and students by exploring the intersections of gender, race, class, and disability to produce innovative scholarship.

About the PhD Program

Global Gender and Sexuality Studies attracts a wide range of PhD students into a welcoming and diverse community. Students work on their dissertations in close collaboration with hands-on faculty mentors who represent a diverse array of disciplines, and take advantage of opportunities outside the classroom such as conferences, community activism, and writing workshops .

PhD students experience a competitive doctoral program with particular strengths in the areas of literary analysis, gender and global citizenship, gender and public policy, art and cultural production, sexuality studies, and feminist and queer theories. Our department has successfully placed PhDs in Global Gender Studies in academic careers as well as jobs in public policy, the non-profit sector, government, and more.

The faculty at GGS took incredible time to mentor me. I took classes in research methods and ultimately conducted my own study that was later published.

About Applying

All of our graduate programs' applications require a personal statement, which is both a life narrative and a statement of research interests.  On our application, you will be asked to respond to this essay prompt: Please tell us about yourself, your history, and your academic interests. Describe your motivations and preparation for pursuing this graduate degree. Outline the questions, areas of specialization, and/or methodologies that you intend to pursue. How would our department help you to achieve your goals? Your statement should describe how your education (both inside and outside of the classroom) has prepared you to undertake this graduate degree, and the kinds of questions, subjects, and angles of approach you would like to focus on in your graduate studies.  You should also give your reasons for applying to UB and to this department; what resources are here that would support your scholarly and professional goals? This statement of your academic interests does  not  commit you to this specific project or specialization in any way; rather, it should give a sense of your intellectual trajectory--where you're coming from, and where you intend to go next.  We want to see that you can articulate a field (or fields) of academic inquiry, and how you situate yourself within and among the different disciplinary methdologies that make up the diverse inter-discpline of feminist, gender, and sexuality studies.

Degree Requirements

Coursework A total of 72 credits are required for the PhD degree in Global Gender Studies, out of which at least 36 credits must be taken in the Department of Global Gender and Sexuality Studies. Students usually take between five and seven years to complete the doctoral program.

Core Requirements All doctoral students are required to complete the following:

• One 3-credit theory course such as GGS 518 – Readings in Feminist Theory
• One 3-credit quantitative methods (Quantitative Research Methods) or  one 3-credit qualitative methods (Ethnographic Methods)
• An additional six seminars in Global Gender Studies
• Comprehensive exams, a dissertation prospectus, and an oral defense of the written dissertation

Major Concentration The PhD program requires a student to design, in consultation with their academic advisor(s), a coherent interdisciplinary program. Students can take courses from a wide range of other UB departments and schools.

For additional guidelines and specific information regarding academic planning, doctoral students should consult the GGSs Graduate Student Handbook and their academic advisors.

Meet Our Students

With questions about the PhD program, please contact:

Phone: (716) 645-0790

[email protected]

PhD Program Metrics

Comprehensive examinations.

The goal of this exam is that the student demonstrates a comprehensive, broad knowledge of the field(s) on which their dissertation will focus. As this degree program is interdisciplinary in nature, the student should also demonstrate the ability to make interconnections with other fields of study. All doctoral students must successfully complete a comprehensive examination involving both written and oral components.

For more information regarding comprehensive examinations, doctoral students should consult the Graduate Handbook and their academic advisors.

The following forms are required:

Dissertation Committees

The Dissertation Committee is composed of at minimum three members of the UB graduate faculty. Students may add additional non-UB faculty members. Students work closely with their Dissertation Committee in the fulfillment of all major degree requirements. 

For specific information regarding academic planning, dissertation preparation, and defense, doctoral students should consult the graduate handbook and their academic advisors.

• Reserve WLH 309

Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies

Combined phd program in wgss.

The WGSS Program at Yale is proud to announce our new Combined PhD degree! We are thrilled to work with a new generation of scholars committed to feminist and queer inquiry, and to researching gender and sexuality across axes of difference and inequality. Our faculty work on questions of gender and sexuality from a wide range of theoretical and methodological locations, concentrating our attention on transnational politics and security regimes, public law and sexual violence, reproduction and reproductive technologies, incarceration, social movements and protest, race and racism, neoliberalism, and Islam. We hope you will join us to pursue your WGSS scholarship.

Students may pursue a Combined PhD in WGSS with one of our five spartnering departments: African American Studies , American Studies , Anthropology , English or Sociology .

Program Requirements

In their first two years of study, students in the Combined PhD program will complete Introduction to Women’s, Gender & Sexuality Studies (WGSS 600), Feminist and Queer Theory (WGSS 700), Methods in Gender & Sexuality Studies (WGSS 800)* and one elective.  Typically, electives taken in the student’s partnering Department will be cross-titled with WGSS or will substantively examine gender and sexuality.  Students will enroll for two sequential semesters in WGSS 900, Colloquium & Working Group.  The Colloquium and Working Group convene several Monday evenings throughout the semester; faculty and graduate students present works in progress.

*The WGSS DGS will determine, case-by-case, whether or not the methods course offered by the student’s primary department fulfills our methods requirement.

WGSS 600: Introduction to Women’s, Gender & Sexuality Studies (typically offered fall semester)

Introduction to women’s, gender, and sexuality studies as a field of knowledge and to the interdiscipline’s structuring questions and tensions. The course genealogizes feminist and queer knowledge production, and the institutionalization of WGSS, by examining several of our key terms.

WGSS 700: Feminist & Queer Theory (typically offered spring semester)

Survey of feminist and queer theoretic contestations, focusing both on historical foundations and contemporary articulations. Students examine the Marxist, critical race, postcolonial, transnational and liberal philosophical coordinates of feminist and queer theories.

WGSS 800: Methods in Gender & Sexuality Studies (offered alternate years)

A practical forum that explores interdisciplinary methods and modes of analysis and evidence building for research in WGSS. Examines interventions from cultural studies, archive studies, ethnography, STS and media studies. Foci on the historicity of knowledge production, ethical research, and scholarship examining (what’s “feminist” or “queer” about) feminist and queer methods.

Teaching Fellowship

WGSS Combined PhD students will typically teach or serve as a teaching fellow in their third and fourth years in the program, unless their dissertation research plans require other arrangements. The courses will usually be WGSS-titled and undergraduate level.

Dissertation Proposal

Students in their third year of study will undertake a dissertation proposal workshop with faculty from the WGSS program.

Dissertation

Students will typically research and write their dissertations in their final two- to three-years of study. At least one faculty committee member of the student’s dissertation will hold a primary, tenured or tenure-track appointment in WGSS.

How to Apply

To apply to the Combined PhD in WGSS (and AFAM, AMST, ANTH, ENGL or SOCY), please visit the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences admissions page .   The deadline to submit an application to a combined program is always the earlier deadline of the two individual programs, or December 15, whichever comes first.

Requirements for Transfer into the Combined Ph.D. Program

Students already pursuing a Ph.D. in one of the five partnering departments and programs listed above may apply for transfer into the combined Ph.D. in WGSS.

Interested students should submit a departmental transfer request form and a 2-3 page statement of interest describing why you wish to pursue the Combined Ph.D. to wgss.dgs@yale.edu .  Please indicate whether you have completed WGSS 600 and/or WGSS 900, and if not, when you intend to do so.  Your statement of interest should also outline a plan of completion for any outstanding WGSS course requirements.     Only current students in the first or second year of their degree study in American Studies, Anthropology, English, and Sociology are eligible to apply.  (Interested students in their *first* year of other Ph.D. programmes may apply to do an ad hoc combined degree with WGSS, but must first get permission from their current DGS.  See here for more information about ad hoc joint degrees.) 

For admission in fall 2024, please submit your form and statement of interest to wgss.dgs@yale.edu by 15 December 2023. The WGSS graduate admissions committee hopes to inform applicants of its decisions in early March 2024.

Still have questions? Please see the  Combined PhD FAQs .

PHD Program

We welcome your interest in the Gender and Women’s Studies (GWS) PhD program and graduate certificate program at the University of Kentucky!

The GWS PhD program is designed to train cutting-edge scholars in feminist, gender, and sexuality studies. The program was established in 2013, and our first PhD student graduated in 2018.  The GWS certificate program was established in 1994, and close to 200 students from a variety of academic fields have earned graduate certificates.  Students in both programs have a wide range of professional goals and research interests.

The GWS department is deeply committed to academic innovation and student-centered teaching in both women’s studies, in which lived experiences of women worldwide are honored and used to expand traditional disciplinary knowledges, and gender studies, which examines how we ascribe gendered meanings to everyday objects, experiences, and relationships across space and time. Our curriculum is shaped by an intellectually and culturally diverse faculty whose areas of expertise complement each other in ways that ensure that students gain a variety of knowledge and skills, including transnational perspectives, critical theory, affect theory, social justice frameworks, and interdisciplinary methodologies. Our faculty actively publish and teach in a broad range of topical areas, including gendered violence, social movements and activism, the law, reproductive justice, education, (dis)ability, masculinities, migration, body studies, popular culture, sexualities, queer theory, science, health, and prejudice and inequality.

Core graduate classes in GWS include feminist theory, the history of feminist thought, and feminist research methodologies.  In addition, we offer a broad range of GWS topical seminars and cross-listed courses including Queer Theory; Black Feminist Theory; Transnational Feminisms; Girlhood Studies; Health, Bodies, and Debility; Gender and Science; Gender, the Courts, and Law; Queer of Color in the Global Context; Post-Colonialism; Ferguson and Race in a Historical Perspective; Queer Literature; and Prejudice and Inequality in the Social Sciences. We also offer graduate seminars through the Social Theory Program, cross-listed courses with affiliated GWS faculty in other departments, and programming in conjunction with the African American and Africana Studies and the Latin American, Caribbean, and Latino/a Studies Programs. (Click on the link to Graduate Courses for further information about course offerings).

In the doctoral program, students work closely with GWS faculty to plan their coursework, engage in scholarship, and work toward their career goals. GWS graduate students are integral members of the department, and we are strongly committed to offering opportunities for interaction, intellectual exchange, networking, mentoring, and collaboration with a wide variety of scholars, venues, and professional associations. Many of our graduate students also participate in interdisciplinary programs and centers at the University of Kentucky, including the Office of LGBTQ Resources, Center for Equality and Social Justice, Office for Policy Studies on Violence Against Women, Appalachian Center, Violence Intervention and Prevention Center, Women Writers Conference, Black Women’s Conference, Center for the Enhancement of Learning and Teaching, and Social Theory Program. The department’s faculty and students are also highly visible at national conferences and professional associations including the National Women’s Studies Conference, American Studies Association, Appalachian Studies Association, Popular Culture Association, American Anthropology Association, Association for Asian Studies, American Men Studies, Latin American Studies, International Conference on Narrative, and the Berkshire Women’s History Conference.  

GWS graduate students are regularly recognized for their many achievements. GWS students teach classes such as Gender and Popular Culture, Sex Roles, and Social Movements. The College of Arts and Sciences has recognized several of our doctoral students, including Miles Feroli, Ashley Ruderman-Looff, and Shawna Felkin, with highly competitive Outstanding Teaching Assistant Awards. Our graduate students also have been awarded competitive fellowships from the College of Arts and Sciences, Center for Equality and Social Justice, and Office for Policy Studies of Violence Against Women. Mel Lesch was awarded the inaugural Sarah Bennett Holmes Award for their work on behalf of LGBTQ people.  GWS graduate students have published papers in prestigious journals, such as Signs , Feminist Frontiers , and Journal of Lesbian Studies . Graduates of our program are now faculty members at the University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth, Berea College, Wayne State University, and St. Norbert College. We are incredibly proud of our graduate students’ accomplishments!

Information on the GWS PhD program, the GWS certificate program, requirements for application and admission, funding and assistantships, and degree requirements are available on this website. If you have questions after reading these materials, please contact us at [email protected]

We look forward to hearing from you!

Jenn Hunt, Director of Graduate Studies Department of Gender and Women's Studies  

For more information click on the links below:

• Admissions and Financial Aid
• Degree Requirements
• Frequently Asked Questions about Applying

Ph.D. Program

The Ph.D. program in the Department of Gender and Women's Studies at the University of Arizona admits students every two years .   We will next accept applications in Fall 2025 for admission for Fall 2026.

The Ph.D. program trains scholars and researchers in this dynamic, interdisciplinary field. Graduates produce original knowledge in the field from a foundation in diverse theories of gender, critical race theory, feminism and other social movements, history, literature, critical and cultural studies, and the relation of gender, race, ethnicity, sexuality, and transnational economic and political processes.

Through coursework and preparation for individually designed comprehensive exams, students gain understanding and skills in diverse approaches to feminist scholarship that enable them to design and complete their own innovative dissertation project.

The department has particular expertise in Chicana/Latina studies, LGBTQ/Sexuality Studies, transnationalism, and representation and culture and maintains methodologically diverse approaches to scholarship.

Through its affiliation with the Southwest Institute for Research on Women the department also contributes to applied community-based research on women's and adolescent health, substance abuse treatment, women and incarceration, and projects related to border issues.

Contact Information

Admissions Questions

Darcy Roman-Felix Academic Program Coordinator [email protected] (520) 621-5657

Other Inquiries

Dr. Eithne Luibheid [email protected] 520-626-2746

How to Apply

Students applying to The University of Arizona's Ph.D. in Gender and Women's Studies degree program must submit the online Graduate Admissions Application .

Applicants  do not need agreement in advance  from a faculty member who will serve as their Ph.D. supervisor. Instead, applicants’ statement of purpose should clearly explain which Gender and Women’s Studies core faculty member(s) they hope to work with, and how their planned program of study connects with that faculty's expertise. 

Application Deadline

The Ph.D. program in the Department of Gender and Women's Studies at the University of Arizona admits students every two years .   We will next accept applications in Fall 2025 for admission for Fall 2026. This program does not accept spring admissions.

Application deadline for Fall 2026 admission: TBA

Application Requirements

Students applying to The University of Arizona's Ph.D. in Gender and Women's Studies degree program should hold a baccalaureate degree or its equivalent by the date of entry into the program. An undergraduate major or minor in Women's Studies or a strong background in feminist theory within the undergraduate major is strongly recommended. To be competitive for admissions, applicants must achieve a GPA of at least 3.0.

Letters of Recommendation (3)

The Department requires each applicant to have a minimum of 3 letters of recommendation submitted on their behalf.  The letters of recommendation should be written by faculty that can speak about your academic and research ability.

Statement of Purpose

Please provide a statement of up to 1000 words outlining your purpose in undertaking graduate study in Gender & Women’s Studies, and at the UA in particular, including your academic objectives, research interests, and career plans. Include information that documents your preparation for advanced study in this field, such as research projects, internships, or other relevant experiences. If there are particular faculty member with whom you wish to study, please give their names and explain why you want to study with them.  Please include your last name and page number in the header section of each page .

Personal Statement

Please write a statement of no more than 500 words that identifies the distinctive qualities, characteristics, and life experiences that contribute to your decision to pursue graduate education in Gender & Women’s Studies. You may wish to include examples that illustrate your motivation to succeed by setting high standards for accomplishing intellectual and other goals, overcoming obstacles to achievement, and/or your commitment to social transformation.   Please include your last name and page number in the header section of each page .

Writing Sample

This may be a term paper, a published article or essay, or a substantive research report. Your sample should demonstrate your ability to write clearly, develop a reasoned argument, and engage in innovative thinking. Please limit your writing sample to 25 pages.   Please include your last name and page number in the header section of each page .

Curriculum Vitae (CV)

Upload your CV.   Please include your last name and page number in the header section of each page .

Your CV should include:

• Education (degrees you have received or anticipate);
• Academic employment (such as teaching or research positions), whether paid or unpaid;
• Non-academic employment (including internships);
• Honors, prizes, awards, scholarships, and memberships in honor societies and professional organizations.
• Published articles, papers presented at professional meetings, screenings or other public presentations of your creative work;
• Any other activities or accomplishments that you feel are relevant to this application (e.g. extra-curricular activities during college or graduate school or substantial engagement with a non-profit or activist organizations not already listed under employment).

All transcripts uploaded into your application are considered unofficial.  If recommended for admission, then sealed, official paper transcripts or official electronic versions sent from your university or clearing house are acceptable.  Degree certificates, diplomas, and transcripts for international documents will require official English translations.

If you are recommended for admission to our program and you accept, the Graduate College Admissions Office will then and only then require you to submit official transcripts. If you fail to submit those official transcripts or if the official transcripts reveal negative information not previously disclosed to us, we reserve the right to revoke the recommendation for admission and any funding that may have been offered.

Official GRE Scores (Recommended)

The GWS department does not require applicants to submit GRE scores in order to be considered for admission. However, we recommend that you complete the GRE (even though it will not be a factor in our consideration of your application) since it required for certain fellowships and grants for which you may be eligible. 

The GRE Institution Code for The University of Arizona is  4832.

English Proficiency

English Proficiency is one of the conditions for admission for all applicants whose native language is not English. Acceptable English Proficiency credentials: 

• Test of English as a Foreign Language  (TOEFL) - minimum score of 79 iBT (or 60 on the revised PBT with no section score lower than 15).  Individual MyBest scores must also be dated within 2 years of the enrollment term to be considered valid.
• International English Language Testing System  (IELTS) - minimum composite score of 7, with no subject area below a 6
• Pearson PTE Academic  - minimum score of 60
• Graduate  English Language Endorsement  from the Center for English as a Second Language (CESL)
• CEPT Full Academic test  - offered by our Center for English as a Second Language (CESL), minimum Total score of 110.

  Please visit the Graduate College website for more information regarding  English Proficiency .

Program Requirements

Course work for the PhD includes a total minimum of 66 units:

Core Courses

Effective Fall 2023, complete 9 units:

Major Courses

Students must complete 27 additional major units. 

These may be classes in and outside of the department. They should be selected in consultation with the student’s advisor. Students may fulfill up to 10 units by enrolling in the Certificate in College Teaching. For more information see:  http://cct.oia.arizona.edu/ .

Critical Race/Ethnic Studies Course Requirement: Our faculty are committed to critical race and ethnic studies for feminist training and research. Doctoral students must complete one 3-unit course in critical race or ethnic studies, as part of the major or minor. GWS 539A, 639, and 684 may not be used to fulfill this requirement. Consult with your adviser or the DGS to select a course that meets this requirement.

Minor Requirements

At least one supporting minor of nine or more units is required for the PhD. If a doctoral student chooses two supporting minor subjects, each minor must have at least six units of coursework. Although the minor subjects are usually taken outside the major department, minors within the major department may be permitted with the approval of the student's major professor and must be included in your plan of study.

Dissertation Requirements

Students complete 18 units of dissertation units.

The dissertation is a substantial piece of original research in Gender and Women’s Studies. Great care should be taken with your dissertation.  For those students who go on to become professors, the dissertation will be a key component in job interviews. Hiring committees will want to see that the dissertation topic, research, and writing indicate that the dissertation can be revised into a publishable book in a timely fashion.

Other Program Requirements

Transfer coursework.

Graduate credit earned at approved institutions, if accepted by the Gender and Women’s Studies Department and the Graduate College, may be counted toward the requirements.  Click here to view complete details . 

For students  with  an MA in gender and women’s studies or a related field, a total of  fifteen  units may be fulfilled through approved transferred credit.

For students without an MA in gender and women’s studies or a related field, a total of  twelve  units may be fulfilled through approved transferred credit.

Qualifying Process (QP)

All students entering the Ph.D. program are required to complete a Qualifying Process.

Comprehensive Examination for Doctoral Candidacy

This Examination is intended to test the student’s comprehensive knowledge of the major and minor subjects of study, both in breadth across the general field of study, and in depth within the area of specialization.  There are two portions to the Comprehensive Examination:  the written exam and the oral exam.  They must be taken sequentially.  Students should normally take the Comprehensive Exams upon or near completion of their coursework.

Dissertation Proposal and Defense

The proposal must describe original, substantive research in Gender and Women’s Studies.  It should explain how the dissertation will contribute new knowledge to the field(s) and it should display fluency with existing scholarship related to the topic.  All members of the Dissertation Committee must approve the Dissertation Proposal at a Proposal Defense.

Dissertation

The dissertation is a substantial piece of original research in Gender and Women’s Studies.  Great care should be taken with your dissertation.  For those students who go on to become professors, the dissertation will be a key component in job interviews.  Hiring committees will want to see that the dissertation topic, research, and writing indicate that the dissertation can be revised into a publishable book in a timely fashion.

Language Competencies

The Gender & Women’s Studies Ph.D. does not require the demonstration of second-language competency, but pursuing fluency in languages other than English is strongly encouraged as part of our commitment to U.S. ethnic studies, and international and transnational scholarship, teaching, and activism.

Students undertaking dissertation research in a language other than English and in which they are not native speakers will be expected to demonstrate proficiency to their Dissertation Committee.  Proficiency is achieved when the student acquires the expertise to read widely in secondary literature and undertake original research in another language.  Students who expect that they will undertake dissertation research in a non-native language should discuss this with their Major Advisor early in their doctoral program and work with their Advisor to develop a plan to achieve language proficiency.  These students will be expected to demonstrate language proficiency as part of their Dissertation Prospectus defense.