Doctoral students in Women's Studies take a set of core courses, research tools, and an area of concentration designed to enhance knowledge of disciplinary and interdisciplinary practices. Specific courses will be selected under the guidance of the student's graduate committee, in accordance with the following requirements:
- Required core courses (including dissertation) - minimum of 27 semester credit hours
- Guided electives - minimum of 15 semester credit hours
- Research Methods courses - minimum of 6 semester credit hours
- Other electives selected in consultation with the student's graduate committee
Total Semester Credit Hours beyond the baccalaureate degree (minimum) -
90 semester credit hours
More information can be found in the Women's Studies Ph.D. Student Handbook [pdf].
Required Courses (27 semester credit hours)
- WS 6103, New Directions in Feminist/Womanist Theories (3 credits)
- WS 6203, Women's Studies Disciplinary/Interdisciplinary Knowledges (3 credits)
- WS 6303, Transdisciplinary Feminist Research Methods (3 credits)
- WS 6403, The Politics of Publications and Writing (3 credits)
- WS 6601, Transdisciplinary Studies Colloquium (3 credits)
- WS 6983, Dissertation (6 credits)
- WS 6993, Dissertation (6 credits)
Guided Electives (15 semester credit hours)
Students will select one of the following options:
- American Studies (15 graduate credits from a specific list of courses)
- Health Studies (15 graduate credits from a specific list of courses)
- Multicultural Studies(15 graduate credits from a specific list of courses)
- Rhetoric (15 graduate credits from a specific list of courses)
- Sociology (15 graduate credits from a specific list of courses)
Research Tools (6 semester credit hours)
Students will select one of the following options:
- Qualitative Research Methods (a minimum of 6 graduate credits)
- Quantitative Research methods (a minimum of 6 graduate credits)
- Electronic Information Retrieval (a minimum of 6 graduate credits)
- Rhetorical Criticism and Discourse Analysis (a minimum of 6 graduate credits)
- Holistic Research Methods (a minimum of 6 graduate credits)
- Foreign Language (a minimum of 6 graduate credits or 12 undergraduate credits in the same foreign language or equivalency)
- American Sign Language (a minimum of 6 graduate credits or equivalency)
Comprehensive Examinations
The comprehensive examinations consist of a professional portfolio compiled during the student's doctoral course work, and an oral examination focusing on the portfolio and the tentative dissertation topic. The portfolio represents the student's progress as an emerging scholar in the transdisciplinary field of Women's Studies. The Department of Women's Studies has elected to use the portfolio rather than traditional written exams because we believe that this approach gives students greater responsibility for their own assessment. The portfolio enables students to chart their progress through the program, self-reflect on their academic and intellectual development, and situate themselves within the transdisciplinary fields of Women's Studies. For additional information on the specific areas covered int he portfolio, please see the Women's Studies Ph.D. Student Handbook [pdf].
Dissertation
All students will complete a dissertation, directed by a core or affiliated faculty member in Women's Studies. An oral defense of the dissertation is required.
page updated 5/16/2013 11:07 AM
