PhD in Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies

Accepting Applications for the PhD program in Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies at Oregon State University

EXTENDED DEADLINE: December 15, 2021

Our program focuses on women of color feminisms, transnational feminisms, and queer feminist studies, offering PhD students critical foundations in both theory and practice. We offer our students both the intellectual and applied skills to serve as activist-scholars and global citizens, prepared to engage matters of social justice within public, private, and academic spheres.

The PhD in WGSS at OSU is the first and only PhD in WGSS in Oregon. Oregon State University is a leading research university located in Corvallis, a vibrant college town in the heart of Western Oregon’s Willamette Valley. Corvallis consistently ranks among the best cities to live in the United States.

Our nationally and internationally recognized core faculty are committed to transformative scholarship, pedagogy and activism.

Program Admissions Requirements:

Masters (MA or MS) in Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies or related field with significant gender/sexuality component
Minimum 3.5 GPA in a master’s program
List of possible dissertation supervisors based on research interests
3 letters of recommendation
Statement of Purpose of no more than 750 words, specifically detailing why you are interested in a graduate program in Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies at Oregon State University and how your past experiences contribute to your future goals.
Writing sample (no more than 20 pages)
Current CV

ONLINE APPLICATION PROCESS AND FORM

Prospective PhD students will enter the program with a master’s degree in Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies or a related discipline and will complete 72 credits (36 dissertation credits, 39-40 course credits) beyond their MA (in excess of the university requirement of 108 credits for the PhD). No more than two “slash” courses will be accepted toward the degree.

Some of the required courses are also part of the requirements for the MA. If a student completes the MA at OSU and is accepted into the PhD program, that student will take alternative courses as determined by the faculty.

Requirements for the PhD in WGSS

Students in the PhD program in WGSS should complete the following requirements:
Required Courses (27-28 credits):

WGSS 611. Colloquium (1 credit) (Students must take 4 terms of colloquium and must present dissertation research once.)

WGSS 616. Multiracial, Transnational, Queer Feminisms I (4 credits)

WGSS 617. Multiracial, Transnational, Queer Feminisms II (4 credits)

WGSS 620. Social Justice Theory and Practice (4 credits)

WGSS 619. Decolonizing Methodologies (4 credits) and/or WGSS 518. Feminist Research (4

credits); WGSS 555. Feminist Textual Methods and Discourse Analysis (4 credits); or

another graduate level methods course

WGSS 521. Feminist Leadership (4 credits)

WGSS 535. Feminist Teaching and Learning (4 credits) or WGSS 542. The Inclusive

Classroom (3 credits)

Elective Coursework (12 Credits):

All PhD students must also take 12 credits of WGSS elective courses

Thesis (36 credits):

All PhD students must take at least 36 credits of thesis/dissertation credits

WGSS 603. Thesis (36 credits). You cannot enroll in thesis/dissertation credits until you have passed all of your comprehensive exams and have become a PhD Candidate.

Total includes 75-76 credits.

News

Dr. Susan Shaw's OpEed in Baptist News Global - Baptist News Global: December 23, 2021

OpEd Dr. Susan Shaw, Professor in WGSS at Oregon State University.

"The Worst Christmas Pageant Ever." Dr. Susan Shaw's most recent editorial in Baptist News Global. Dr. Shaw is a Professor in Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies at Oregon State University. She is also ordained Baptist minister and holds master’s and doctoral degrees from Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. Her most recent book is Intersectional Theology: An Introductory Guide, co-authored with Grace Ji-Sun Kim.

As land acknowledgments become more common, Indigenous people grapple with next steps - https://www.opb.org/article/2021/12/08/as-land-acknowledgments-become-more-common-indigenous-people-grapple-with-next-steps/: December 09, 2021

Dr. Luhui Whitebear on OPB's Think Out Loud

More and more organizations, companies and institutions are incorporating land acknowledgments into their work. These statements are intended to acknowledge and show respect to the Indigenous people who have lived on the land for millennia.

Luhui Whitebear, assistant professor in the Oregon State University School of Language, Culture, & Society, says land acknowledgments should be the beginning of an organization’s work with tribes, not the end. Whitebear helped to craft OSU’s land acknowledgment. We hear from her and Rachel Black Elk, junior instructor for the Indigenous Nations Studies program at Portland State University.

From West Coast to Westminster, Five Feminist College Students on the Importance of Study Abroad - Ms. Magazine: October 26, 2021

Every year thousands of students from the United States study abroad. Research tells us students experience profound personal growth, significant development of intercultural skills.

Corvallis Zinesters, Local Zine Culture - The Corvallis Advocate: October 25, 2021

Creating for passion and self-expression over profit isn’t exactly an unfamiliar practice within Corvallis’ art scene.

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Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies