Ohio State University Fully Funded PhD in Women’s, Gender and Sexuality Studies

PhD @Ohio State University posted 2 weeks ago

Job Description

The Ohio State University offers a fully funded Ph.D. program in Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies (WGSS) through its Department of Women’s, Gender and Sexuality Studies. This program provides comprehensive financial support to all admitted doctoral students, ensuring they can focus on their academic and research pursuits.

Program Overview

Degree: Ph.D. in Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies
Institution: The Ohio State University
Department: Department of Women’s, Gender and Sexuality Studies

The Ph.D. program prepares students for advanced professional careers in academia, as well as in non-profit, private, or public sector fields such as law and public policy. The curriculum emphasizes interdisciplinary research and scholarship, organized around feminist lines of inquiry that cut across traditional disciplines. Students choose one major and at least one minor area of concentration from four fields of specialization:

Global and Transnational Feminisms
Race, Sexualities, and Social Justice
Narrative, Culture, and Representation
Power, Institutions, and Economies

The program offers two tracks:

Regular Ph.D. Track: For students already holding a Master’s degree; estimated completion time is five years.
Direct-to-Ph.D. Track: For students without a prior Master’s degree; estimated completion time is six years.

Students without an MA in WGSS can obtain one en route to the Ph.D. by completing 30 credits and passing the MA written exam or the Ph.D. candidacy exam.

Funding Package

All admitted Ph.D. students receive comprehensive financial support, which includes:

Tuition and Fees: Full coverage (~$12,000/year for Ohio residents; ~$32,000/year for non-residents).
Stipend: A nine-month stipend of $2,364 per month, totaling $21,280 per academic year.
Health Insurance: A subsidy of approximately $2,300 per year.

Funding is typically provided through Graduate Teaching Associate (GTA) positions, requiring 20 hours of work per week, including teaching assignments. The standard funding duration is five years for regular Ph.D. students and six years for direct-to-Ph.D. students. No additional application is needed for funding, as all admitted students are automatically considered.

While summer funding is not guaranteed, opportunities may be available through limited GTA positions, with priority given to advanced Ph.D. candidates.

Additional Funding Opportunities

Beyond the standard funding package, the department offers several grants and fellowships to support research and professional development:

Elizabeth D. Gee Research Grant: Up to $7,000 for post-candidacy Ph.D. students to support research and writing, including during the summer in lieu of teaching or other fellowship support.
Graduate Student Research Grant: Two $2,000 grants awarded annually to support research activities and/or professional development, such as travel to archives or methodological training.
Graduate Travel Grants: Up to $500 per academic year for domestic travel to conferences; up to $1,200 for international travel. Doctoral candidates on the job market are eligible for an additional one-time award of $100.

These funding opportunities are designed to enhance the academic and professional development of WGSS graduate students.

Admission Requirements

Academic Background: A bachelor’s degree or its equivalent from an accredited institution.
Application Materials:
- Statement of purpose detailing research interests and career goals.
- Three letters of recommendation.
- Official transcripts from all post-secondary institutions attended.
- Resume or curriculum vitae (CV).
- Writing sample demonstrating research capabilities.
- GRE scores are not required.
- TOEFL or IELTS scores for non-native English speakers.