Program Overview

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Program Overview

The Doctor of Philosophy program in Gender Studies is housed in the nation's first School of Social Transformation. This inclusive 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, and publicly engaged academic research.

Program Description

The program examines key topics related to gender, including the 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; and processes of social change, social movements, and community development.

Specialization Areas

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

• 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

The program requires 84 credit hours, including:

• A written comprehensive exam
• An oral comprehensive exam
• A prospectus
• A dissertation

Required Core Courses

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

Elective Coursework

• Elective coursework in methodology (6 credit hours)
• Elective coursework in specialization (12 credit hours)
• General electives (30 credit hours)

Research and Dissertation

• Research (12 credit hours)
• Dissertation (12 credit hours)
• WST 799: Dissertation (12 credit hours)

Admission Requirements

Applicants must fulfill the requirements of both the Graduate College and The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. The program welcomes applications from qualified students without regard to race, creed, color, religion, sex, or national origin. Applicants are eligible to apply if they have earned a bachelor's or master's degree in any field from a regionally accredited institution.

GPA Requirements

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 a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.00 (scale is 4.00 = "A") in an applicable master's degree program.

Application Materials

All applicants must submit:

1. Graduate admission application and application fee
2. Official copies of all undergraduate and graduate transcripts
3. Resume or curriculum vitae
4. Statement of purpose
5. Three letters of reference, preferably from faculty or other researchers
6. Writing sample (10 to 15 pages)
7. Proof of English language proficiency

Tuition Information

When it comes to paying for higher education, everyone's situation is different. Students can learn about ASU tuition and financial aid options to find out which will work best for them.

Application Deadlines

The next admit term is Fall 2027 (applications due in December 2026).

Program Learning Outcomes

Program learning outcomes identify what a student will learn or be able to do upon completion of their program. This program's learning outcomes include the following:

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