Program Overview

Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies (WMST)

Overview

The Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies program offers an interdisciplinary and integrative course of study leading to the Doctor of Philosophy degree. Students will develop a thorough grounding in women, gender, and sexuality studies scholarship, acquire an understanding of gender, race, and sexuality as categories of analysis, and analyze and assess theories about the role of gender in systems of hierarchy and its intersection with other categories of difference.

Graduate Degree Program

The program is housed in the College of Arts and Humanities and provides students with a comprehensive education in women, gender, and sexuality studies. The program aims to develop competence in feminist, queer, and critical race theories, research methods, and pedagogy, including transnational and global issues.

Financial Assistance

An initial funding offer is provided at the time of admission, which typically combines one year of Departmental Fellowship with Graduate Assistantships for the remaining time. Funding is contingent on satisfactory progress towards the degree and completion of benchmarks.

General Requirements

• Statement of Purpose: 1000 words or 3-4 pages double-spaced
• Transcript(s)
• TOEFL/IELTS/PTE (international graduate students)

Program-Specific Requirements

• Letters of Recommendation (3)
• CV/Resume
• Writing Sample: 10 pages maximum (not counting the citations)
• Writing Sample Two: (optional)

Application Deadlines

• Domestic Applicants: November 18, 2025
• International Applicants: November 18, 2025

Resources and Facilities

The University of Maryland Consortium on Race, Gender and Ethnicity offers grant-getting potential and supports the research endeavors of faculty and graduate students in these fields. The program also provides access to a broad array of public policy organizations and "think-tanks" plus the many research and policy institutes that include gender, race, and sexuality issues as part of their agenda.

Faculty

The program has a diverse and accomplished faculty with expertise in various fields, including:

• Accilien, Cécile
• Ahuja, Neel
• Aparicio, Elizabeth
• Atanasoski, Neda
• Avilez, GerShun
• Baer, Hester
• Barkley Brown, Elsa
• Beliaeva Solomon, Maria
• Bhattacharya, Sayan
• Bianchini, Janna
• Bruce, La Marr Jurelle
• Chernela, Janet
• Chico, Tita
• Coles, Kim
• Davis, Crystal
• Desai, Sonalde B.
• Dill, Bonnie Thornton
• Doan, Long
• Eades, Caroline M.
• Enoch, Jessica
• Farman, Jason
• Felbain, Leslie
• Getrich, Christina
• Grossman, Maxine
• Hageman, Eva
• Hanhardt, Christina Benes
• Harley, Sharon
• He, Belinda Qian
• Hsu, Madeline
• Infante, Chad
• Isoke, Zenzele
• Keshavarz-Karamustafa, Fatemeh
• Khamis, Sahar Mohamed
• Klees, Steven J.
• Kleykamp, Meredith
• Koser, Julie
• Liberto, Hallie
• Lin, Jing
• Lindemann, Marilee
• Lopez, Andrea M
• Lothian, Alexis
• Lyons, Clare A.
• Maddux, Kristjana
• Madhavan, Sangeetha
• Mahmoudi, Hoda
• Marquez, Bayley
• Marsh, Kris
• Mason, Michele
• Mathiason, Jessica Lee
• Meissner, Shelbi Nahwilet
• Mirabal, Nancy
• Mosley, Will
• Muncy, Robyn L.
• O'Brien, Karen
• O'Meara, Kerry Ann
• Ontiveros, Randy
• Orlando, Valerie
• Palmer, Margaret
• Park, Julie
• Parry-Giles, Shawn J.
• Penrose, Mehl
• Ray, Rashawn
• Ray, Sangeeta
• Rodriguez, Ana Patricia
• Rosemblatt, Karin A.
• Rosenthal, Laura
• Rowley, Michelle V.
• Sangaramoorthy, Thurka
• Sartorius, David
• Shin, Richard Quentin
• Shonekan, Stephanie
• Sies, Mary C.
• Smith, Martha Nell
• Steele, Catherine Knight
• Steiner, Linda
• Toth, Elizabeth L.
• Walter, Christina
• Walter, Christina M.
• Wang, Orrin
• Wasdin, Katherine
• Washington, Mary Helen
• Williams-Forson, Psyche
• Wong, Janelle
• Woods, Carly S.
• Zambrana, Ruth Enid

Policies

The program adheres to the policies outlined by the Graduate School, including those related to admissions, registration, tuition, fees, and expenses, as well as policies for graduate assistantships, fellowships, and academic records.