Ph.D. Program

Gender Studies examines the social processes, cultural representations, relations of power, and forms of knowledge that generate a range of gendered perspectives and experience worldwide. Our focus on gender as an analytic category facilitates an array of scholarly collaborations, generating cutting-edge research across fields as diverse as the social sciences, the arts and humanities, the natural sciences, and policy studies. Categories of difference that articulate with gender - such as race, ethnicity, class, and religion - are vertical grids of attention throughout the doctoral degree program. The Department emphasizes integrative and transdisciplinary modes of analysis for the study of sexualities and sexual identities; bodies and their technologization and medicalization; representation and social/cultural production; and feminist epistemologies.

Three unique core courses form the heart of the program:

G600 Concepts of Gender
G603 Feminist Theories
G702 Researching Gender Issues

In addition, students select one of three areas of concentrations:

Medicine, Science, and Technologies of the Body, Sexualities, Desires, and Identities, and Cultural Representations and Media Practices. Note that these concentrations are flexible and overlapping to some extent. Students may change their area of concentration as they move through the program.

Degree requirements

A minimum of 90 credit hours is required for the Ph.D. in Gender Studies. This includes 60 hours of course work and up to 30 credit hours of dissertation research.

Initially, students will focus on completing their 60 credit hours of course work, which includes 9 credit hours of core courses, 15 credit hours in a chosen area of concentration, and a 12 credit hour graduate minor (taken either in another department or designed on an intra- or interdepartmental basis). Note that courses in one's area of concentration, as well as additional elective courses, may be taken outside the Department of Gender Studies.

Only those students intending to pursue the Ph.D. will be admitted to the program. However, a Master's degree may be obtained upon satisfactory completion of its requirements, which are: four of the five required core courses for the doctorate; a minimum of nine additional credit hours in GNDR, including two courses at the 600 level and one at the 700 level; a substantive research essay of publishable quality; and up to nine credit hours of approved elective courses outside Gender Studies. A total of 30 credit hours of course work is required to obtain the Master's degree. Students who have completed the M.A. in Gender Studies at IUB must at that point be approved for admission to the Ph.D. program.

Qualifying examinations (both written and oral) are to be taken within 9 months of the completion of course work. Upon successful completion of the qualifying examination and presentation of a satisfactory dissertation proposal, the student will be nominated to candidacy for the Ph.D. The Dissertation Committee, which must be approved by the Dean of the Graduate School, will be responsible for directing and evaluating the thesis. Students complete up to 30 credit hours of dissertation research and write and defend their dissertation. The dissertation defense serves as the final oral examination and will cover topics related to the dissertation and area of specialization.

Foreign Language Requirement

Gender Studies does not require a second language for all students. However, if a candidate is engaged in transnational gender scholarship, a second language is formally required. The DGS will determine the means by which proficiency will be demonstrated.

Research Skills

Beyond the required core course G702 Researching Gender Issues, there is no specific research-related skill requirement. However, a student's advisor may require additional competency in (a) research skill(s) appropriate to that student's dissertation topic. Such requirements may include competency in a second language, statistical methods, questionnaire development, ethnographic methods, interviewing techniques, textual or media analysis, computing/internet/webmaster operations, specific laboratory skills, other research and technical skills, or appropriate combinations of any of these. These studies are to be undertaken early in the candidate's graduate career. The assessment and completion of any required research competencies normally must be certified by the DGS prior to admission to candidacy.

Transfer Credits

Consistent with the general policy stated in the Bulletin of the University Graduate School, the Department of Gender Studies will accept up to 30 transfer credits into the graduate program, subject to the approval of the DGS. Grades received for transfer courses must be B or better.

Additional Requirements after Admission with Master's Degree

Candidates admitted with a master's degree from another institution may be required to take additional preparatory work, depending on their background and training. The program will be decided in consultation with the student's faculty advisor and the DGS.

Dissertation

Upon successful completion of the qualifying examination and presentation of a satisfactory dissertation proposal, the student will be nominated to candidacy for the Ph.D. The Dissertation Committee, which must be approved by the Dean of the Graduate School, will be responsible for directing and evaluating the thesis. The dissertation is defended orally.

Final Examination

The dissertation defense serves as the final oral examination and will cover topics related to the dissertation and area(s) of specialization.  We remind you that the University Graduate bulletin represents the legal contract between graduate students and Indiana University and can be found at http://www.indiana.edu/~bulletin/iu/gradschool/2010-2012/index.shtml