Cultural Studies

Cultural Studies is Queen's flagship interdisciplinary graduate program in the humanities and social sciences. Our 2 year MA program our 4 year PhD program bring together 100 students and over 90 faculty and postdocs from across the arts, humanities, and social sciences. We are committed to interdisciplinary research, social justice and community engagement. 

The complexity of contemporary culture means that more than ever before society needs people trained in multiple disciplines, theories and practices. Our mandate is to work with communities throughout and beyond the university to create new forms and methods of research that could not be done in traditional departments.

We differ from traditional academic disciplines in three key ways: 

1. All our research is interdisciplinary. Supervisory committees draw on faculty from more than one discipline.
2. Students do not have to write traditional theses but can also do projects that involve other media (such as visual arts, dance, theatre) or projects that involve working with communities outside the university
3. We are committed to social justice. That is to say, all our research is in some way applied research, and should aim towards some positive social change, however defined or articulated

Cultural Studies draws on a range of methods and critical theories and empowers researchers to break down conventional divisions not only among academic disciplines but also between academia and activism, and between theoretical critique and cultural production. In this way we bring together researchers focussed on areas and fields, rather than disciplines and traditions.

We are committed to the local context, including the recognition that Queen's University sits on the traditional lands of the Anishnaabe and Haudenosaunee peoples. We conduct research with community partners in the fields of arts and social justice in the city of Kingston and more broadly in Ontario. We are equally committed to the diversification and internationalization of our research and have active partnerships with universities across the world with whom our faculty and students regularly collaborate. Our students have participated in established programs in Cuba and China, and we strive to make opportunities for international research available to all students where relevant.

A completed PhD comprises coursework, qualifying exams, independent research and writing, and an oral defence. The cultural studies program is determined to make it possible for students to complete their degrees in four years, consistent with the funding that the program offers to all PhD students. Following consultation with students and faculty, we have produced the following table, which summarizes a plan for completing the PhD program in four years.

Year One

• Two courses + CUST802
• Apply for external funding
• Two courses + CUST802
• ​Begin preparing thesis/project proposal with budget and timeline
• Prepare for GREB if applicable
• Review goals for PhD 
• Confirm committee membership
• Read for qualifying exam

Year Two

• Submit proposal for preliminary bibliography for qualifying exam
• Meet with committee to discuss and set date
• Prepare further
• Apply for external funding if needed
• Submitted annotated bibliography and questions
• Write qualifying exam
• Begin preparing thesis/project proposal with budget and timeline
• Prepare for GREB if applicable
• Complete GREB if applicable
• Defend thesis/project proposal (may be in September)

Year Three

• Begin thesis/project research/productions
• Apply for external funding if needed
• Continue research
• Apply for conferences and seek other ways to share your work
• Continue thesis/proposal research

Year Four

• Continue research
• Apply for conferences, publication and exhibition opportunities
• Apply for jobs
• Complete thesis/project draft
• Select external examiner
• Schedule defence
• Defend your thesis or project
• Submit all materials for archiving

Throughout

• Stay in touch with your committee
• Pursue funding opportunities as available
• Attend pertinent events at Queen's
• Consult and share work with fellow students
• Reach out to potential colleagues, audiences, and supporters via conferences, community events, etc.

Requirements

• Academic average of at least a B+ when applying for a Master's degree
• Academic average of at least an A when applying for a Doctoral degree
• Two official transcripts for any degrees earned outside of Queen's
• Two letters of recommendation: Please note that referees listed on your online application will receive the link to Queen's online recommendation form after you submit your application
• A Statement of Interest outlining your research interests, why you consider the Cultural Studies a good fit for your research, and which faculty you have been in touch with as potential supervisors
• An academic writing sample, preferably a short research essay (approximately 10 pages) in PDF format
• A Curriculum Vitae when applying for a Doctoral degree
• A list of current courses
• A score of at least 600 on the paper-based TOEFL (For students whose native language is not English) OR
• A score of at least 88 on the web-based TOEFL (iBT) (For students whose native language is not English)

Scholarships

• Basic Funding Package (teaching and research assistantship, internal fellowships, bursaries and incremental growth).minimum $18,000; most students receive between $18,000 and $22,000 per year
• Queen’s Graduate Awards (QGA)
• Graduate Entrance Tuition Awards (GETA)
• International Tuition Awards (ITAs)
• Conference Travel Awards