Feminist Studies

The Department of Feminist Studies at the University of California, Santa Cruz welcomed its inaugural class of students who began studies toward a doctor of philosophy degree (Ph.D.) in feminist studies in fall 2013. The Ph.D. in feminist studies at UC Santa Cruz is an interdisciplinary program that investigates how relations of gender are embedded in social, political, racial, and cultural formations. The program emphasizes feminist modes of inquiry and provides students with advanced training in feminist methods. It fosters a rethinking of the relationships between knowledge, power, and expertise. Conceived as a collaborative, cross-divisional enterprise, this graduate program draws upon the strengths of a range of feminist scholars and their departments and programs across the University.

Ph.D. students will complete most of their coursework during their first two years, including the three required courses on Feminist Theories, Feminist Methodologies, and Disciplining Knowledge (FMST 200, 201, 202). Students focus on preparing their problem-based areas of research and their dissertation prospectus during their third year. Students normally take the Ph.D. qualifying examination in their third year or early in their fourth year, when they also must demonstrate proficiency in a second language. Students write a dissertation that is approved by the dissertation committee to finish the program. Six years is the normative time toward completion of the Ph.D. degree.

Ph.D. students must complete a total of 12 courses including at least 9 elective courses. In addition, students must enroll in three, 2-credit courses. They will satisfy their language requirement by the end of the third year, and take their qualifying examination no later than their fourth year.

• Feminist Studies requires courses 200, 201, and 202 to be taken consecutively the fall, winter, and spring quarters of the first year;

• Feminist Studies 290, Teaching Assistant Training, to be taken prior to or in conjunction with the first teaching assistant appointment;

• Twelve courses (of 5 credits each) and three 2-credit courses.

• Graduate Summer Language program or equivalent to pass the language examination.

• Qualifying examination passed and dissertation prospectus approved.

• After completion of the qualifying examination, students take courses in the 290 sequence until the dissertation is submitted.

• Students must teach three courses in feminist studies, or equivalent, as instructor or research assistant. This requirement may be waived.

• After completion of the qualifying examination (with written and oral components), students take courses in the 290 sequence until the dissertation is submitted.

• A prospectus outlining and defining the dissertation project.

• A dissertation project.

Language Requirement

Fulfillment of the language requirement in feminist studies can be documented in several ways. The documentation should demonstrate current ability to use the language in an appropriate way in scholarship. The language appropriate to research could be oral, gestural, or written, or a combination of these. Depending on the specific language and on the research needs of the student, functional language competence could include the ability to read the scholarly literature or other written material needed in research, the ability to conduct fieldwork in the language, or the ability to produce written work in the language. According to Graduate Division policy, proficiency should be demonstrated before the qualifying examination committee can be appointed and at least one month prior to taking the qualifying examination.

Qualifying Examination Requirements

Advancement to candidacy depends on the general quality of a student’s work; demonstration of proficiency in a foreign language relevant to the student’s area of work, either by passing a written examination administered by the department or successfully completing a language course approved by the department; success in the qualifying examination; and proposal of an acceptable dissertation topic. The qualifying examination consists of two field statements in consultation with committee members; one 25-30 page paper (either a dissertation chapter or a publishable paper); as well as a dissertation prospectus (10-15 pages). A revised prospectus will be due to the committee no later than three months after the qualifying examination. The examination focuses on the student’s research project and on the fields of scholarship it presupposes. After advancement to candidacy, required by the end of the third year, students concentrate on dissertation writing. The current normative time to degree limit of seven years means that a student usually has at least three to four years after advancement to candidacy for completion of the dissertation. Students also have the option of doing advanced work in a traditional discipline and receiving a designated emphasis of this specialization. In such cases, students must satisfy the appropriate department’s criteria (see the departmental web site for information). Students are expected to complete at least one year of supervised teaching as part of the degree requirements.

Elective Courses

Students may take elective courses in feminist studies as well as in other departments. Some elective courses in the department include: Feminist Pedagogy; Black Feminisms; Feminist Science Studies; De-colonial Feminisms; Comparative Empires; Transgender and Queer Studies; and Sexuality, Race, and Migration in the Americas.

Feminist Studies Designated Emphasis

Graduate students may work toward a doctor of philosophy (Ph.D.) degree that notes a designated emphasis in feminist studies on the graduation documents. Students wishing to pursue this option should consult with the chair of their respective Ph.D. program and are encouraged to apply in the first or second year of graduate study. The application and an annually updated list of regularly offered, approved graduate courses are available at http://feministstudies.ucsc.edu.

The following are required for the designated emphasis:

Committee composition. The student must have a designated graduate adviser from the feminist studies core or associate faculty who serves on the qualifying examination committee or in some other appropriate capacity.

Writing. The student must prepare a significant piece of writing in the area of feminist studies. This writing must be a master’s essay or a chapter of the doctoral dissertation.

Course requirements. The student must take four graduate courses in feminist studies, two of which must be taught directly in the department. Two courses can be selected from among the graduate offerings of any UCSC department, as long as they are taught by core or affiliated feminist studies faculty.

Requirements

• Transcripts. You may upload a scanned copy of your unofficial transcripts to your online application, or send official copies to the Graduate Application Processing address
• Statement of Purpose. Recommended length is a concise 2-4 pages, single-spaced.
• The Personal History Statement is required of all applicants.This statement will be used in conjunction with your application for graduate admission and financial support. Please note that the Personal History Statement should not duplicate the Statement of Purpose.
• A résumé is required for some applications and optional for others.
• All recommendation letters are required to be submitted electronically through the online application.  You must register a minimum of three recommenders, and as many as five, via the Recommendations page of the online application.
• The application fee for the 2016-17 academic year is $105 for domestic applicants and $125 for international applicants. This fee can be paid by credit card or e-check (the e-check option is only available if you have a U.S. bank account). 
• Official GRE scores must be sent from the Educational Testing Service (ETS) to UC Santa Cruz, School Code 4860 (no department code necessary).  Official scores must be received prior to the application deadline.
• If you are a non-native English speaker you will be required to take an English language competency exam.  UC Santa Cruz accepts the TOEFL or IELTS test.  Official scores must also be sent from the testing service to UC Santa Cruz, School Code 4860

Scholarships

• Regents Fellowships. A limited number of these fellowships are awarded to first-year graduate students in master's and doctoral programs. These awards provide a stipend and/or payment of university fees except non-resident tuition.
• Global Education