Guillaume

1) Go Big Red! 2) In response to your statement, I looked at your signature. Two words: Ha. Ha.

I would tend to agree with Turretin...Texas Tech. Would you be able to work in Canada? If not, the amount you will go into the hole to cover your cost of living would probably be significantly more than the $2400.00 you would pay at Texas Tech. Also, as Texas Tech comes with a tuition waiver (I am looking into applying there myself) I assume the $2,400.00 is mostly made up of fees? While you might end up paying these for the first year, it has been my experience as a graduate student that once you are at a university, there are a number of scholarships that you become eligible for (obviously, assuming a good performance) that might cover these for the second year. While I know it is tempting to go to the place you "love"...I would save that for the Ph.D decision process as you will spend significantly more time in that location. The MA selection process should be about how cheaply can I get what I need to get into a Ph.D program.

What is your background in philosophy? If you don't have significant philosophy coursework, at UWM, you should consider starting with an undergraduate/graduate mixed course such as PHILOS 430: History of Ancient Philosophy or something similar. If you start with a graduate course, and an inadequate background in the field, you might not be able to grasp the material and get frustrated.

Update: I was contacted by the chair of my department today...they offered me a Graduate Teaching Assistantship (GTA) which comes with full tuition remission (including remission of the out-of-state portion of tuition), fees, health insurance, and a stipend. I am INCREDIBLY excited and will accept their offer momentarily. I am incredibly excited with how my season turned out and I hope everyone else fares as well as we come down the stretch. Best!

It certainly does in the social sciences and the humanities...but the OP doesn't mention his discipline... In any instance, this is easily disprovable if you have a plethora of recent tenure track job hires from these universities...

Um...all of the other posters are correct. Just wrap this up by April 15th and all is well.

I'm going to be honest, it really sounds like you are just looking for support in choosing Zurich over Yale. And given your attitude and preferences, it seems like that might be the best decision for you. However, as to the following points: 1) It's not probably, it is entirely the case. If you want to teach in the U.S., given the competitiveness of the U.S. academic job market, and departmental preferences, you need a degree from a U.S. program. Foreign Ph.Ds aren't getting U.S. tenure track jobs. You'll definitely find foreign Ph.Ds in labs in the hard sciences and engineering where the funding is plentiful but that's still in labs...not in tenure track appointments. 2) I won't offer pretense here...I found this highly amusing. Given the competitiveness of the U.S. academic job market, even if you end up at a great Ph.D program, you are still generally lucky if you can get a tenure track appointment anywhere. 3) Your work better be seminal in your field. The only foreign program that use to be fairly safe was Oxford, however, American departments don't like that Oxford doesn't provide funding to American students where American departments provide full funding to foreign Ph.D students. Also, there is an entire networking aspect...who your professors are matter because of who they know and to whom they can introduce you as a letter writer or when someone calls on them to ask about your abilities as a student. Again, it sounds like you have already made your decision and I wish you the best. Zurich is a great choice. I just didn't want you to harbor any false misconceptions about the ease of getting a tenure track appointment in the U.S. with a foreign Ph.D. It's incredibly unlikely.

This. I was accepted into a small department that only admits two or three students and generally has two GTAs which come with tuition remission and a stipend. I, and two other students were accepted. However, they applied and were accepted and notified about funding in the fall where I waited until January to submit my application. So here I sit...on the waitlist for funding. I spoke with the Chair of the Department, who was lovely, and told me that "moment for funding" has not passed...and I think she's right...but it only happens if one of the other accepted students declines their offer. This program is an excellent fit for me but I refuse to pay for an MA in the humanities where the degree doesn't make me uniquely qualified to do anything else after graduation and doesn't significantly increase my job prospects. So...last night I came to a decision. On April 15th, I'm either offered funding or a decline their offer and apply again to the same program next year.

It often IS possible even if there isn't a formal program listed. It really depends on the second department. Some will make you apply just like all other external applicants (this is a pretty competitive programs) where this is not necessary at other universities. The only thing I might caution you against is bringing this up with your Dean before you have even matriculated. They admitted you and want the focus of your work to be in their department. If you bring up the idea after a semester of "exploration" I think that might be an easier sell. Best of luck with your decision and whatever program you choose.

Get a Ph.D in the department where you want to work. I would also recommend you actually talk to the department chairs for Women's Studies programs. I think this would be a lot more helpful than the speculative musings (and I include myself in this statement) of prospective or current graduate students on a internet forum. I don't like down voting to indicate disagreement or a difference in perspective so I will just state here that I strongly disagree with juiceboxrampage's perspective. While I think this is the general attitude/opinion of professors in disciplinary programs, I don't think recent hires and job posting support this perspective. I know current candidates on the job market who aren't getting interviews in WS departments because their PhD is in another discipline. That is not to say that if the search committee is looking for a hire specific to "women's geography" that you would not get an interview if your PhD is in geography and your work focuses on women's migration. You probably would. But if they are looking to hire broadly in the field of women's studies and your Ph.D is in sociology you are less likely to get an interview if there are candidates with degrees in Women's Studies. Edit: I think we also are being remiss by not talking about the distinction between a full appointment in women's studies and a joint appointment with another discipline. A joint appointment would certainly make getting a job with a disciplinary PhD easier if your PhD is in that discipline. Edit: Thank you for this link. *upvote* I had seen it before and couldn't find it when I was initial writing my response above. I think the comments from many of the posters about their interviews and who is getting interviewed is particularly telling.

This. THIS. THIS. The realist ish I never wrote.

This is very true. It's one of the reasons I didn't consider Sociology programs U Chicago was one of the last theoretical sociology programs and even they have gone quantitative with recent hires because that's where funding is. Also of note, a lot of Women's studies departments are giving preferential treatment to Women's Studies graduate and applicants from other disciplines aren't getting hired without at least and M.A. in WS. So, if you are okay in either department, then it doesn't matter. If you want to end up in a WS department, you should get he PhD in WS. Given the academic job market, my recommendation would be to go where you think you can do the most impactful work. University/department matters...but only as much as your publishing record. Go to place where you think you will become the best researcher possible.

I finally received a funding letter from my Department earlier today... $1,000.00 and waitlisted for a Graduate Teaching Assistantship (GTA) - The GTA is full tuition remission, health insurance, and $8,000.00/9 months (academic year) for one course a semester fully taught and department service They admitted three students and generally have two (2) GTAs, so I assume I am third on the waitlist. That being said...I am leaning toward declining the offer of admission/funding waitlist. In fact, I have already drafted the letter... Even if I had been outright awarded the GTA, I think this would have been a tough decision for me since I am presently fully employed and would be losing 85% of my income to matriculate to this program; however, I think the fact that I waitlisted for funding, something of which I was notified only two weeks before I have to make a decision (April 15th), is making this decision easier than it should be... My congratulations to everyone who was offered admissions for the autumn, and my best wishes to anyone who is pursuing another path or will be applying again next year.

Really? I'm envious...although I don't know how envious because I am STILL waiting to find out about funding. :-) It's been tough, I currently work full time right now making pretty decent money and the idea of walking away to be poor in graduate school is not appealing...but at the same time, if I could do something else I would. The reason I am going is because even with the financial differential, this is where I want to be. Let's just hope it's not too painful. That actually might be a reason for me to check out IUB for the Ph.D. I grew up in the small/quaint town, went to college in small/quaint town, and after living and working in several large U.S. cities and the third largest city in the world I am officially done with cities. Even from a work placement after graduate school I would rather end up in Wyoming than Chicago. In any instance...CONGRATULATIONS! Agreed. I think you should listen to your instincts. I didn't realize I felt this way but I agree here as well. I think I want to see if I can cut mustard. In any instance, a M.A. in Women's Studies puts me further towards other goals if I don't go on to get the Ph.D but it's what I would like. In any instance, CONGRATULATIONS!

Is there a reason you turned down IU Bloomington's PhD program for Ohio State's MA program? (Better fit, unfunded PhD, etc.) Just curious...and CONRATULATIONS!