Women's Studies - Fall 2015

[Lorelai_Gilmore]

did u go for the interview? i did the interview by skype. so if u went, then u know who i am. did u get an offer. i got accepted, but on waitlist for funding. 

 PMing you.

[Guillaume]

I will also be denying IUB's offer within the next few days, so anyone on the waitlist might hear good news soon, I hope =).

 

And Guillame, UofMinnesota was slightly a better fit for my research interests and the security with funding is AMAZING there (I also like the city vibe more than the small/quaint town vibe). Both programs are flexible, where IUB is slightly more flexible I think, which made this a difficult decision.

 

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!

 

I liked how the department handled recruitment a lot more... first impressions. Also, OSU has more professors that align with my research interests. I'm really excited to teach as well and w/ OSU, I TA the first semester and teach on my own by second semester. I'm also a little anxious about making as big of a commitment to a PhD program versus taking the time at OSU to see if academia is a good fit for me / if I can succeed at a phD level.  

 

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!

[Guillaume]

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.

Edited April 2, 2015 by Guillaume

[janaca]

So after thinking I might get shut out this year, I'm off the wait list at U Mich English and Women's Studies! And now I find myself waiting on a shortlist/wait list situation at Emory, too. I have been in shock for the past three days. I also got rejected at ten other schools this season, many of which I was thinking were "safeties." They most certainly were not! I guess this goes to show PhD admissions really are mostly about fit--and that all it takes is one acceptance. Best of luck with your final decisions, and thanks for the moral support through all of this, y'all!

[Imaginary]

Congratulations, Janaca! I applied to English and Women's Studies at U Michigan three times..

[janaca]

Thanks, Imaginary! I guess this is all about trying and trying again--oh yes, and patience!!!--as I certainly learned this year, too... 

[shilpav82]

Hi guys, 

 

Need your help. 

 

I'd like to hear your thoughts on academic job prospects for Women's Studies phds Vs Sociology phds. I have an offer from Maryland for the PhD WS program. I am pretty happy about the uni's reputation, the funding offered, my potential advisor and the department as a whole. But I am worried about job prospects for WS phds. 

 

I am on waitlist for admission at UConn for the Sociology PhD program. All other things (funding, research 'fit', etc) are more or less the same in the two unis. If I do get accepted at UConn, it could be as late as april 15th. And I may not have enough time to think. So I would like to do the brainstorming now assuming that I have been accepted at UConn. 

 

Maryland seems to be higher ranked than UConn in most of the rankings (But which is really more reputed? Or are they more or less equally reputed? and does the difference really matter?)

 

Does it make sense to opt for Sociology ONLY because it may be easier to find a job with a Soc phd rather than WS phd? (But again, I think even if there are more Soc programs in North America (than WS) and therefore more job prospects, there are also more Sociology phds graduating (than WS).  I hear Soc in the US is very quantitative, and I am not so keen on studying statistics, but I dont mind doing it if a Soc phd has much better job prospects than WS. 

 

I plan to research gendered power relations in Indian marriages, and I can do that in either WS or Soc. 

 

Waiting to hear from you. 

 

 

[Guillaume]

Hi guys, 

 

Need your help. 

 

I'd like to hear your thoughts on academic job prospects for Women's Studies phds Vs Sociology phds. I have an offer from Maryland for the PhD WS program. I am pretty happy about the uni's reputation, the funding offered, my potential advisor and the department as a whole. But I am worried about job prospects for WS phds. 

 

I am on waitlist for admission at UConn for the Sociology PhD program. All other things (funding, research 'fit', etc) are more or less the same in the two unis. If I do get accepted at UConn, it could be as late as april 15th. And I may not have enough time to think. So I would like to do the brainstorming now assuming that I have been accepted at UConn. 

 

Maryland seems to be higher ranked than UConn in most of the rankings (But which is really more reputed? Or are they more or less equally reputed? and does the difference really matter?)

 

Does it make sense to opt for Sociology ONLY because it may be easier to find a job with a Soc phd rather than WS phd? (But again, I think even if there are more Soc programs in North America (than WS) and therefore more job prospects, there are also more Sociology phds graduating (than WS).  I hear Soc in the US is very quantitative, and I am not so keen on studying statistics, but I dont mind doing it if a Soc phd has much better job prospects than WS. 

 

I plan to research gendered power relations in Indian marriages, and I can do that in either WS or Soc. 

 

Waiting to hear from you. 

 

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.

[AmityDuPeuple]

Hi guys, 

 

Need your help. 

 

I'd like to hear your thoughts on academic job prospects for Women's Studies phds Vs Sociology phds. I have an offer from Maryland for the PhD WS program. I am pretty happy about the uni's reputation, the funding offered, my potential advisor and the department as a whole. But I am worried about job prospects for WS phds. 

 

I am on waitlist for admission at UConn for the Sociology PhD program. All other things (funding, research 'fit', etc) are more or less the same in the two unis. If I do get accepted at UConn, it could be as late as april 15th. And I may not have enough time to think. So I would like to do the brainstorming now assuming that I have been accepted at UConn. 

 

Maryland seems to be higher ranked than UConn in most of the rankings (But which is really more reputed? Or are they more or less equally reputed? and does the difference really matter?)

 

Does it make sense to opt for Sociology ONLY because it may be easier to find a job with a Soc phd rather than WS phd? (But again, I think even if there are more Soc programs in North America (than WS) and therefore more job prospects, there are also more Sociology phds graduating (than WS).  I hear Soc in the US is very quantitative, and I am not so keen on studying statistics, but I dont mind doing it if a Soc phd has much better job prospects than WS. 

 

I plan to research gendered power relations in Indian marriages, and I can do that in either WS or Soc. 

 

Waiting to hear from you. 

I am looking into this kind of question as we speak and am also very interested in hearing peoples' opinions. 

Thus far what I have found is along the same lines as what Guillaume has said. That being said, there are a few Soc PhD programs in the US that still focus on qualitative methods, Brandeis being one of them. 

 

I will be earning an MA in WGS (and Soc-most likely) from Brandeis. While on my visit I asked if they had ever had anyone do a joint PhD program. They haven't but seemed eager and willing to give it a try if there are students who want to do so. I also spoke to a friend of mine who is defending her dissertation at IUB at the end of this month and she suggested that if I am serious about doing a joint PhD (in my mind it offers the flexibility I want while still allowing me to have a PhD that speaks equally to my areas of study, thus improving my job prospects) I should email the programs and see if they would be willing. She also mentioned that usually programs/departments really like this kind of arrangement because they spend half the funding but still get a graduate student to show off. 

I know this doesn't help much with your current situation but you could always think about approaching the opposite program at either school (if they have the opposite) and see what options you may be able to negotiate, even if it is only a graduate minor or certificate. 

 

Best, 

 

Amity

[juiceboxrampage]

Hi guys, 

 

Need your help. 

 

I'd like to hear your thoughts on academic job prospects for Women's Studies phds Vs Sociology phds. I have an offer from Maryland for the PhD WS program. I am pretty happy about the uni's reputation, the funding offered, my potential advisor and the department as a whole. But I am worried about job prospects for WS phds. 

 

I am on waitlist for admission at UConn for the Sociology PhD program. All other things (funding, research 'fit', etc) are more or less the same in the two unis. If I do get accepted at UConn, it could be as late as april 15th. And I may not have enough time to think. So I would like to do the brainstorming now assuming that I have been accepted at UConn. 

 

Maryland seems to be higher ranked than UConn in most of the rankings (But which is really more reputed? Or are they more or less equally reputed? and does the difference really matter?)

 

Does it make sense to opt for Sociology ONLY because it may be easier to find a job with a Soc phd rather than WS phd? (But again, I think even if there are more Soc programs in North America (than WS) and therefore more job prospects, there are also more Sociology phds graduating (than WS).  I hear Soc in the US is very quantitative, and I am not so keen on studying statistics, but I dont mind doing it if a Soc phd has much better job prospects than WS. 

 

I plan to research gendered power relations in Indian marriages, and I can do that in either WS or Soc. 

 

Waiting to hear from you. 

 

Everyone I have talked to says that you are WAY more likely to get a job with a sociology degree than a women's studies degree, even if you're looking to work in a women's studies department. Folks in women's studies departments are claiming that there is a increasing trend to hire a larger percentage of WS PhDs than in the past, but programs are still much more likely to hire disciplinary PhDs. Who knows what this situation will look like in 4-8 years when you're going to be graduating, but right now, it seems safer to go with sociology. As a sociologist, you can work in a sociology department OR a women's studies department, while you are limiting yourself to only working in a women's studies department with a women's studies PhD. Since the job situation is so crappy right now, there's a huge trend for folks to work in different departments than they got their PhDs in (e.g. soc people working in anthro departments, anthro people working in legal departments). You can take advantage of this with a soc degree, but probably not with a women's studies degree, since disciplinary fields usually do not hire interdisciplnary PhDs. Most schools also offer certificates or emphases in women's studies, so you can still work with the women's studies department while getting your PhD. I feel like having a women's studies certificate or emphasis will make you competitive in the departments that are jumping on the trend of hiring actual women's studies people, as well.

 

Of course, this is all based on the professors I have talked to, and so other people might have different views based on the people they've talked to.

 

As for your concerns about quantative study in sociology, it doesn't really matter if there are more quant people in the U.S. If you want to do ethnography, you can focus on ethnography. Depending on the department, you might have to take a general methods class in your first year that will include some quant methods, but no one is going to force you to use statistics in your work. I personally feel like quantitative and qualitative methods are generally pretty well balanced and respected, though this might be different in different programs.

[digby]

In light of recent questions: It is good practice, I think, to start following the academic job wiki (http://academicjobs.wikia.com/wiki/Queer/Women%27s/Gender_Studies_2015) to get a sense of the current market and investments of the field now, even as emerging graduate students. 

Edited April 8, 2015 by digby

[Guillaume]

See the original comment above.

 

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.

 

See the original comment above.

 

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.

 

In light of recent questions: It is good practice, I think, to start following the academic job wiki (http://academicjobs.wikia.com/wiki/Queer/Women%27s/Gender_Studies_2015) to get a sense of the current market and investments of the field now, even as emerging graduate students. 

 

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.

Edited April 8, 2015 by Guillaume

[shilpav82]

Dear all, 

 

Thank you for your time and effort. Your responses were very helpful. Some of the things you've mentioned didn't occur to me before. So I am really glad I sought your help. I just want to add that I ALREADY have a master's in Gender, Development and Globalisation from LSE. So in case I do choose Soc, I don't have to worry so much about getting a certificate in gender (though I probably will).

 

After brainstorming my dilemma for more than 10 days, I had decided to give my mind a break from the stress, which is why I didn't respond earlier. 

 

You'll make so many valid points, and some of them are so convincing. I used to think that if I did a Soc Phd I could work in both Soc and WS (WS - since i have a masters in gender and my project will be gender-related), but now I learn from your responses that WS phds will be favoured in WS depts since they are now available.

 

But it's also clear that with a WS phd it's almost impossible to be employed in a Soc dept. But I guess all these observations are specific to North Armerica and more generally in the West. 

 

If at all I return to India, I know for sure that there will only be a handful of good gender studies programs in the entire country even 5-10 years from now. 

 

I am going to write to the grad director in Maryland and ask her if I could do something substantial in Soc as part of my WS phd (like a masters). How I wish I could get a joint/dual degree in WS and SOC. that would solve the problem. do you think i can ask her if that is possible? It looks like a joint degree can't be negotiated. And they can't make it happen just because I want it. They should already have the mechanism in place, or they don't. Any thoughts?

 

Dear AmityDuPeuple, thanks for the joint degree idea. I am going to ask the grad director at maryland if it's possible (though i dont have much hope).

 

thank you all once again, 

- Shilpa

Edited April 8, 2015 by shilpav82

[Guillaume]

Dear all, 

 

Thank you for your time and effort. Your responses were very helpful. Some of the things you've mentioned didn't occur to me before. So I am really glad I sought your help. I just want to add that I ALREADY have a master's in Gender, Development and Globalisation from LSE. So in case I do choose Soc, I don't have to worry so much about getting a certificate in gender (though I probably will).

 

After brainstorming my dilemma for more than 10 days, I had decided to give my mind a break from the stress, which is why I didn't respond earlier. 

 

You'll make so many valid points, and some of them are so convincing. I used to think that if I did a Soc Phd I could work in both Soc and WS (WS - since i have a masters in gender and my project will be gender-related), but now I learn from your responses that WS phds will be favoured in WS depts since they are now available.

 

But it's also clear that with a WS phd it's almost impossible to be employed in a Soc dept. But I guess all these observations are specific to North Armerica and more generally in the West. 

 

If at all I return to India, I know for sure that there will only be a handful of good gender studies programs in the entire country even 5-10 years from now. 

 

I am going to write to the grad director in Maryland and ask her if I could do something substantial in Soc as part of my WS phd (like a masters). How I wish I could get a joint/dual degree in WS and SOC. that would solve the problem. do you think i can ask her if that is possible? It looks like a joint degree can't be negotiated. And they can't make it happen just because I want it. They should already have the mechanism in place, or they don't. Any thoughts?

 

Dear AmityDuPeuple, thanks for the joint degree idea. I am going to ask the grad director at maryland if it's possible (though i dont have much hope).

 

thank you all once again, 

- Shilpa

 

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.

[FeministCorgi]

For anyone waiting on last minute decisions,

I have also declined the offer to OSU's GWSS MA program, if anyone applied for the MA there as well.

[AmityDuPeuple]

I will be presenting at a conference next fall and have been looking into funding options for travel. I know there is a bit of money available at Brandeis but am curious if you all have found any surprising or underutilized sources on your campuses. I have been lucky at my current university in that it wasn't hard to find and get resources.  

[Guillaume]

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!

[FeministCorgi]

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!

Congrats!! Where did you accept again? And tomorrow is the deadline! good luck all=)

[AmityDuPeuple]

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!

Congratulations! That is wonderful news! 

[AmityDuPeuple]

My orientation begins tomorrow and I am sure others might too. I just wanted to wish everyone a great academic year!