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Graduate: Women's, Gender, & Sexuality Studies

  • Program Overview

    Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies

    The Department of Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies which is part of the College of Arts and Sciences, offers the M.A. and Ph.D. degrees in Women’s, Gender and Sexuality Studies, as well as an advanced graduate certificate in Women’s, Gender and Sexuality Studies.

    Registration 
    All students enrolled in the Graduate School in any program, whether in residence or absentia, must register each fall and spring for at least one graduate credit until all degree requirements have been met. A student is not considered to have registered until enrollment is posted on the University system, SOLAR, and arrangements regarding tuition and fees have been made with the Bursar’s Office. Students who hold a TA, GA, RA, fellowship, or tuition scholarship must be registered as full-time students by the fifteenth day of classes each semester. Students failing to register before the first day of classes or before late registration begins may still register during the first 15 days of the semester, but will be charged a late fee of $40. Students who have not been granted an official Leave of Absence by the Dean of the Graduate School and have not yet registered will be considered to have withdrawn from the University. Students are responsible for making sure they are registered on time. Programs or individual faculty members do not have authority to waive these rules.

    Department of Women's, Gender, & Sexuality Studies

    Chairperson
    Liz Montegary
    liz.montegary@stonybrook.edu

    Graduate Program Director

    Ritch Calvin
    Ritchie.Calvin@stonybrook.edu

    Assistant to the Chair & Graduate Program Coordinator 
    Jacqueline Donnelly, Humanities Building #2049 (631) 632-1466
    jacqueline.m.donnelly@stonybrook.edu

    Website
    Visit our web page at:  http://www.stonybrook.edu/commcms/wgss/

    Application 
    https://graduateadmissions.stonybrook.edu/apply/

  • Admissions
     

    Admission Requirements of Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies Program

    To be considered for admission to graduate studies in Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies, all applicants must hold a baccalaureate degree from an accredited college or university with a suitable overall grade point average and with a high average in a major field appropriate for study in Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies. In addition, they must submit the following:

    1. B.A. or M.A. degree from a recognized institution in a suitable area of study
    2. An official graduate application including a statement of purpose and 3 letters of recommendation can be completed on-line at the following Web site: https://app.applyyourself.com/?id=sunysb-gs. Guidance on how to choose recommenders for letters and how to write an effective statement of purpose is available on the department website.
    3. One official copy of any transcript from any undergraduate  college or university attended, from which a degree was conferred. Applicants must submit one official copy of any transcript relating to any graduate level work undertaken, regardless of whether or not a degree was earned(If transcripts are in a foreign language, authoritative English translations are required in addition to the original documents. See Academic FAQs under Transcripts for a list of acceptable translation services.)

      Note: Educational systems that cannot be compared to the United States must be evaluated by a US credentials evaluation service before admission can be finalized.
    1. For international students, proficiency in English as demonstrated by a minimum TOEFL score of 550 (paper) or 213 (computer) or 90 (iBT) OR an IELTS total score of 6.5. In order to teach, any graduate student whose native language is not English must score 55 or above on the TSE or SPEAK test OR obtain a score of 7.0 or better in the speaking component of the IELTS test. The website for ETS (TOEFL) is www.ets.org;
    2. One research or term paper in Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies or a related field of approximately 20-25 pages. Please consult the department website for information about choosing a good writing sample.
    3. An application fee of $100.

    Any deficiencies in these requirements shall not automatically bar admission, but it is understood that inadequacies in undergraduate preparation will normally require the student to take additional work, the amount to be determined by the graduate program committee and not to be used to fulfill any specific degree requirements.

    In all cases, admission is by action of the graduate studies committee of the department under guidelines established by the Graduate School. Applicants are admitted on the basis of their total records, and no predetermined quantitative criteria by themselves ensure a positive or a negative decision.

    Admission to the Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies Graduate Program

    The graduate programs in Women’s and Gender Studies at Stony Brook creates a space within the academy for critical thinking across disciplines about the explanatory categories of gender, race, class, sexuality, nation, and disability. Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies explores how these categories come into being and operate across different cultures and historical periods, and how they shape social, political, economic and institutional organizations as well as personal experience and perception. The program is particularly strong in four key areas: transnational social movements and globalization; the politics of representation and media analysis; gender and health; and the critical analysis of sexuality.

    Along with the core faculty in Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies, the graduate programs draw from an extensive network of Graduate Associate Faculty from across Stony Brook University, including in the social and behavioral sciences, humanities, and health sciences.

    As an institution, Stony Brook is committed to increasing the opportunities for interdisciplinary activity crucial to the programs in Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies. The University’s Humanities Institute and the Center for the Study of Inequalities, Social Justice, and Policy are the most visible expressions of a broad university commitment to bringing diverse scholars together for a common intellectual enterprise.

    Applicants to the graduate programs in Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies are required to fulfill the minimum admission requirements of the Graduate School. In addition, applicants are ordinarily required to hold a bachelor’s degree in an appropriate field from a recognized institution.

    Any deficiencies in these requirements shall not automatically bar admission, but it is understood that inadequacies in undergraduate preparation will normally require the student to take additional work, the amount to be determined by the graduate program committee and not to be used to fulfill any specific degree requirements.

    In all cases, admission is by action of the graduate studies committee of the department under guidelines established by the Graduate School. Applicants are admitted on the basis of their total records, and no predetermined quantitative criteria by themselves ensure a positive or a negative decision.

    Applicants holding the M.A. degree in Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies from Stony Brook may, upon the advice of the graduate studies committee, be admitted to the Ph.D. program after review of their qualifications.

  • Degree Requirements
     

    Requirements for the M.A. Degree in Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies

    In addition to the minimum requirements of the Graduate School, the following are required: 

    A. Course Requirements
    The minimum course requirement for the M.A. degree is 30 graduate credit hours. An M.A. candidate is expected to take:

    1. WST 600 Feminist Interdisciplinary Histories and Methods
    2. WST 601 Feminist Theories
    3. WST 698  Practicing Women’s and Gender Studies
    4.Two additional WST courses numbered 600 or higher

    The remaining courses may be distributed among graduate offerings in other appropriate fields. A student must achieve a 3.5 overall grade point average for all graduate courses taken at Stony Brook to receive a degree. 

    B. First-Year Evaluation
    In the middle of the student’s second semester of graduate work, the director of graduate studies requests a report on progress from the student that asks them to comment on their progress through the degree program and prepares a file for the student’s first-year evaluation. It consists of (1) the student’s grades and (2) the submitted progress report. Students may submit any other relevant material such as a seminar paper or original essay. The graduate studies committee will discuss the student’s progress and evaluate the dossier in order to decide whether the student should be encouraged to continue in the program.

    C. Satisfactory Progress Toward the M.A.
    Because so many factors depend on satisfactory progress toward the degree, it is important for students to be aware of and monitor their own progress. The following define the minimum limits for satisfactory progress for full-time students:

    1. Maintain a 3.5 average, with no course below B-, in each semester of graduate study, as well as complete all incomplete grades by the first deadline. Students who fail to fulfill these requirements in any semester will be automatically placed on probation during the following semester and will be subject to possible dismissal. 

    2. Receive an acceptable first-year evaluation in the spring semester of the first year of study.

    D. Foreign Language Requirements 
    Students must show competence in a foreign language if it is necessary for their M.A. thesis research topic. Competence in a foreign language can be demonstrated by (1) earning a grade of B or better in a graduate translation course or (2) passing a language examination to be taken with a dictionary. If relevant, the student must have passed the language requirements before they are allowed to submit their M.A. thesis. 

    E. M.A. Examination 
    M.A. students will complete a thesis on a substantive topic in Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies requiring original research. The student will form a committee of three faculty, at least two of whom must be from the WGSS graduate faculty, who will supervise the project and give final approval. The student's examination committee will review and approve the exam lists before the student submits the signature sheet to the Director of Graduate Studies for final pre-examination review of requirements. 

    F. Advisor and Mentor 
    The Graduate School requires all students to have an advisor. The director of graduate studies serves as advisor to all entering students during their first year and helps them plan their programs. Before the end of the first academic year, full-time students should choose an official graduate advisor from the WGSS core faculty. Advisor and student meet regularly to discuss the student's progress and program. Students are encouraged to consult with all members of the faculty.

    G. Residence Requirements
    The University requires that students receiving an M.A. must take at least two consecutive semesters of full-time graduate study, which usually means 12 credits per semester.


    Requirements for the Ph.D. Degree in Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies

    In addition to the minimum requirements of the Graduate School, the following are required: 

    A. Course Requirements 
    1. WST 600 Feminist Interdisciplinary Histories and Methods
    2. WST 601 Feminist Theories
    3. WST 698 Practicing Women's and Gender Studies
    4. WST 680 Interdisciplinary Research Design
    5. Twelve additional graduate courses, at least three of which must be WST courses numbered 600 or higher or appropriate graduate level seminars offered by another department and cross-listed by WGSS.

    A minimum of 48 credits of graduate work is required for the Ph.D. Students who hold an M.A. in Women’s and Gender Studies or a related discipline can request that their transcripts be evaluated by the graduate studies committee and may receive a maximum of 30 credits toward their Ph.D. 

    All students seeking the Ph.D. must take the required courses listed above, unless the graduate program committee accepts comparable courses taken previously. All Ph.D. students must acquire a minimum of one semester of formal teaching experience (even if they are unsupported or are on a fellowship requiring no teaching duties) and must concurrently take the formal teaching practicum (WST 698). 

    The Women’s and Gender Studies Teaching Practicum prepares students to teach an introductory course in Women’s and Gender Studies by engaging with recent developments in feminist pedagogy. Students will observe introductory and upper-level classes in WGSS, and write a syllabus for Introduction to Women’s and Gender Studies (WST 102 or WST 103), as well as a syllabus rationale and teaching philosophy. At the same time, we will consider broader questions about the university as an institution in the current moment, and the place of Women’s and Gender Studies within the contemporary university. Along with a consideration of the changing practices and objects of feminist knowledge production, we will also discuss the changing politics and economics of academia, and the impact of the wider academic milieu on what and how knowledge is produced. 

    Students must take the required courses when they are offered, and cannot replace them by Independent Study courses, except in the most unusual circumstances and by petition to the director of graduate studies at the beginning of the term the course is offered. The petition has to be signed by the person directing the Independent Study and must be approved by the graduate studies committee.

    Students taking any . Under exceptional circumstances, the director of graduate studies may approve Independent Study under another department's designator. A maximum of six credits of Independent Study courses is applicable to the degree requirements for the Ph.D. All such courses must be approved by the director of graduate studies before the end of the add/drop period of the semester during which they are to be taken. All students taking Independent Study or Directed Reading courses must file a detailed description, for which forms are available in the Department office. Failure to have these courses approved in a timely fashion will result in de-registration or in denial of credit for the courses.

    B. First-Year Evaluation 
    In the middle of the student’s second semester of graduate work, the director of graduate studies requests a report on progress from the student that asks them to comment on their progress through the degree program (seminars taken, TA assignments given, conferences attended, papers submitted for publication etc). A file for the student’s first-year evaluation. will be collated and will include 1) the student’s grades, 2) and, if the student is a teaching assistant, a letter of evaluation from appropriate faculty, 3) student evaluations, and 4) the progress report. Students may submit any other relevant material such as a seminar paper or original essay. The graduate studies committee will meet to discuss the progress of the student, evaluate the dossier, and decide whether the student should be encouraged to continue in the program. In May of the second year, and each year following, the student will complete a report on progress in the program, including specific progress towards degree (coursework, qualifying exams, dissertation proposal, and dissertation) and other achievements (funding, research, presentations, and publications). They will then meet with the director of graduate studies or dissertation advisor to discuss their progress in the program. The graduate studies committee will evaluate the report and decide whether the student should be encouraged to continue in the program. C. Satisfactory Progress toward the Ph.D.

    In addition to requirements above, Ph.D. students must fulfill the following requirements: 

    1. Maintain at least a 3.5 average, with no course below B-, in each semester of graduate study. There is a one-year maximum limit on incompletes. A student may accumulate no more than two incomplete grades in any one semester or he/she will no longer be considered a Student in Good Standing, a prerequisite to continue in the program. As a result, the student will lose his or her T.A. line as well as face likely dismissal from the program; 

    2. Receive a satisfactory first-year evaluation in the spring semester of the first year of study, and satisfactory progress report each following May; 

    3. Satisfy the language requirement before the comprehensive examination; 

    4. Complete all core courses in the first two years of full-time study and all 48 credits for the Ph.D. in three years; 

    5. Take the comprehensive examination no later than one year after completion of coursework; 

    6. Submit and defend a dissertation proposal in the semester following satisfactory completion of the comprehensive examination, no later than one year after completion of coursework. 

    By rules of the Graduate School, students must satisfy all requirements for the Ph.D. within seven years after completing 24 credits of graduate work in the Stony Brook department in which they are registered. In rare instances, the Graduate School will entertain a petition to extend this time limit, provided it bears the endorsement of the department. The program may require evidence that the student is still properly prepared for completion of the degree. In particular, the student may be required to pass the comprehensive examination again in order to be permitted to continue work. 

    D. Foreign Language Requirements 
    Entering graduate students are expected to have a good command of at least one foreign language. All language requirements must be met before students sit for their comprehensive examination. 

    All students are also required to demonstrate full command of written and spoken English, the language of instruction in most Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies courses.

    Whenever possible, language exams for students will be given by core or associate faculty in Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies. Each exam will be read by a faculty member.

    Competence in a foreign language can be demonstrated in one of the following ways:

    1. By earning a grade of B or better in a graduate translation course taught by one of the foreign language departments at Stony Brook. Credits for a graduate translation course do not count toward the total credits required for the M.A. or the Ph.D. degree in Women’s and Gender Studies.

    2. By passing an examination consisting of two parts, each one hour long, to be taken with a dictionary: a) a short theoretical, critical, or scholarly article that the student is required to summarize and discuss in English; b) a translation of a short scholarly article or passage of medium difficulty.

    3. By passing an hour-long oral examination. This option is encouraged for students intending to do interviewing or field research for their dissertation.

    E. Comprehensive Examination 
    Comprehensive Examination in Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies Full-time students who are candidates for the Ph.D. will normally take their comprehensive examination no more than one year after completing their course work. Completing the language requirement is a prerequisite for sitting for the examination. 

    Committee for the Examination: will comprise of three faculty members, one of whom will act as Chair of the exam.Faculty will be selected by the student in consultation with the director of graduate studies, their advisor, or/and the chair of the exam committee. At least two of the three members of the examination committee must be members of the WGSS core or graduate associate faculty. At least two of the members of the committee must be physically present at the oral examination. In most cases, this committee will be the same as the committee for the student’s dissertation, which will provide continuity between the comprehensive examination and the writing of the dissertation.

    Reading Lists: A reading list for all three parts enumerated below will be compiled by the student with the help of the examination committee. The student's examination committee will review and approve the exam lists before the student submits the signature sheet to the Director of Graduate Studies for final pre-examination review of requirements. The list must be approved by all members of the student’s committee. Students should submit a description of the special area, related to the dissertation, along with the reading list (see below).

    Examination: The examination is written, with each of the three areas of examination (see below) scheduled for one day (8 hours). The written exam will be followed within 1-2 weeks by an in- person discussion (oral exam) of the student’s written exam. Questions posed by examiners will be based on the three reading lists for the examination. The examination may be passed, passed with distinction, failed, or failed in part. In case of failure, the examination may be retaken once, but no later than the end of the semester following the time when it was initially scheduled. In case of partial failure, the second examination will cover only the area(s) on which the candidate's performance was inadequate.

    The Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies comprehensive examination will consist of three parts.

    1. Feminist theories/interdisciplinary methods

    2. One of the doctoral program’s four areas of specialization (transnational social movements and globalization; the politics of representation and media analysis; critical analysis of sexuality; and gender and health)

    3. Special area (related to the student’s dissertation project)

    F. Advancement to Candidacy 
    Advancement to candidacy is granted by the Graduate School upon recommendation of the director of graduate studies after a successful comprehensive examination. Again, all other requirements must have been met before the student sits for the comprehensive examination. Students who have passed their Ph.D. comprehensive exam will be deemed to have passed the equivalent of the master's exam and be granted a M. Phil. degree unless they already have a master's degree in Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies from another institution. The student must file appropriate papers with the department and graduate school to obtain the M.A. degree.

    G. Dissertation
    The dissertation represents the culmination of the student's degree program and should be a serious contribution to scholarship. 

    Within three months of passing the comprehensive examination, the student must be prepared to schedule the Dissertation Proposal Review (Prospectus). This must be scheduled at a date no later than one year after completion of coursework.

    As soon as possible, after the Comprehensive Examination, the candidate should choose a dissertation director, as well as the two readers of the dissertation, from the WGSS core or associate faculty. Generally, this will be the same as or based on the comprehensive examination committee. The director of the dissertation must be a member of the WGSS faculty, though a student can submit a petition to the director of graduate studies to request an associate faculty member serve as their dissertation director. In consultation with the dissertation director and the readers, the candidate drafts a dissertation proposal. Dissertation Proposal: The dissertation proposal, which must be appropriate to Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies, should be between 2000 and 5000 words, not counting footnotes or bibliography, and should include the following:

    • Title of the dissertation;
    • Description of the topic and its appropriateness for Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies in focus and method;
    • The rationale behind the choice of topic, and the anticipated contribution of the proposed research to knowledge;
    • A discussion of the argument your dissertation will advance;
    • Current state of research on the topic and a basic bibliography;
    • Description of research methods.

    When the director and readers have approved the proposal, the student and the director will schedule a Dissertation Prospectus Review to be attended by the student, the director, and all other members of the dissertation committee. Faculty and/or graduate students may be invited to the review at the discretion of the student. The review should be no less than one hour in length. The director, the readers, and others in attendance will discuss the proposal with the student in order to insure that the student is ready to proceed with the project. When the director and the readers agree that the student is ready, they will sign off on the proposal and submit it to the Director of Graduate Studies. The candidate then proceeds to the dissertation.

    Guidelines for Dissertation Prospectus Review

    • The student will circulate her or his proposal to all members of the committee three weeks prior to the review.
    • The student will begin the review with a summary of the project in less than five minutes. They should clearly communicate the core thesis of the prospective dissertation.
    • The members of the committee will then ask questions and make suggestions.
    • The student should take notes during the meeting and make sure that they understand what the committee is suggesting.
    • At the end of the meeting, the student will be asked to leave the room so that the members of the committee can discuss whether or not they are ready to sign off on the proposal. If the members of the committee are satisfied that the student is prepared to begin writing the dissertation, they will sign off on the document and send it to the DGS.
    • In some cases the committee may decide not to sign and request a revised proposal. If the members of the committee are satisfied with the revised proposal, there is no need for a second dissertation prospectus review. In some cases, however, the committee may decide that a second review is necessary.

    Dissertation:Although there are no strict regulations on length, dissertations will normally be between 200 and 400 pages, not including bibliography and other supplemental material. The dissertation committee may, in special cases and with justification, allow a student to submit a shorter or longer dissertation. The student should discuss with their dissertation director and committee members their expectations for their involvement in the research/writing process.

    When the dissertation has been completed in accordance with guidelines published in Guide to the Preparation of Theses and Dissertations, legible copies of the complete dissertation must be given to all committee members at least one month in advance of the scheduled defense.

    All dissertation defenses shall take place on campus and require the full attendance of the dissertation examining committee. Any exceptions from this practice will require approval from the Dean of the Graduate School. Campus Audio/Video Services can be employed in the event that either a committee member or the defending student cannot be on the premises due to extenuating circumstances. While the examining committee may wish to hold the committee examination of the defense in private, the public presentation of the defense will be open to the university community and should be advertised campus-wide three weeks prior to the scheduled date. A minimum of three weeks prior to the dissertation defense, the dissertation abstract, approved by the student’s advisor and director of graduate studies, must be submitted to the Graduate School with details of the time and location for the defense. The Graduate School will be responsible for advertising the defense to the university community.

    The dissertation examining committee will set up the ground rules for the defense, which usually involves the student giving a short précis of the research problem, the research method, and the results. This is followed by questions from the Committee and, if the committee so desires, from the audience.

    H. Teaching Assistantships 
    For Ph.D. students awarded teaching assistantships, four years of full support is the department's norm. Awards are renewable annually, provided the student maintains satisfactory academic progress towards the degree and performs teaching duties appropriately (see above, Satisfactory Progress). Students (other than Graduate Council fellows and Turner fellows) should not count on assistantship resources beyond the fourth year of study. 

    During their first year, Ph.D. students will normally be placed as teaching assistants in a WGSS lecture courses. After the first year, students’ teaching obligation may be fulfilled in several ways depending on departmental needs, including assisting an instructor in a large course or teaching a small section of a 200-level or 300-level women’s and gender studies class. While placements will vary according to student and program needs and constraints, every effort will be made to provide each student with the available range of teaching experiences.

    T.A. assignments differ, but the amount of work required cannot exceed 20 hours per week. T.A.s will usually: Hold office hours to review course materials, assist in grading, and discuss other course-related issues with undergraduates; attend classes (graduate courses will be scheduled to minimize interference with T.A. assignments) and read all required entries on the syllabus; lead discussion groups; grade exams, homework, and other written material.

    The performance of teaching assistants is monitored by evaluation forms given to undergraduate students at the end of each semester, as well as by faculty members who visit certain classes taught by the T.A. and submit a written evaluation. Stipends of teaching assistants may be terminated if (on the basis of these evaluations and other relevant criteria) the graduate studies committee judges that they have been deficient in carrying out their teaching duties. Superior work as a T.A. is highly valued by the WGSS faculty and by the Graduate School. In the past, several T.A’.s from WGSS have won the President's Award for Excellence in Teaching by a Graduate Student. This and other prizes for which T.A.’s are eligible carry a cash award.

    I. Advisor and Mentor 
    The Graduate School requires all students to have an advisor. The director of graduate studies serves as advisor to all entering students during their first year and helps them plan their programs. Before the end of the first academic year, full-time students should choose an official graduate advisor from the WGSS core or graduate faculty. Advisor and student meet regularly to discuss the student's progress and program. The advisor will most often end up directing the student’s dissertation. Students are encouraged to consult with all members of the faculty. Students will have selected a dissertation committee by the end of their third year. 

    J. Residence Requirement 
    The University requires that students receiving a Ph.D. must take at least two consecutive semesters of full-time graduate study. For those entering without prior graduate study or with fewer than 24 graduate credits, this usually means 12 credits per semester; for those entering with more than 24 graduate credits or with advanced standing provided by prior graduate work, this would mean 9 credits per semester.


    The Graduate Certificate Program in Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies 

    The Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies Program, in the College of Arts and Sciences, offers a course of study that leads to the Graduate Certificate in WGSS. The program has affiliated faculty members from more than 20 different programs in the social and behavioral sciences, humanities, and health sciences. The program is designed to allow students working toward a degree in departments such as Art, English, History, Philosophy, Theatre, Music, , Psychology, or Sociology to draw on faculty whose work deals with gender and sexuality issues in a wide range of disciplines. Since WGSS has affiliates in nearly every department in the social sciences and humanities, the certificate program offers graduate students the opportunity for an unusually rich interdisciplinary experience.

    The graduate certificate entails three required seminars—feminist theory, feminist histories and methodologies, and the teaching practicum in women’s, gender, and sexuality studies— and two electives that can be taken with affiliated faculty in the student’s home department or from a list of seminars offered by faculty affiliates in other departments. Recent and future courses offered by our core faculty and affiliates include, for example, “Modernism and Cultural Studies,” “Madness and Civilization, 1960-1980,” “Globalization and Gender,” “Fashion in Theory and Film,” and “Race, Gender, and Global Culture,” and “Silk, Gold and Spices: Literature and International Trade.” Where courses are not available for a particular topic, students may arrange directed readings with an affiliated faculty member.

    It is expected that most students can fulfill the requirements for the Graduate Certificate in WGSS while working toward the master’s, doctoral, or other degree. Students should consult with their home program to determine whether the credits earned in the certificate program can be used toward their degrees.


    Requirements for the Graduate Certificate in Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies

    The Graduate Certificate Program in WGSS is designed to provide an interdisciplinary course of instruction for students already enrolled in a graduate degree-granting program or to those admitted to the free-standing Graduate Certificate Program. To earn the certificate, students must complete a minimum of 15 graduate credits in courses approved for the Certificate Program. Approved credits earned toward a graduate degree in another program or department may be applied toward the Graduate Certificate in Women’s Studies. Students should consult with their home programs to determine whether credits earned for the certificate can be applied to the master’s or doctoral degree.

    Core Requirements (9 credits):

    WST 600 Histories and Methods of Gender Studies
    WST 601 Feminist Theories
    WST 698 Practicing Women’s and Gender Studies

    Electives (6 credits): 
    Only one elective (3 credits) may be a readings course taken with an affiliated faculty member and with approval from the WGSS graduate director.

    For more information, contact 
    Department of Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies
    Room 2048, Humanities Building 
    SUNY Stony Brook 
    Stony Brook, NY 11794-5356 
    (631) 632-1967

     

     

     
  • Facilities
  • Faculty

    Faculty of Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies

    Mary Jo Bona ,  Distinguished Professor  (Ph.D., 1989, University of Wisconsin-Madison) Feminist theories and literatures; feminist and queer narrative theories; multi-ethnic American literary cultures; Italian American/Italian diasporic literary and cultural studies; diaspora/migration/critical race theories.

    Ritch Calvin,  Associate Professor   (Ph.D., 2000, Stony Brook University) Feminist theory, Latina literature and culture, Latina feminisms, feminist science fiction, reproductive technologies.

    Manisha Desai, Professor (Ph.D.,1990, Washington University) Gender and Globalization; Transnational Feminism; Human Rights; Contemporary IndianSociety; Social Movements; Gender and Development; South Asian American Issues.

    Lisa Diedrich,  Professor   (Ph.D  .,   2001, Emory University) Critical medical studies, disability studies, feminist theories, interdisciplinary methods.

    Victoria Hesford,    Associate Professor  (Ph.D., 2001, Emory University) Gender, sexuality, queer and feminist theory, U.S. queer and feminist history, popular and mass culture in the postwar era, and critical theory.

    Nancy Hiemstra,  Associate Professor  (Ph.D., 2012, Syracuse University) Global migration, migration policy-making, immigration enforcement practices, "homeland security" at the scales of home and community, processes of racialization, constructions of borders and sovereignty, Latin America, feminist epistemology and methodologies.

    Jenean McGee, Assistant Professor (Ph.D., 2023, University of Colorado, Boulder) Africana Studies, Black Feminist/ Womanist Theory, Critical Race Theory, Critical Data Studies, Critical Media Studies, Critical Social Media Studies, Surveillance Capitalism, African Diaspora Studies, Visual Culture Studies, Popular Culture.

    Liz Montegary,  Associate Professor  (Ph.D., 2011, University of California, Davis) Feminist and queer theory; transnational American studies; LGBT/queer activism; travel, tourism, and mobility studies; cultural studies of militarization.

    Cristina Silva,   Assistant Professor  (Ph.D., 2019, University of Connecticut) Sexualities, race/ethnic studies, body/embodiment, Latina/o/x studies, qualitative methods, sex work, women of color feminisms 

    Affiliated Faculty

    Nerissa Balce Associate Professor     (Ph.D., University of California-Berkeley Ethnic Studies): Asian American literature and popular culture , Filipino American studies, Humor studies, Postcolonial theory, U.S. Empire studies.

    Michelle Bogart, Professor Emeritus, (Ph.D. University of Chicago): Social History of Art in the United States; Public Art, Urban Design, and Commercial Culture

    Simone Brioni, Assistant Professor, (Ph.D., 2013, University of Warwick): Postcolonial theory; migration studies; film studies and filmmaking; diaspora cultures from the Horn of Africa

    Lena Burgos-Lafuente, Associate Professor, (Ph.D. 2011, New York University): Modern and contemporary Caribbean and Latin-American literatures, poetry, modern transatlantic literatures, Poetics and Literary Politics.

    Rebekah Burroway, Associate Professor, (Ph.D., 2011, Duke University): Poverty & Inequality, Global Health, Gender, Development &Developing Countries, Political Sociology, Social Demography.

    Alix Cooper, Associate Professor, (Ph.D., 1998, Harvard University): Early modern Europe, science, medicine, environment, women and gender, cross-cultural encounters

    Megan Craig, Associate Professor (Ph.D., 2007, The New School for Social Research): color, synesthesia, autism, psychoanalysis, and embodiment

    Joanne Davila, Professor (Ph.D., 1993, University of CA, Los Angeles): Development and course of interpersonal functioning and psychopathology (especially depression) among adolescents and adults; Romantic competence among adolescents and adults; Romantic relationship education for adolescents and young adults; Well-being among LGBT individuals.

    Patricia Dunn, Professor: composition and rhetoric, English education, and disability studies

    Nicholas Eaton, Associate Professor (Ph.D., 2012, University of Minnesota): Classification and structure of psychopathology and comorbidity; quantitative methods and psychometrics; LGBTQ issues; sexual behavior, risk, and health; mental health of oppressed minorities (e.g., defined by race/ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender identity).

    Kathleen Fallon, Professor (Ph.D., 2002, Indiana University): political sociology-1, social movements, gender, international development, Africa

    Barbara, Frank, Associate Professor (Ph.D., Indiana University): contemporary African and Diasporic Art, Ancient African and Mesoamerican Art.

    Crystal Fleming, Professor (Ph.D., 2011, Harvard University): Critical Race Theory, Global White Supremacy, Temporality, Collective Memory, Social Movements, Mindfulness and Spirituality

    Daniela Flesler Professor (Ph.D., 2001, Tulane University): Contemporary Spanish Literature and Cultural Studies, Postcolonial Theory, Spain and North Africa, Immigration, Tourism.

    Lori Flores, Associate Professor (Ph.D., 2011, Stanford University): Twentieth-century U.S., Latino, immigration, race, labor, gender, U.S.-Mexico borderlands

    Lauren Hale, Professor (Ph.D., 2003, Princeton University): Social Determinants of Sleep, Retirement

    Amy Hammock, Associate Professor (Ph.D., 2009, University of Michigan): Prevention and response to intimate partner violence; youth development; community-level prevention programming; community-based participatory research; qualitative research methods.

    Erick Haralson, Associate Professor (Ph.D., Columbia University): Anglo-American modernism, Henry James, American poetry, contemporary World Literature

    Dawn Harris (Ph.D., York University): history of punishment in the British Caribbean during the 19th century and those relating to issues of women and gender during the colonial period

    Susan Hinely, Visiting Scholar  (J.D., 1983, Harvard Law School; Ph.D., 1987, Stanford University): European intellectual history, women's movements, international law

    Kevin, Holt, Assistant Professor (Ph.D., 2018, Columbia University): American popular music and issues of race class & gender as they manifest in popular culture. In addition to ethnomusicology, Holt’s disciplinary specialties include Africana studies, hip-hop studies, performance studies, and women’s, gender & sexuality studies.

    Young-Sun Hong, Professor (Ph.D., 1989, University of Michigan): Modern Germany, humanitarianism and human rights, race, gender

    Leonie Huddy, Distinguished Professor (Ph.D., 1989, University of California, Davis): political behavior in the United States and elsewhere through the lens of intergroup relations, with a special focus on gender, race, and ethnic relations

    Heidi Hutner, Associate Professor (Ph.D., 1993, University of Washington, Seattle): Environmental literature and film; ecofeminism; environmental justice; feminism; race studies; women's literature; Restoration and eighteenth-century literature and culture.

    Isabela Kalinowska-Blackwood, Associate Professor (Ph.D., Yale University): Russian and Polish literature; culture and film.

    Brooke Larson, Professor (Ph.D, 1978, Columbia University): Colonial and post-colonial Latin America, Bolivia, peasants, race, ethnicity

    Shirley Jennifer Lim Professor (Ph.D., 1998, University of California at Los Angeles): U.S. racial minority women's cultural history.

    Laura Lindenfeld, Professor, (Ph.D., University of California, Davis): Cultural studies, communications, environmental sustainability, food, and food cultures

    Sara Lipton,  Professor (Ph.D., 1991Yale University): Religious identity and experience, Jewish-Christian relations, and art and cultural in the high Middle Ages (11th-14th centuries).

    Marci Lobel, Professor (Ph.D., 1989, University of California, Los Angeles): Using social psychological theory to understand stress, coping, and health, particularly reproductive health. Also, research on social comparison processes, focusing on the ways that people coping with stress use social comparison to improve their emotional state and preserve positive self-views

    Judith Lochead, Professor (Ph.D., 1982, Stony Brook University): recent musical practices in North America and Europe, with particular emphasis on music of the western classical tradition.

    Kristina Lucenko, Assistant Professor (Ph.D., University at Buffalo)

    Iona Man-CheongAssociate Professor (Ph.D., 1991, Yale University): Chinese history, culture and society, particularly Qing dynasty; women, gender and sexuality in China.

    Catherine Marrone, Advanced Senior Lecturer: Medical Sociology, Gender, Gender and Work, Sociology of Human Reproduction, Sociology of Aging

    Celia MarshikProfessor (Ph.D. 1999, Northwestern University): 20th Century British Literature; Modernism; Feminist Studies.

    April Masten, Associate Professor (Ph.D., 1999, Rutgers University): Nineteenth-century U.S. cultural history

    Anne Moyer, Professor (Ph.D., 1995, Yale University): Psychosocial issues surrounding cancer and cancer risk, medical decision making, gender and health, the psychology of research participation, research methodology and meta-analysis.:

    Elizabeth Newman, Associate Professor (Ph.D., 2008, Yale University): Mexico, environmental humanities, anthropology, archaeology

    Anne O’Byrne, Associate Professor (Ph.D., 1999, Vanderbilt University): Social and political philosophy; contemporary political philosophy; philosophy and race; philosophy and genocide; Sensus communis; critical phenomenology; Arendt; Nancy; Nietzsche; Descartes; philosophy, commemoration and mourning; art and society

    Oyeronke Oyewumi, Professor: Sociology of Gender, Sociology of Knowledge, Sociology of Culture, Comparative Historical-Sociology, Feminist Theory, Transnational Feminisms, Social Theory, Social Inequalities in Local, Regional, and Global systems, African Studies, (Post) Colonial Studies and Modernities

    Joseph Pierce, Associate Professor (Ph.D., 2013, University of Texas, Austin):  kinship, gender, sexuality, and race in Latin America, 19th century literature and culture, and hemispheric approaches to citizenship and belonging

    Loredana Polezzi, Alfonse M. D’Amato Chair in Italian and Italian American Studies (Ph.D., University of Warwick): contemporary Italian travel writing, colonial and postcolonial literature, migrant and diasporic cultures, translingualism and self-translation

    Mary C. Rawlinson Professor Emeritus (Ph.D., 1978, Northwestern): Aesthetics, literature, and philosophy; Proust, mystery, and detective fiction; 19th-century Philosophy (esp. Hegel); philosophy of medicine.

    Jeffrey Santa Ana, Associate  Professor (Ph.D., 2003, University of California, Berkeley): American literature and culture; Asian American literature and film; Filipino diaspora; global migration and transnationalism; gender and sexuality studies; race and ethnicity; emotion studies.

    Shobana Shankar,  Professor (Ph.D., 2003, University of California, Los Angeles): Africa (particularly West Africa), colonial and postcolonial politics, religion, health, Muslim-Christian interactions, Africa-South Asia connections

    Katy Siegel, Professor (Ph.D., University of Texas at Austin): Postwar and Contemporary European and American Art, Material and Social Histories, Curatorial Studies.

    Benjamin Tausig, Associate Professor (Ph.D., New York University): music, sound, and political protest in Bangkok, Thailand

    Nancy Tomes, Distinguished Professor (Ph.D., 1978, University of Pennsylvania): U.S. social and cultural history, history of medicine, women, gender

    Kathleen M. Vernon Professor (Ph.D., 1982, University of Chicago): Contemporary Spanish and Latin American cinema and cultural studies; gender and popular culture; contemporary Hispanic literature.

    Adryan Wallace (bold name), Assistant Professor (Ph.D. Rutgers) : gender, political economy, Islam and the dynamic interactions of politics and culture on political institutions

    Tracey Walters Professor (Ph.D., 1999, Howard University): African American literature; Black British literature and culture.

    Kathleen Wilson, Distinguished Professor (Ph.D., 1985, Yale University): Modern British cultural and political history.

  • Contact

    Department of Women's, Gender, & Sexuality Studies

    Chairperson
    Liz Montegary
    liz.montegary@stonybrook.edu

    Graduate Program Director

    Ritch Calvin
    Ritchie.Calvin@stonybrook.edu

    Assistant to the Chair & Graduate Program Coordinator 
    Jacqueline Donnelly, Humanities Building #2049 (631) 632-1466
    jacqueline.m.donnelly@stonybrook.edu

    Website
    Visit our web page at:  http://www.stonybrook.edu/commcms/wgss/

    Application 
    https://graduateadmissions.stonybrook.edu/apply/

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