Students benefit from mentorship by WGSS’s internationally and nationally renowned core faculty and an interdisciplinary network of affiliated faculty across the social sciences, humanities, and health sciences. The WGSS PhD program stands out for its dedication to supporting the intellectual and professional growth of feminist scholar-activists. Our core values of accountability, anti-racism, care, justice, and solidarity shape our scholarship, teaching, and service. 

Students in our program also receive extraordinary pedagogical training. In addition to Teaching Assistantships, all PhD students are required to take WST 698: Practicing WGSS/Teaching Practicum and to acquire at least one semester of formal teaching experience. However, most of our students teach their own courses for more than one term. We firmly believe that one of the best ways to learn to teach is by doing – by gaining experience in instructional design, classroom management, and assessment techniques.

WGSS PhD students also benefit from the Inter-University Doctoral Consortium (IUDC), which offers students in the arts and sciences the opportunity to take graduate courses at distinguished universities throughout the greater New York area, including Columbia, CUNY, Fordham, New School, NYU, Princeton, Rutgers, and Teacher’s College of Columbia.

The Stony Brook WGSS program is particularly strong in the following areas: Black & Women of Color Feminisms; Critical Disability Studies; Feminist Media Studies; Political Thought, Social Justice & Policy; Race & Ethnic Studies; Queer & Trans Studies; and Transnational Feminisms.

Stony Brook WGSS PhD Graduates have gone on to accept positions at teaching-centered colleges and research universities, as well as in other professions outside the academy, including UX research firms, policy institutes, and community-based and non-governmental organizations. For a profile of recent PhD graduates, see our  Recent PhD Graduate Spotlight.

Currently, students accepted into the PhD program receive four years of funding, including a Teaching Assistantship that provides a $30,000 stipend. This sum is subject to state and federal income taxes.

• Domestic Graduate Student Cost
• International Graduate Student Cost
  

We also recommend that prospective students research the cost of living in New York, specifically in Suffolk County, Long Island, where Stony Brook is located, as well as in New York City. 

Upon application, eligible students can apply for a Turner Fellowship, which provides an additional year of funding. However, this program requires students to be U.S. citizens or have permanent resident status in the United States. If accepted to the program, enrolled students can also be nominated by the department for a Graduate Council Fellowship. PhD students who have advanced to ABD status and have completed all coursework and the comprehensive exams may also be nominated by the faculty for  numerous awards offered by the Graduate School. The WGSS department has two internal awards, the Hartog Graduate Student Teaching Award and Travel Awards. There are also smaller awards for travel and other professional development activities through the Graduate Student Organization.

Our webpage is an excellent resource for general information  about our program. On this page, you will find a link to our graduate handbook, which provides detailed information about our program structure, requirements, and admissions procedures.

No, students with a BA in WGSS or a related field are welcome to apply. Having previously taken WGSS-related courses is essential. Students with a BA in an unrelated field are encouraged to briefly explain their aptitude for study in WGSS in their personal statement.

No. We do not offer an MA degree as part of the PhD program.

No. Graduate admissions controls application fee waivers. For more information on the eligibility criteria for fee waivers, please refer to  the FAQ section on the Graduate School website. Unfortunately, international students are ineligible.

Yes, the admissions process for international students has additional requirements. For detailed information regarding procedures for international students, please visit the Graduate School’s information page for international students.

All students who are not native or primary English speakers must demonstrate proficiency in English to be admitted to the Graduate School and must submit iBT scores. For more information,  please visit the Graduate Admissions Page. 

The academic departments do not review TOEFL scores as part of the admissions process. These scores are evaluated directly by the Stony Brook University Graduate School. For details on their process, please contact gradadmissions@stonybrook.edu.

No. The WGSS PhD program does not require students to demonstrate proficiency in another language. However, students who plan to undertake research that involves proficiency in a language other than English or their native language will need to work with their advisor to ensure they are prepared.

Please refer to the Graduate School’s admissions criteria and application checklist for guidance on your application. In addition to the personal statement, letters of recommendation, and transcripts, you will also need to submit your CV and a 15-20 page writing sample. Our application deadline is December 1st. Please see below for specific advice on preparing your application.

Statement of Purpose
Your statement of purpose of approximately 2-3 double-spaced pages must make clear what your
research interests are, who in the department you’d like to work with, and concisely describe any
specific ideas you have about your dissertation and professional goals. Given that, if accepted, your
initial committee consists of three people, we suggest visiting our current faculty page, considering
our profiles and research, identifying which three faculty members you share common intellectual
interests with, and who you might like to work with as a mentor. (Please note that Emeritus faculty
are retired and unavailable to serve on committees.) Lastly, if applicable, please briefly highlight any
relevant extracurricular activities, community and volunteer work, and any on- or off-campus work
and how they inform your academic work and professional aspirations.

Letters of Recommendation
We suggest discussing with your letter writers the importance of their writing with specificity about
your past work and your aptitude for success in a WGSS PhD program. Please ensure they
understand that your complete application, including their letters, is due on December 1st. As such,
we highly recommend that you start your application early by listing your letter writers in the system,
so that those invitations go out right away and you can come back to complete the application later.
If you wait until the deadline, your letter writers will receive notifications too late.

Writing Sample
When selecting your 15–20-page writing sample, consider both the quality of the writing and its
themes. Submitting writing that showcases both your writing skills and grounding in WGSS is ideal,
if possible. The committee is assessing your analytical and technical writing skills and, ideally, your
existing knowledge of work and themes in WGSS.

CV
If applicable, please ensure that your CV includes any conferences you may have attended, a list of
any forms of published writing, any research experiences, any teaching experience, and a section on
relevant extracurricular activities, community and volunteer work, and any on- or off-campus work
that highlights your leadership skills.

The WGSS department is small and typically recruits three new PhD students every year.

The department conducts holistic admissions. Please note that in some PhD programs, faculty can select candidates with whom they wish to work. However, at SB WGSS, the core faculty collectively review program applications. The core faculty all assess applicants’ readiness for doctoral work in WGSS, alignment with the program focus and values, and the clarity of their academic and professional plan, as evidenced and supported by all the components of the application (letters of recommendation; personal statement; transcripts, coursework and grades; and writing sample).

Due to the high volume of inquiries the WGSS graduate program at Stony Brook University receives, we are unable to accommodate individual consultations between prospective students and faculty. However, you are welcome to send an introductory email to the faculty you are interested in working with to inquire about their current availability to mentor new students.