Feminist Theory & Research, Designated Emphasis College of Letters & Science

Rana Jaleel, Ph.D., Advisor

Program Office

1200 Hart Hall; 530-752-6429; Gender, Sexuality & Women's Studies

Graduate Study

The Gender, Sexuality & Women's Studies Program at UC Davis offers a Designated Emphasis in Feminist Theory & Research. Currently, graduate students in the following sixteen affiliated Ph.D. programs are eligible to participate: Anthropology, Comparative Literature, Cultural Studies, Education, English, French, German, Geography, History, Native American Studies, Nursing, Performance Studies, Psychology, Sociology, Spanish, and the Study of Religion.

The Designated Emphasis in Feminist Theory & Research affords graduate students in affiliated programs the opportunity to augment their Ph.D. in a given discipline with a specialization in Feminist Theory & Research. Typically a doctoral student in good standing may seek admission to the Designated Emphasis in Feminist Theory & Research and enroll in Designated Emphasis in Feminist Theory & Research courses. Those students in affiliated Ph.D. programs who complete the requirements of the Designated Emphasis will have this noted on their transcripts and their Ph.D. diploma will note the “Special Emphasis in Feminist Theory & Research.”

Students must complete all the requirements for the Ph.D. in their home department. The requirements for the Designated Emphasis in Feminist Theory & Research are the successful completion of the two core courses, Women's Studies GSW/WMS 200A & GSW 200B, and two additional courses focusing on gender, sexuality and women’s studies; one in the student's home department and one outside their home department. A member of the DE affiliated faculty must be a member of the student's qualifying examination. As with the Qualifying Exam, one member of the candidate’s dissertation committee must be a member of the DE. Analysis of gender or sexuality is expected to be a central component of both the student's qualifying examination and doctoral research.

Students should consult with the Chair of the Designated Emphasis in Feminist Theory & Research before enrolling in a graduate course for which they wish to receive credit to ensure that it will count toward fulfilling the requirements of the Designated Emphasis. If possible, please bring a copy of the syllabus or an expanded course description to your meeting.

Graduate Advisor

Rana Jaleel; 1200 Hart Hall; 530-752-6429. For more information, see the Designated Emphasis.