Gender and Women’s Studies PhD Program
Admissions & Financial Aid
Admission to the PhD program in Gender and Women’s Studies at the University of Kentucky is highly competitive. Applicants should submit all of their materials directly to the Graduate School through the University of Kentucky graduate application portal.
New students are only admitted for the fall semester. All application materials must be received no later than January 5th for admission in the fall of that year. Late applications are not guaranteed a full consideration for admission and departmental assistantships.
If you have questions about submitting your UK Graduate School Application, please contact gsadmissions@uky.edu or the graduate school admission officer assigned to your last name (https://gradschool.uky.edu/who-should-i-contact). For technical assistance, please contact grad.tech@uky.edu.
To check the status of your Graduate School application online, please go directly to the application portal.
Gender and Women’s Studies Admissions Requirements
Gender and Women’s Studies requires the following information for your application to be evaluated The submission process for each piece of the application is explained below.
1. Three letters of recommendation are required. A minimum of two letters (and preferably all three letters) should be from professors who can provide an assessment of academic achievements and scholarly potential. Applicants will identify their desired letter writers in the graduate application portal. The letters must be submitted by the letter writers (not by the applicant).
2. Official transcripts from all universities attended must be submitted to the Graduate School. We require an undergraduate grade point average of at least 3.0 and, if relevant, a graduate grade point average of at least 3.2 on a 4.0 scale for admission. See the graduate application portal for instructions on uploading transcript copies.
3. Instead of writing an overall personal statement, please address each of the following questions separately. Each mini-essay should be 500 words or less.
a. Why are you interested in pursuing a doctoral program in Gender and Women's Studies, in general and specifically at the University of Kentucky? What are your current career interests, and how will a PhD in GWS facilitate them?
b. What research interests (e.g., topics, issues, or questions) do you hope to pursue in graduate school? Based on the descriptions of faculty on the department website or any interactions you may have had, which faculty member(s) in the GWS department might be a good match for your interests? See the faculty directory at gws.as.uky.edu/faculty
c. Please describe experiences and skills that will help you to succeed in a doctoral program and engage in research/scholarship in Gender and Women's Studies. These can include coursework in GWS and/or other areas, research experience, work/volunteer/life experiences, and/or skills related to academics, research, or teaching.
d. Please read the mission statement for the GWS department at https://gws.as.uky.edu/community. Discuss how you would be able to contribute to the mission of the department.
e. Tell us a little bit about yourself as a student and person. What individual and interpersonal strengths would you bring to our community of scholars? What areas do you need or want to develop further?
4. Full resume or curriculum vitae (CV), detailing all academic and relevant work experience.
5. Teaching statement (approximately 500 words)- please discuss your interest in teaching and how you would approach teaching or assisting with GWS courses at UK (e.g., goals as a teacher, style of teaching ). If you have teaching or TA experience, please describe those experiences and what you learned from them. If you do not have teaching experience, please describe the kind of teacher you hope to be, based on your experiences as a student.
6. Writing sample of 15 to 40 pages (double spaced). This writing sample should demonstrate content knowledge, analytical skills, and writing ability on a topic related to gender, women’s and/or sexuality studies. Writing samples may be course papers, research papers, critical literature reviews, part of a thesis, or other types of critical writing.
All application materials will be kept electronically on file for 2 years.
UK Graduate School Admissions Requirements
The Graduate School requires the following information, which must be submitted directly to the Graduate School using the graduate application portal:
1. The Graduate School application and fee. Please note that we are unable to waive the application fee.
2. Official transcripts from all universities attended. An undergraduate grade point average of at least 3.0 and, if relevant, a graduate grade point average of at least 3.2 on a 4.0 scale are required minimums. If you do not meet these minimum requirements, please include a letter explaining why you believe you still should be considered for admission.
3. For international students only, official TOEFL, IELTS, or Duolingo scores or documentation of an alternate proof of English Language Proficiency. Please go to https://gradschool.uky.edu/admissions/application-process for more information including institutional codes and minimum scores for the different tests.
Financial Assistance
Teaching and Research Assistantships
Graduate student assistantships include competitive stipends, tuition, and health insurance. The duties of Teaching Assistants (TAs) may include classroom instruction, leading discussion sections, grading, and/or other related activities. Teaching Assistantships are decided by the Department Chair in consultation with the Director of Graduate Studies and the Graduate Committee. To be considered for teaching assistantships, applicants need to write a Teaching Statement (see above) and ensure that their applications are complete by January 5.
Research Assistants (RAs) gain valuable hands-on experience in the scholarly research process. Research Assistantships are available when professors, programs, or centers have funding for their research program. Current and incoming students will be notified and given application information when RAs become available.
For more information about graduate assistantships available through the Graduate School, please visit https://gradschool.uky.edu/funding/assistantships
Fellowships
Fellowships are awards for students with superior academic credentials. They provide students with dedicated time for their own scholarly pursuits (e.g., field work, writing). Recipients of fellowships receive monthly stipends, and most fellowships include full tuition scholarships and health insurance. For more information about Graduate School fellowships, including self-nominated awards, please go to https://gradschool.uky.edu/funding/fellowships
Loans
U.S. citizens and eligible non-citizens may apply for federally supported loans through the UK Student Financial Aid Office. To be considered, complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), online at https://studentaid.gov/h/apply-for-aid/fafsa
Health Insurance
University-funded health insurance coverage is available for recipients of assistantships and fellowships. More information can be found at https://hr.uky.edu/insurance-and-retirement/health-insurance-and-benefits/student-health-plan
Application Deadlines
All application materials must be received no later than January 5 of the year of desired admission in order to ensure a full consideration for admission and departmental assistantships.