Gender, Sexuality & Women's Studies, PhD

Explore the dynamics that shape your everyday experiences as a gendered person in contemporary culture. In our courses you will learn how to develop a critical perspective that takes factors such as sex, gender, sexuality, race, class and disability into account. You might find your worldview transformed as you apply these perspectives to your study in other classes and to all aspects of your life. Our courses reflect an expanding field of feminist research including feminist theory, health issues, philosophy, queer issues and sexuality studies, legal issues, violence against women, women and equity in the workplace, and women and the creative arts.

Admission Requirements

English Language Proficiency

Applicants whose first language is not English must furnish evidence of their proficiency in the use of the English language:

• The Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL). Minimum acceptable score is 630 for the paper and pencil version, 267 for the computer version, or 109 for the internet version. [Western's TOEFL ID is 0984].
• The International English Language Testing Service (IELTS Academic). Minimum acceptable score is 8 out of 9.
• The Duolingo English Test. The minimum acceptable score is 115.