The Women’s and Gender Studies Department at the University of Michigan was the first program of its kind in the U.S. to offer joint doctoral degrees with disciplinary departments. The interdepartmental programs in English & Women’s and Gender Studies, History & Women’s and Gender Studies, and Psychology & Women’s and Gender Studies are designed to serve the needs of students whose intellectual interests in gender cross disciplinary boundaries. Through coursework, one-on-one advising, and cohort-oriented activities, the programs offer students conceptual and methodological tools that are grounded in an interdisciplinary, feminist perspective and community. Students choose to work with a faculty committee that helps them develop their own research questions while providing guidance regarding cutting-edge methods of analysis. The commitment to mentorship common in Women’s and Gender Studies enables students to master disciplinary expectations while developing an interdisciplinary research trajectory.
