Admission Requirements

New Deadline - December 2, 2024

Please note that the application deadline for the 25-26 application cycle has changed to December 2, 2024.

Admission to KU's Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies MA and PhD Programs

Because we believe that our faculty and graduate students are the most critical resources in defining the quality of our graduate program, potential applicants are encouraged to correspond with the Director of Graduate Studies and, especially, to visit the campus to discuss their interests and the program with faculty and students.

Please note, at this time, all of our graduate programs are intended for in-person, residential students and cannot be completed fully online.

Application Deadline

Applications must be submitted by December 2nd to be considered for admission in the following Fall semester.

The WGSS Graduate Admission Committee assesses applications shortly after the application deadline.

Interviews will take place in early January for shortlisted candidates.

Admission decisions are typically made in February and communicated to applicants shortly thereafter.

MA/PhD Funding

Due to limited resources, our funding is dedicated to PhD students. All admitted PhD students will receive an offer of funding upon admission. Admitted MA students are not given a funding package upon admission.

MA and PhD Application Materials

To be considered for admission to the Women, Gender, & Sexuality Studies Ph.D. program, all domestic and international degree-seeking applicants must submit the following:

Complete the online application available at KU's Graduate Studies website and submit it. The application fee can be paid online as the last step of the application.  Application forms submitted without a fee cannot be processed.

Application Fees:

  • Domestic Application: $65.00
  • Degree Seeking International Application $85.00
  • Non Degree Seeking Application (Domestic and International) $30.00
  • Re-enrollment Application $20.00

Applicants should provide a copy of an official transcript from all colleges and universities attended. Upload a copy of each official transcript to your application.

If admitted, you’ll also need to send an official copy of all transcripts to Graduate Admissions. It can take three weeks for transcripts to arrive.

To send official transcripts:

  • Via mail

    Transcripts must be sent directly from your institution, in a sealed envelope, to:

Graduate Admissions

University of Kansas

1502 Iowa St.

Lawrence, KS 66045

  • Electronically

    If your institution offers a secure electronic transcript delivery service, you may have transcripts sent to graduateadm@ku.edu.

Your resume or CV may include your education, employment history, volunteer experience, internships, scholarships/fellowships, and/or academic awards.

The quality of the statement of purpose is an important factor in the selection process. Your statement of purpose should be concise, specific and a maximum of two single-spaced pages. Your statement of purpose should address the following:

  • Your interest in a Women, Gender and Sexuality Studies PhD at the University of Kansas
  • Academic and/or professional background; include your experience conducting research (e.g., independent research, research papers, or capstone projects) 
  • Current academic objectives and motivation for pursuing a PhD
  • Research interests and areas you plan to specialize in during the PhD program
  • Faculty member(s) who research in your areas of interest
  • Your career goals

Your writing sample should be a sample of your written academic work and should be a maximum of 30 pages.

These letters should be from former or current instructors and/or those able to recommend you on the basis of professional experience. Provide names and email addresses for each recommender on your application. The recommender will receive a notice from the Office of Graduate Admissions instructing them to upload a recommendation letter. The applicant must assume responsibility for ensuring that the department receives these letters by the application deadline.

All applicants to graduate study at the University of Kansas who are self-identified non-native English speakers must provide proof of English proficiency. Applicants who are self-identified native or native-like English speakers do not have to submit additional proof of English proficiency regardless of international or domestic status. Please visit the Graduate Admissions English Proficiency webpage for more information regarding verification of English proficiency.

 

Application Fee Waivers

Our department does have a small number of fee waivers available. However, because of our limited financial resources, we are unable to provide a fee waiver to all applicants. The process to apply for a waiver is three parts.

Submit the following application materials in the application portal: CV, writing sample, and statement of purpose, so that your request can be reviewed. You may also submit your transcripts if you have them, but they are optional at this stage.

Please reply via email to wgss@ku.edu with the answer to these two questions:

o   What do you want to study in the program and with which faculty members? What is your future career plan? How does this program help you prepare for your future plan? 

o   What is your background in terms of Women, Gender, and Sexuality studies? Why do you believe the KU WGSS program is the best fit for your needs? What about the University of Kansas could benefit you most? 

Fee waiver requests are due on October 15, 2024. Decisions will be communicated by November 1. You will be notified either way.

WGSS GRADUATE CERTIFICATE ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS

Any applicant seeking to pursue a graduate certificate in Women, Gender, & Sexuality Studies must submit an online application via Graduate Admissions. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis.

Please note that there is no departmental funding available for this program. Applicants who are admitted will be self-funded, with the exception of current KU students with a GTA/GRA appointment or other outside funding.

New Applicants

Applicants who are not already enrolled in a KU graduate program must have completed a bachelor’s degree with a 3.0 or higher GPA. These applicants should include the following materials in their application to the certificate program:

The applicant should address why the WGSS graduate certificate is relevant to their academic and/or professional goals. This statement should be no longer than one page, single spaced.

Applicants must provide a copy of an official transcript from all post-secondary institutions they’ve attended. Transcript(s) can be uploaded directly into the online application.

If admitted, applicants must have an official, sealed transcript sent to the Office of Graduate Admissions.

To send official transcripts:

  • Via mail

    Transcripts must be sent directly from your institution, in a sealed envelope, to:

    Graduate Admissions

    University of Kansas

    KU Visitor Center

    1502 Iowa St.

    Lawrence, KS 66045

     
  • Electronically

    If your institution offers a secure electronic transcript delivery service, you may have transcripts sent to graduateadm@ku.edu.

Applicants must request a letter of recommendation from two persons familiar with their academic work or potential for success in graduate study. Applicants will provide names and email addresses of their two references within the online application. References will be prompted via email to complete their recommendation online. Applicants can submit their application before the references have completed their recommendations.

All applicants to graduate study at the University of Kansas who are self-identified non-native English speakers must provide proof of English proficiency. Please visit the Graduate Admissions English Proficiency webpage for more information regarding verification of English proficiency.

Current KU Graduate Students

Applicants already in a KU graduate program must be in good standing with their home department to be eligible for admission the certificate program. Current KU graduate students must provide the following materials in their online application:

The applicant should address why the WGSS Graduate Certificate is relevant for the student, including for example how the course work and approaches would be relevant for the student’s career goals, theoretical development, methodological training, or scholarly aspirations. This statement should be no longer than one page, single spaced.

The applicant’s advisor should give a brief approval for the applicant to take on the additional coursework required for the WGSS Graduate Certificate. The advisor should also address why this specific coursework for the WGSS Graduate Certificate is relevant to the student’s academic and/or professional goals. This letter should be no longer than one page, single spaced.

You can find instructions to print a PDF of your advising report in the Advising Report Tutorial.

Admission to Non-Degree Seeking Status

If you completed a bachelor’s degree with a demonstrated academic competence in women, gender, & sexuality studies or a related discipline and wish to take a graduate-level course in the Department of Women, Gender, & Sexuality Studies, you may apply as a non-degree seeking (NDS) student. Please note undergraduate prerequisite course completion is typically necessary to succeed in graduate-level coursework. Not all courses in our department are open to NDS students; please contact our graduate academic advisor before applying to inquire about your eligibility to enroll in specific courses.

Any applicant seeking to be admitted as a non-degree seeking student in Women, Gender, & Sexuality Studies must submit an online application via Graduate Admissions. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis. Applicants must include the materials below in their application, including a statement of purpose addressing your academic preparedness and personal motivation for taking coursework in the Department of Women, Gender, & Sexuality Studies.

  • If you intend to enroll in coursework via NDS status for non-graduate study pursuits and personal interests, please specify what courses you would like to complete in the department in the personal statement.
  • If you intend to use completed NDS coursework to strengthen your profile for graduate study, please contact the Director of Graduate Studies to determine your options. Completion of NDS coursework to fulfill prerequisites will not guarantee admission to the KU graduate program in Women, Gender, & Sexuality Studies. However, students who have studied gender or sexuality and/or gained appropriate experience via self-study and who lack fulfillment of academic area prerequisites may consider applying to the department as NDS students to make up any gaps in academic study.

Applicants must provide a copy of an official transcript from all post-secondary institutions they’ve attended. Copies of official transcripts can be uploaded directly into the online application. If admitted, applicants must have an official, sealed transcript sent to the Office of Graduate Admissions.

All applicants to graduate study at the University of Kansas who are self-identified non-native English speakers must provide proof of English proficiency. Please visit the Graduate Admissions English Proficiency webpage for more information regarding verification of English proficiency.

 

Questions?

Thank you again for your interest in the Department of Women, Gender, & Sexuality Studies at the University of Kansas. If after reviewing the material, you have further questions, please do not hesitate to contact us.

 

For questions about the academic program or curriculum, contact:

Aimee Wilson, Director of Graduate Studies

Email: aawilson@ku.edu  

 

For questions about the application process or required materials, contact:

Jess Wagner, Graduate Program Coordinator

Email: jess.wagner@ku.edu