Careers in Psychology Project - What Can You Do with a Degree in Gender Studies?

Careers in Gender Studies Project

Coullt Kimbrell

Psychology 324

Washington State University Global Campus

Part I. What Can You Do with a Degree in Gender Studies?
There are many career options for individuals with a degree in Gender Studies, especially with the field having consistent growth and expansion, estimated at a twelve percent increase by 2022 ("Gender Studies Psychologist", 2016), due to more laws being passed and overall acceptance in society with regard to equalizing women’s roles in industry and acknowledging facets of integrating lesbian, gay, bi-sexual, and transgender (LGBT) individuals throughout the workforce.  My research resulted in an understanding that colleges and universities are starting to expand their coursework and

Many of the occupational areas for personnel with a Gender Studies degree, regardless of the level (Bachelor’s, Master’s, Doctorate) involve being of service to other individuals and the sky seems to be the limit on how to apply your area of expertise within those service and non-service related jobs. A Bachelor’s degree in Gender Studies can open up the door for being anywhere from a social worker to a police officer in the public service domain and a sociologist or market research analyst for private or institutional domains ("Career Centre | University of Toronto Mississauga", 2016).  A Master’s degree in Gender Studies elevates a career into the realm of positions such as Rape Crisis Program Director, Public Relations Manager or even a gender specialist on staff at law firm working to promote gender equality within multiple working genres. A doctorate in Gender Studies can be used to acquire a position in teaching, research studies in relatable psychology fields expanding women’s and LGBT foci, and a Gender Studies Psychologist ("Gender Studies Psychologist", 2016).

Part II. Graduate Programs in Gender Studies

What are the requirements to gain entry into the program? What do you need to submit? How long does it take to complete the program? What types of classes do they offer? What is the success rate of graduate students in their program? Is the program terminal Master’s or can you earn a Ph.D.? Is it offered online or in person? o Required: When examining the department’s website, find at least one, and no more than three, faculty members you could see yourself working with based on shared research interests. Describe their interests in a paragraph. Why would you want to work with them? How important is the mentorship experience for you? ∙ Provide a link to the departments graduate training webpage.

I found the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) has a department of Gender Studies and offers a graduate degree in person, not online. This doctorate program was added in 2000  and was one of the first one of its kind in the nation. I was unable to determine the success rate of the Ph.D. program at UCLA. The requirements to enter the program involve applying online, providing a Statement of Purpose, a Fellowship and Diversity application, transcripts, a GRE score (has to be 600 or better and not be more than five years old), three letters of recommendation, completion and submittal of the Gender Studies Supplemental Essay, a writing sample and a resume. The transcripts must prove that you have a GPA of 3.5 or better for your junior and senior years. The Gender Studies supplementary essay informs the admissions committee about your experience with gender studies and why you want to focus in Gender Studies and is to be no more than 3 pages double-spaced. The writing sample requirement can be met with research papers or other materials that express your scholarly or career interests.  The doctorate requirements consist of completing 60 units with at least 16 of those units being in Gender Studies and 44 units of electives that cannot be 500-level , teaching related, or language based. The program offers you the opportunity to earn your master’s en route to the Ph.D. after meeting core requirements, finished the first exam, and submitted the 20-page research paper. Furthermore, there are two more exams, a depth and oral, which can be completed after finishing the dissertation and earning an appointment from the doctoral committee. Once the dissertation is approved by three certifying members of the committee, then the Ph.D. is granted. Coursework for the Gender Studies degree includes: Introduction to Interdisciplinary Methods in Gender Studies, Key Theories and Concepts in Gender Studies, Epistemologies of Gender, Research Design and Professional Development, Subfields in Gender Studies, Feminist Pedagogies, and finishes up with independent studies, preparation for Ph.D. qualifying exams and research for Ph.D. dissertation. Upon review of the staff members of the UCLA Gender Studies faculty, I could see myself enjoying working with Professor Purnima Mankekar, a professor of Gender Studies, Asian American Studies and Film, Television, and Digital Media based on her subfields of Feminist Media Studies and Post-9/11 Public Cultures. I have been highly interested in cultural studies from around the globe as a result of the attacks that occurred on Sept. 11, 2001 as my career path (prior Naval Intelligence Research and Analysis) has focused on events that led up to and shortly-followed the impetus of those catastrophes. I feel that Dr. Mankekar would have another amazing and hopefully objective perspective on those events and possible resources for furthering my studies in the genre of modern age radicalism.  I also feel that she might contribute a wealth of knowledge concerning a foreign perspective on the equalization of gender rights and the evolution of the influence of the media on pre- and modern era gender biases. The mentorship experience is a great benefit to my personal development in a relevant field of study as, in my experience, it relates to staying focused and diffusing some of the difficulties of achieving success.

Part III. Job Ad for a Specialist in Gender Studies

I found an ad for a Tenure-Track Assistant Professor in Gender/Women’s Studies in the Faculty of Education for the University of Hong Kong. The ad is distinctly seeking a person with a doctorate degree with strong research and teaching abilities in feminism, gender equality and gender-based cultural studies. The incumbent should be able to work with the staff to develop and improve curriculum for the interdisciplinary gender/women’s study program and also be able to complete necessary research for the updates.

Ad:

Tenure-Track Assistant Professor in Gender/ Women's Studies in the Faculty of Education

Institution:

The University of Hong Kong

Location:

Hong Kong, Hong Kong

Category:

Faculty - Liberal Arts - Women's Studies

Faculty - Education - Other Education (study of)

Posted:

11/12/2016

Type:

Full Time

Founded in 1911, the University of Hong Kong is committed to the highest international standards of excellence in teaching and research, and has been at the international forefront of academic scholarship for many years. The University has a comprehensive range of study programmes and research disciplines spread across 10 faculties and over 140 academic departments and institutes/centres. There are over 28,000 undergraduate and postgraduate students who are recruited globally, and more than 2,000 members of academic and academic-related staff coming from multi-cultural backgrounds, many of whom are internationally renowned.