Penn State Psychology is one of only two graduate programs in the U.S. to offer a dual-title Ph.D. in Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies (WGSS) and Psychology. Graduate students in Psychology also have the option to pursue a graduate minor in WGSS.
Students in the dual-title Ph.D. program learn to synthesize feminist and psychological theories and methods in their research. Our faculty advise students to work from intersectional, critical, queer, and/or feminist approaches to diversify the perspectives historically omitted or overlooked in psychological science. Students also gain experience with a variety of methodological tools such as experimental paradigms, qualitative inquiries, survey design, physiological measures, and longitudinal and field-based studies that can be used to inform positive social change. Our faculty are experts in addressing a number of timely social issues, such as intersectionality in psychology, power, masculinity, sex and sexuality, LGBTQ+ issues, prejudice, allyship and activism, human emotion, workplace outcomes, and health disparities. Graduates are well positioned to pursue both academic and non-academic career tracks. Some graduates are tenure-line faculty at various institutions (e.g., Ramapo College; University of Nebraska; University of California, Merced), while others are researchers in industry (e.g., FactWorks; Geico Insurance).
Students interested in WGSS may receive the M.S. and/or Ph.D. in “Psychology and Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies.” The Psychology requirements are no different than those for students seeking the Psychology degree alone, except that students also take 3 required courses in WGSS and 3 electives hosted within WGSS or cross-listed between Psychology and WGSS. There are also requirements for the thesis or dissertation and the composition of the candidate’s committee. To learn more about the dual-title Ph.D. and minor requirements, please see: https://psych.la.psu.edu/graduate/program-areas/cross-cutting-program-initiatives/dual-degree-programs/psychology-and-wgss/requirements/
How to Apply
Students interested in the dual-title Ph.D. program may choose to express their interest in their online application to Psychology during the initial admission process. After a student is admitted to Psychology at Penn State, they may apply to WGSS for admission to the dual-degree program within the first two years or prior to defending their master’s project. WGSS determines whether to admit the student into the dual-title program. Students should take at least one required WGSS seminar and complete at least one semester in the Psychology graduate program before applying for admission into the dual-title Ph.D. program. Students interested in a WGSS minor do not need to formally apply into WGSS, but they must complete an online form after completing the required coursework.
Current Students of Psychology and WGSS
- Roua Daas
- Tiyobista Maereg
- Brianna Donaldson-Morton
- Olivia Goldstein
- Jude Sullivan
- Emerson Todd
Graduates of Psychology and WGSS
- Brittany Bloodhart, California State University, San Bernardino
- Jessica Cundiff, Missouri University of Science and Technology
- Elaine Dicicco, Capital One
- Terri Frasca, National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine
- Sarah Gervais, University of Nebraska, Lincoln
- Johanna Johnson, Infor
- Lizbeth Kim, Sandberg Goldberg Bernthal Family Foundation
- Mary Kruk, Rape, Abuse and Incest National Network
- Katie Lewis, University of Washington in St. Louis
- Heather MacArthur, Blueprint
- Kaitlin McCormick-Huhn, University of Nevada, Las Vegas
- Flora Oswald, University of Connecticut
- Lindsay Palmer, UMass Chan Medical School
- Katina Sawyer, University of Arizona
- Nathaniel Schermerhorn, University of Essex
- Kristy Schlenker, CarePoint Health
- Srijana Shrestha, Wheaton College
- Maggie Thomas, Earlham College
- Leah Warner, Ramapo College of New Jersey
- Kevin Weaver, FactWorks
- Matthew Zawadzki, University of California, Merced