The Women's Studies Program at the University of Michigan was the first program in the U.S. to offer joint doctoral degrees. The interdepartmental doctoral programs offer students the opportunity to develop the conceptual and methodological tools central to the interdisciplinary perspective of the women's studies program. Under the guidance of a faculty committee, doctoral students then learn to apply that approach to a research problem. Joint doctoral programs give the students the benefit of interdisciplinary mentorship, mainstream women's studies into the array of disciplines, and instigate more interaction among faculty from different fields, thereby indirectly expanding the resources of each involved unit. The joint Ph.D. program in Psychology and Women's Studies at Michigan requires a curriculum of core courses in Women’s Studies, elective courses in Women’s Studies, and a curriculum in psychology. A preliminary examination in both disciplines and an interdisciplinary dissertation are also required.

The joint degree program in Women's Studies and Psychology was inaugurated in 1994. Students in the joint doctoral program benefit from an active interdisciplinary cohort of students in Women’s Studies, opportunities for interdisciplinary research and mentoring, and the resources of a major research university.

For more information, please contact us at:

Interdepartmental Doctoral Program in Women's Studies and Psychology
University of Michigan
Women's Studies Program
1122 Lane Hall
204 South State Street
Ann Arbor, MI 48109-1109
Phone: (734)763-2047
Fax: (734)764-9533