Educational Studies (Ph.D.): Gender and Women's Studies
Note: For information about Fall 2025 and Winter 2026 course offerings, please check back on May 8, 2025. Until then, the "Terms offered" field will appear blank for most courses while the class schedule is being finalized.
Thesis
A thesis for the doctoral degree must constitute original scholarship and must be a distinct contribution to knowledge. It must show familiarity with previous work in the field and must demonstrate ability to plan and carry out research, organize results, and defend the approach and conclusions in a scholarly manner. The research presented must meet current standards of the discipline; as well, the thesis must clearly demonstrate how the research advances knowledge in the field. Finally, the thesis must be written in compliance with norms for academic and scholarly expression and for publication in the public domain.
Required Courses (14 credits)
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| EDEC 700 | Proseminar in Education 1. | 2 |
Proseminar in Education 1. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Students will be exposed to a wide range of educational theory and research as faculty members present the theoretical underpinnings, methodologies, and applications of their various programs of research. | ||
| EDEC 701 | Ph.D. Comprehensive Examination. | 0 |
Ph.D. Comprehensive Examination. Terms offered: Summer 2025 Comprehensive examination. | ||
| EDEC 702 | Proseminar in Education 2. | 2 |
Proseminar in Education 2. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. First-year doctoral students will be exposed to more advanced level of educational theory and research to experience the multidisciplinary nature of educational inquiry. | ||
| EDEC 703 | Ph.D. Colloquium. | 4 |
Ph.D. Colloquium. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Second-year doctoral students will have formal and informal opportunities to present their work for critical discussion and dialogue. Students will also discuss fundamental issues and questions in the field of education. | ||
| WMST 601 | Feminist Theories and Methods. | 3 |
Feminist Theories and Methods. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Examination of feminist theories and research methods from a variety of disciplinary perspectives. | ||
| WMST 602 | Feminist Research Symposium. | 3 |
Feminist Research Symposium. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Discussion and development of participants' research in gender and women's studies. | ||
Note: EDEC 701 Ph.D. Comprehensive Examination. is normally taken at the end of the second year for Ph.D. 2 program entrants and at the end of the third year for Ph.D. 1 entrants.
Complementary Courses (3 credits)
One of the following courses:
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| EDEC 630 | Ethnographic Approaches to Research . | 3 |
Ethnographic Approaches to Research . Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Ethnography as a qualitative research approach that allows researchers to conduct in-depth studies of complex social and cultural practices. Hands-on experience in ethnographic field work and practice ethnographic research methods are offered. Focus on history and application of a range of ethnographic approaches including traditional, critical, visual, activist, institutional, and collaborative ethnography. | ||
| EDEC 706 | Textual Approaches to Research. | 3 |
Textual Approaches to Research. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Survey a range of research strategies including philosophical, theoretical, historical, narrative, and autobiographical methods of textual analysis. | ||
| EDEC 707 | Interpretive Inquiry. | 3 |
Interpretive Inquiry. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Focus on issues of voice, reflectivity, and representation when using interpretive frameworks in qualitative research. | ||
| EDEM 692 | Qualitative Research Methods. | 3 |
Qualitative Research Methods. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Theoretical and practical exploration of the foundations of qualitative methods, with emphasis on underlying principles. | ||
One course, at the 500 level or higher on gender/women's issues, to be chosen from the approved list (available from the McGill Institute for Gender, Sexuality, and Feminist Studies) in consultation with the Doctoral Advisory Committee depending on the student's background and research interests. In some cases, additional courses may be required or recommended by the Doctoral Advisory Committee.