PREDOCTORAL FELLOWSHIP IN GENDER, SEXUALITY AND HEALTH
The Department of Sociomedical Sciences offers a Predoctoral Fellowship in Gender, Sexuality and Health, leading to a PhD degree from Columbia's Graduate School of Arts and Sciences. The first program of its kind, the fellowship is designed to prepare students for research and teaching careers in gender and sexuality as they shape reproductive and sexual health. The department invites applications from individuals interested in a multidisciplinary program that combines rigorous graduate studies in a social science discipline with specialized courses and doctoral research apprenticeships in gender, sexuality and health. No more than four fellows can be supported at any one time, so the number of fellows accepted in a given year will vary. Support is available for a maximum of five years but fellows are strongly encouraged to seek other support once their course work is completed. The program is funded by the Demographic and Behavioral Sciences Branch of the National Institute of Child Health and Development.
THE DEPARTMENT OF SOCIOMEDICAL SCIENCES
The fellowship builds on the Department of Sociomedical Sciences' well-established PhD program in social sciences and public health. The department brings an interdisciplinary approach to public health, applying social science theory and methods from anthropology, economics, ethics, history, political science, psychology and sociology to the analysis of public health problems and the development of effective public health strategies. The department is distinguished by its focus on the social determinants of disease and health. Faculty members share a common interest in investigating the relationship between epidemiological trends and structural inequities to expose the fundamental social causes of public health events, including discrimination, stigma and poverty.
The diversity of the department's course offerings reflect its faculty's diverse research interests and expertise, including: aging, drug use, HIV/AIDS, health care access, health promotion, homelessness, immigrant health, sexuality, tobacco, urban health and violence prevention.
GENDER, SEXUALITY AND HEALTH STUDIES
Students wishing to study sexuality in many university settings often find that only one or two courses covering only a small area of the topic (usually with a heavy emphasis on biomedical issues) are available during their years of study. Additionally, faculty members who teach sexuality studies often do so in isolation and without either the time or the expertise to cover all the major areas of the topic adequately.
The Department of Sociomedical Sciences has long been a pioneer in research on the social dimensions of gender and sexuality. As early as the 1980s, with the emergence of the HIV/AIDS epidemic, social scientists at Columbia had already begun to make important contributions to the field. Studies involving sex and gender were developed (e.g., the late John Martin's pioneering cohort study of the effect of HIV/AIDS on gay men in New York City; Richard Parker's groundbreaking ethnographic study of the construction of sexualities in Brazil; Ronald Bayer's work on AIDS in the Industrialized Democracies) along with a range of relevant courses. These activities played an extremely important role in catalyzing research around questions of gender and sexuality in the early and mid 1980s and the 1990s.
The predoctoral fellowship in Gender, Sexuality and Health is a culmination of recent efforts to expand the department's research and training activities in gender and sexuality. The department's distinguished faculty in this area is led by Richard Parker, Chair of the Department of Sociomedical Science, and an internationally-recognized scholar in the field. The predoctoral training program complements an existing postdoctoral program in Gender, Sexuality, Health and Human Rights, directed by Carole Vance, and the recently initiated MPH Program in Sexuality and Health.
FELLOWSHIP PROGRAM OF STUDY
Predoctoral fellows are formally admitted as candidates for the PhD in Sociomedical Sciences and must fulfill the general requirements for this degree program as well as requirements specific to the fellowship program. At the time of application, candidates select a concentration in one of six social sciences: anthropology, economics, history, political science, psychology or sociology. Students entering the program with a BA complete 20 courses during the first three years of residency. Half the courses are taken within the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences' disciplinary department of their choice, the other half in the Department of Sociomedical Sciences and other Mailman School of Public Health departments. Students entering with an MPH or social science M.A. apply for advanced standing for up to 10 courses that may be distributed between public health and social science courses.
Predoctoral Fellows complete both general requirements for all SMS PhD students and those specific for the Fellowship Program.
General requirements for a PhD in Sociomedical Sciences:
1. Rigorous disciplinary training comparable to that received by PhD candidates in Columbia's Graduate School of Arts and Sciences;
2. A two-semester course in the major traditions of social theory that support and frame contemporary practice in the sociomedical sciences and its application to health-related research;
3. Training in epidemiology and biostatistics; and
4. To progress to the dissertation stage of doctoral studies, students are examined in four areas: a written methods examination, oral examinations in health systems and population health/health behaviors; and an examination specific to the student's social science concentration.
Specific Requirements for the predoctoral fellowship:
5. A one-semester course, "Critical Perspectives in Gender, Sexuality, and Health."
6. A minimum of one course selected from those focusing on contemporary theoretical approaches and substantive topics in sexuality and health including: "Culture, Sexuality and HIV/AIDS"; "Theories and Perspectives on Sexuality and Health"; and the "Seminar in Sexuality, Gender, Health and Human Rights";*
7. A course in the major biological and public health aspects of reproductive and sexual health: "Technical Aspects of Reproductive Health";*
8. An ongoing faculty-fellow seminar in gender, sexuality and health that meets every 2-3 weeks;
9. A required course in research ethics*;
10. A research apprenticeship supervised by program faculty; and
11. Doctoral research and dissertation focused on a topic in gender and/or sexuality and health.
*Courses required for the predoctoral fellowship program are counted towards the sequence of 10 public health courses.
ADVISEMENT
The predoctoral fellowship brings together distinguished scholars in the fields of gender and sexuality from the Department of Sociomedical Sciences and from other academic departments at both the Mailman School of Public Health and Columbia's Graduate School of Arts and Sciences. Fellows will be assigned a faculty advisor who matches their research interests and who will oversee their fellowship progress. Many students will collaborate with more than one faculty members over the course of their training.
Program Director:
Constance Nathanson
Co-Director:
Peter Messeri
Core Faculty Members
Richard G. Parker
Carole Vance
Peter Messeri
Constance Nathanson
Theo Sandfort
Diane di Mauro
Ilan Meyer
Ronald Bayer
Jennifer Hirsch
Karolynn Siegel
Heilbrunn Department of Population and Family Health
Wendy Chavkin
John Santelli
Vaughn Rickert
HIV Center for Clinical and Behavioral Studies (Psychiatry)
Alex Carballo-Dieguez
Department of Sociology
Peter Bearman
RESOURCE FACULTY MEMBERS
Department of Sociomedical Sciences
Claude Mellins
Robert Fullilove
Vera Paiva
Ana Abraido-Lanza
Victoria Raveis
Ida Susser
Miguel Munoz-Laboy
Patrick Wilson
HIV Center for Clinical and Behavioral Studies (Psychiatry)
Anke Ehrhardt
Joyce Hunter
Heilbrunn Department of Population and Family Health
Andrew Davidson
Lynn Freedman
Debra Kalmuss
Maria Wawer
Additional Departments
Elizabeth Bernstein - Sociology, Barnard
Nabila El-Bassel - Social Work
Lena Edlund - Economics
RELATED LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES AND RESOURCES
Resources for training in research on gender, sexuality and health at Columbia go well beyond what is available in the classroom. Several research centers and programs devoted exclusively to issues on gender, sexuality and health or with these issues as a major focus offer a network of opportunities for learning and training with established faculty scholars.
These resources include: the Center for Gender, Sexuality and Health and the Rockefeller Program for the Study of Sexuality, Gender, Health and Human Rights located in the Department of Sociomedical Sciences; the HIV Center for Clinical and Behavioral Studies at the New York State Psychiatric Institute; and the Institute for Social and Economic Research and Policy on Columbia's Morningside campus.
The Center for Gender, Sexuality and Health was established by the Department of Sociomedical Sciences in 2001 to promote research and training activities on the social and cultural dimensions of sexuality, as well as policy-relevant research on issues related to sexual health, sexual rights and sexuality education. The Center develops programs related to diverse cultures and communities, including ethnic and sexual minorities, both in the U.S. and internationally.
In collaboration with faculty members, doctoral students play important roles in the Center's activities as both participants (e.g. as presenters, moderators, organizers and researchers) and as audience. The Center's International Working Group on Sexuality and Social Policy (IWGSSP), chaired by Richard Parker, regularly involves doctoral students in its work conducting strategic international policy-oriented research and analysis.
Fellows are also invited to join the Center's new Gender, Sexuality and Health Journal Club, a forum for students and faculty to discuss cutting-edge research on current issues in the field, and for students to present work related to their dissertation projects.
QUALIFICATIONS FOR ADMISSION
Applicants must meet requirements for admission to Columbia's Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, from which they will be awarded the PhD degree upon successful completion of study. Applications will be reviewed initially by the Department of Sociomedical Sciences' doctoral committee and then independently by the graduate department of their disciplinary choice (e.g. anthropology, economics, history, political science, psychology or sociology).
Only applicants acceptable to both departments will be considered for the predoctoral fellowship program. Prior experience in either (or both) public health social sciences is preferred, but is not required. Students with a masters degree in public health or a social science discipline may apply for advancing standing equivalent for up to a year of course work.
In selecting the fellows, the Department of Sociomedical Sciences will consider performance in undergraduate and/or graduate courses; standardized exam performance (Graduate Record Examination scores taken within the previous five years); letters of recommendation; research or published papers; fit with departmental areas of scientific strength; and other relevant experience. In their personal statement, applicants should clearly state their interest in gender and sexuality and briefly outline a prospective area of research for their doctoral dissertation.
PROGRAM ENROLLMENT REQUIREMENTS
The predoctoral fellowship only admits students for full-time enrollment. Students normally enroll for four or five courses per semester for the first two years of graduate studies (for students entering with a BA) or for the first year (for students entering with an M.A). Summer months will be primarily devoted to research activity. Students entering with a BA are expected to complete their course work and comprehensive examination during the first three years of residency. Students entering with an M.A. are expected to complete these requirements in two years. The dissertation phase of graduate taking usually takes between two and three more years.
STUDENT FINANCIAL SUPPORT
The Predoctoral Fellowship in Gender, Sexuality and Health covers: tuition, plus an annual stipend of approximately $20,772; health insurance; computer fees; two trips each year to professional meetings; and a nominal amount for other expenses including books. Although support is guaranteed for five years, fellows will be encouraged and provided assistance in applying for other funding to cover dissertation research and writing.
APPLICATION PROCESS Students should apply directly to the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences and note on the application their interest in the predoctoral fellowship at the top of their personal statement.
APPLICATION DEADLINE
Admission applications must be submitted by December 15.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION FOR APPLICANTS
Columbia University does not discriminate on the basis of age, color, creed, disability, marital status, national origin, sexual orientation, race, gender, or any other characteristic. Minorities are especially encouraged to apply. Applicants must be U.S. citizens or permanent residents.
For more information about the fellowship program, call or email:
Program Directors:
Constance A. Nathanson
Professor of Clinical Sociomedical Sciences
212-305-1593
can2003@columbia.edu
Peter Messeri
Professor of Clinical Sociomedical Sciences
212-305-1549
pam9@columbia.edu
Andrea Constancio
Academic Program Coordinator
212-342-0287
ac995@columbia.edu
