FAQs for Prospective PhD Students Interested in Working with Dr. Sara Chadwick
Is Dr. Chadwick currently accepting new PhD students?
Yes, I am open to accepting a new PhD student during the Fall 2026 application cycle.
What type of research will a PhD student learn to conduct under Dr. Chadwick’s supervision?
As a PhD student under my supervision, you will be trained in how to conduct research as a Feminist Psychologist. A feminist psychologist is a social scientist who conducts psychological research on feminist topics, using feminist/queer methodologies (see this article for more information on feminist/queer science). In my lab, this involves using surveys, interviews, focus groups, experiments, and sometimes other scientific approaches to gather empirical data from human participants. As such, in my lab, you will learn to ask meaningful research questions, design a scientific study to answer your questions, gather data from participants, analyze the data, and write research papers for publication in scientific journals.
If you are not sure what this looks like, please review the following research study I conducted on orgasm coercion.
Ask yourself: would you like to learn to conduct a research study like that? Would you like to spend a large portion of your time analyzing data and writing papers like that one? If the answer is yes, then great! Please continue reading. If the answer is no and/or you thought doing a PhD involved something else, that’s okay! There are many different types of research approaches out there, especially in Gender & Women’s Studies Departments. You should pursue another supervisor who does work that is more similar to what you are interested in doing.
What is Dr. Chadwick currently looking for in a PhD Student?
At this time, I am interested in accepting PhD students who are or wish to be feminist psychologists. That is, you should be passionate about the idea of receiving training in both Social Psychology and Gender & Women’s Studies and learning how to integrate these perspectives in your research.
More specifically, I am currently prioritizing applicants who are enthusiastic about completing the new Joint PhD program in Psychology & Gender and Women’s Studies here at UW-Madison. This is a specialized PhD program that I have developed to provide my PhD students with the unique feminist/queer AND psychology training that is critical for the type of research that I conduct.
See below for more information on this program and what makes for the strongest candidates.
What is the Joint Psych/GWS PhD Program and what does it entail?
The Joint Psych/GWS PhD Program is a new PhD degree that I developed to provide structured training in both the Psychology and GWS Departments here at UW-Madison. Completing this program means that you will receive a PhD title that recognizes you as a dual scholar.
In this program, you will complete a set of required courses that combines the requirements of the Social Psychology PhD and the GWS PhD programs. Most courses will count for both programs, so you will generally be in the same classes as your Psych and GWS peers. You will also be expected to complete research projects that integrate feminist/queer theory and practices with psychological science.
More specifically, in addition to hands-on research experience, your training will include classes such as Feminist Theory, Social Psychology Theory, Research Methods, Grant Writing, Advanced Statistics, and Feminist Pedagogy. Some of these courses are very theory-heavy and humanities-based. Some are highly scientific and/or mathematical. All are essential to becoming an excellent, highly trained researcher in feminist psychology. As such, you should be prepared to engage in learning across both fields. It is okay if you feel that you are weaker in some of the above listed subjects than others as long as you are willing to engage with all of them in an effort to strengthen your interdisciplinary skills.
Importantly, because this is a joint PhD, there are a few EXTRA requirements compared to students that are only enrolled in one program or the other. Specifically, the Joint PhD will involve approximately TWO extra classes (compared to the Psych students), and one extra prelim exam on Feminist Theory at the end of the third year (compared to the Psych students).
It is my expert opinion that this extra training is well worth it – you will receive a degree that qualifies you to apply to future positions in both Psychology and GWS departments, and you will expand your thinking in ways that will lead to deeper and more exciting engagement with your own research questions. Of course, some students do not like the sound of being required to complete additional training compared to their peers. If that is you, then working with me as your advisor is likely not a good fit. I am looking for someone who is ready to put in a bit of extra effort to receive this unique and incredibly valuable educational opportunity.
What kind of training do I need to be accepted to the Joint Psych/GWS PhD Program?
Strong candidates for the Joint PhD program are usually those who are already well-prepared to apply to a Social Psychology PhD program, but who also have some training or other deep interests in Gender & Women’s Studies. More specifically, competitive candidates typically have a Bachelor’s degree and/or Master’s degree in Psychology, extensive experience conducting psychological research in a lab setting, plus a dual major, certificate, minor, or extensive coursework in Gender & Women’s Studies. In some cases, students have done their own deep reading or engagement with GWS topics and philosophies due to connections with their lived experiences – this may also be acceptable but would have to be made very clear in your application.
- What kind of prior research experience and how important is it? You should have some experience working in a social science lab as a research assistant (volunteer or paid) and/or lab coordinator. This ensures that you have familiarity with the scientific method, the research process, and some basic research skills. Additionally, having written a senior thesis in Psychology, being a first or co-author on a manuscript, and/or having presented or been accepted to present at a conference will make you especially competitive. Note that if you have never worked in a research lab before or done any type of social science research, I am not likely to accept you. If this is the case for you, I recommend that you contact labs near you and try to obtain a volunteer or research assistant position and then re-applying to PhD programs once you have at least 1-2 years of experience.
It is also a benefit if you can demonstrate some experience with data collection and analyses. I am a mixed method researcher, thus I am interested in students who have experience developing surveys, coding data, and/or conducting interviews or focus groups. Quantitative and/or qualitative experience with software such as SPSS, R, NVivo, Stata, MPlus is a plus.
If the above applies to you, then great! You would be an excellent candidate for the joint program. If you are not sure if your qualifications fit, you are welcome to email Dr. Chadwick and ask.
How do I apply to the Joint Psych/GWS PhD Program?
To apply to this program, you must submit SEPARATE applications to the Psychology PhD Program and the Gender & Women’s Studies PhD Program here at UW-Madison. If accepted for the joint option, you will be accepted to both departments and then enrolled in the official Joint Psych/GWS PhD track.
Your application to Psychology should be submitted to the SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY area. I will not accept students who apply to Clinical Psychology or another area group. The application should focus on your research interests and how they overlap with mine, your previous training in Psych and GWS and how it has prepared you for a research-focused PhD in Feminist Psychology, and other strengths typical for a Psych application. Also, even if you are only interested in working with me, you must list other possible advisors in Psych to show that you have considered fit with other members of our community.
Your application to GWS should be submitted to the GWS PhD program. The application can be largely the same as the one to Psychology so long as you have clearly emphasized your prior GWS training and investment in conducting GWS-informed research. Also, even if you are only interested in working with me, you must list other possible advisors in GWS to show that you have considered fit with other members of our community.
Here is a link to the Psychology PhD program information:
https://psych.wisc.edu/graduate-program/
Here is a link to the Gender and Women’s Studies PhD information:
https://gws.wisc.edu/graduate/phd-program-in-gender-and-womens-studies/
How do I make my application to the Joint Psych/GWS Program stand out?
I am looking for PhD students who explicitly wish to be trained as feminist psychologists, who have research interests that overlap with mine, and who are likely to succeed in a PhD program that integrates Psychology and Gender and Women’s Studies. As such, your application and any initial communications with me should clearly state and provide evidence that:
- You would like to complete the Joint Psych/GWS degree and are specifically interested in being trained as a feminist psychologist. First, it would be best to confirm with me that you wish to do the Joint Psych/GWS PhD degree, as I am currently prioritizing students who wish to be in this program. However, I also need to know that you understand that doing this program with me as your supervisor means spending ~5 years learning to do scientific research that integrates feminist and psychological theories and methodologies. In other words, this is much like a job application. You should let me know that you understand what the job title is and that you are indeed interested in doing what the job entails. If I am not sure that you understand what it means to do a PhD with me, it is unlikely that I will support your application.
- Your research interests overlap with mine. I am currently interested in studying gray-area sexual coercion, orgasm coercion, gender roles, the heteronormativity theory of sexual desire, health outcomes, and often gender/sexual minority populations. If you do a PhD with me, you will likely start by helping me with my research studies as you develop research skills, so it is important that you are interested in and willing to do this work. Eventually, you will develop your own ideas, and it is okay if they are tangential to mine. But, I will likely require that they be somewhat related so that I can best advise you and we can engage in a mutually beneficial research partnership. Of note, it is not enough just to say you are interested in the above topics. To be as competitive as possible, you should clarify: What exactly interests you about these topics? What research questions might you ask that are related to these topics? What ideas do you have for expanding upon some of the studies I have done?
Please note that I have published some work on topics that I am no longer pursuing. For example, I am not planning to conduct additional research on pornography or hormones and am unlikely to take a student who is primarily interested in these subjects.
- You are likely to succeed at completing a social science PhD that involves Psychology and Gender and Women’s Studies. The best way to show that you are likely to succeed is to demonstrate how your previous experience has well-prepared you to do this PhD. For example, as stated previously, you should have an undergraduate major and/or a Master’s level degree (though a Master’s degree is not required) in Psychology, prior research experience in a social science lab, and a clear investment in GWS topics and scholarship as demonstrated by previous coursework or clearly articulated independent engagement. Make sure that you emphasize these qualifications to help ensure that you stand out.
Your application should also have strong letters of recommendation from professors you have studied with or worked with in the past. Ideally, you will have at least one professor who can attest to your previous research experience and the skills that you can bring to the table as a part of the PhD program.
Ok, everything above sounds good! Is there anything else I can do to set myself apart?
If after reading all of the above, you are still confident that you would like to apply to work with me as your PhD supervisor, then great! I’m thrilled that you are interested in working with me!
It is often helpful if prospective students email me to communicate that they are still interested and that they have read and understood everything in this document. If you already emailed me with some of this information, then great, you are on the right track! However, it is likely you did not include information on everything, and it would probably be helpful for me to know more.
As such, it will probably help if you follow up with me and clarify the following:
- That you understand what a feminist psychologist is that you would like to get a PhD with me because you are interested in becoming a feminist psychologist.
- That you would like to apply to the Joint Psych/GWS PhD program and understand that this may involve additional work.
- Your research interests and how they overlap with mine.
- A brief description of your qualifications and previous research experience.
- An updated CV.
Note, sending me this information will allow me to best evaluate your fit for working with me. Due to a high volume of interest, I may not be able to respond to you, but be assured that I have read your email and am taking note of potentially strong applications. Again, I cannot guarantee anyone’s acceptance into either program, but I may be able to advocate for students I think are especially competitive. With that said, you do not HAVE to email me the requested information, but doing so will increase the chance that I will agree to become your supervisor upon acceptance.
Finally, the last step is to complete the official applications through the UW-Madison website! Please make sure to submit your strongest materials and to really make your writing and stated interests shine! I look forward to potentially working with you!