Name

Charlotte Karem Albrecht

School

University of Minnesota

Degree Program

Sixth year PhD student in Feminist Studies

Previous Degrees

Bachelor of Arts in Gender Studies and French from Rice University, 2003

Dissertation Topic

Gender roles in a late nineteenth century immigrant peddler community

Research Interests

Comparative ethnic studies; Queer and sexuality studies; Women of color

Advisor

Jigna Desai

Advisor’s Research Focus

Post-colonial studies; South Asian diaspora

Hobbies

Gardening, creative writing, cooking

Graduate School – Application Process

How did you select your graduate school or program?

I chose University of Minnesota for my PhD program in feminist studies because of the school’s resources and faculty. I explored programs in gender studies and I was drawn to the feminist studies curriculum at University of Minnesota. The program would enable me to take advantage of resources from several different departments across the university. I also researched the professors and I found that there was a strong core faculty. I felt that the faculty created a supportive environment where I could thrive.

What did you do to prepare yourself for graduate school?

The most important thing I did to prepare myself for graduate school was speak with the professors from my undergraduate program. I consulted the faculty who I knew well and asked for their advice about applying to PhD programs. I also asked for feedback on my personal statement from a professor. Having my professors as mentors helped me navigate the process of choosing and applying to graduate schools.

Did your application requirements include standardized test scores?

Yes, I had to submit test scores from the GRE exam when I applied to University of Minnesota.

What kind of information did you include in your personal statement?

In my personal statement, I wrote about why I chose to study feminist studies and why I was a good fit for the program. I described the experiences that had prepared me for graduate study, including my undergraduate work as a research assistant. The professor who gave me feedback on my first draft suggested that I include proposals for research projects, so I also explained what I was interested in researching and the faculty that I hoped to work with.

How did you choose faculty to approach for letters of recommendation?

For my letters of recommendation, I asked faculty from my undergraduate program who I knew would provide a strong recommendation for me.

Do you have any other tips for a student who is considering applying to graduate school in feminist studies?

If you are considering applying to graduate school in feminist studies, I suggest that you get in touch with the director and a few faculty members of any program you consider. You should call and introduce yourself to the program director because you might be able to gain some insight into what the admissions committee is looking for in an application. You can also get insight into the program and the research being conducted by speaking directly with faculty members. When I was applying to my PhD program at University of Minnesota, I had some very positive and encouraging conversations with the faculty.

Graduate School – The Program

How long is your program and how is the curriculum distributed?

My PhD program in feminist studies typically takes 5 to 7 years to complete. During the first 2 years, I took required core courses. After that, I had more flexibility to take elective courses. In my third year, I took preliminary exams that allowed me to move onto the dissertation portion of my program. Once I entered the dissertation phase, I took a class that helped prepare me to research and write my dissertation and I have been working on it since.

What is the focus of your dissertation research?

For my dissertation, I am researching a small community of immigrants who came to the United States during the late nineteenth century. The community was composed of peddlers from Lebanon, Syria and Palestine who worked door-to-door and often traveled for weeks or months. I am examining the gender roles within these immigrant peddler communities because they were isolated from the greater community and there was some flexibility around social norms. For example, sometimes women also worked as peddlers, which was frowned upon by the greater society, or some peddler men had several different families along their peddling routes. I am exploring how these immigrants and their culture represented the community.

Can you describe the process of researching for and writing your dissertation?

I chose my dissertation topic in my first year but even though I picked a topic early, researching has still been a difficult process. Most of my coursework did not explicitly pertain to my topic and it was a challenge to juggle my classes with my research.

I have conducted most of my research by reading books and looking through history archives. I am not trained as an historian, which has presented a challenge while exploring historical resources. However, I try and attack the research by thinking about how everything relates to the community. I have written short conference papers in preparation for drafting my dissertation, but aside from that, I plan to finish researching before I start composing my first formal draft.

What role does your advisor play in your education?

My advisor is a helpful resource in completing my PhD. I meet with her at least once every semester, but usually a lot more frequently. Together, we assess my work and progress and she helps me set deadlines. In addition, she writes letters of recommendation for me when I apply to fellowships. My advisor also helps me with the dissertation process. I discuss my topic and research regularly with her. It is quite beneficial for me to examine the structure of my argument with her, and it also helps me to determine what is feasible in my timeline.

Does your doctoral program require comprehensive exams prior to graduation?

Yes, students are required to pass preliminary exams during the third year in order to move from the coursework portion of the program to the dissertation phase. The exam format includes 3 written papers of publishable quality, and 1 is supposed to be a preliminary version of the dissertation. After submitting the papers, students must defend the papers in front of a committee and also discuss initial dissertation research.

Graduate School – Paying for It

How are you funding your education?

I am funding my PhD program at University of Minnesota largely through fellowships and assistantships. I receive money through my class fellowship, and also a federal fellowship for learning Arabic. My federal fellowship provides considerably more money than other fellowship. I also receive guaranteed money through my department in return for my assistantships. I have worked as a research assistant, a teaching assistant and a graduate instructor. I qualify for up to 5 years of funding through the university.

Graduate School – Living Life

What are the time commitments for a PhD in feminist studies?

The first few years of my PhD program in feminist studies were more chaotic, but at this point I am able to keep a regular schedule. Most days, when I do not have a teaching assistantship, I work from 8:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m. I learned early in the program that I have a tendency to attempt too much at once and I was constantly working. But I was stretched too thin to be productive. Now, I balance my time and allow myself to relax in the evenings and on weekends. Concentrating on my physical and mental health allows me to be much more productive than I would be if I tried to work all the time.

How has graduate school affected your personal life?

It is difficult to set boundaries between my personal life and my academic life. Sometimes, it is also stressful because my partner is not in academia and I know that it can be hard to understand exactly what my job entails for someone who is not in graduate school. To help balance my work with my personal life, I seek support from people who understand the stress and pressures of doctoral work.

Graduate School – After Graduation

Where do you see yourself in 5 years?

In the future, I would love to have a teaching position in an Arab American studies program. However, I know that might be an ambitious goal, so I will also try and secure a tenure-track position in a women and gender studies program. I would ideally like to stay in Minnesota, even if that means looking at work outside of academia. I might also explore jobs in the non-profit sector or in arts organizations, because I have experience in those fields.

Graduate School - Advice

What insights can you offer a student who is interested in pursuing a PhD in feminist studies?

If you are interested in pursuing a PhD in feminist studies, the best insight I can offer is that this is a growing field with increasing opportunities. In the past, gender studies departments were quite small and usually admitted a very limited number of people, and many gender studies programs shut down completely. People who were interested in studying gender or feminist studies were limited in their choices and often settled on traditional disciplines while trying to incorporate a feminist studies slant. However, this is an evolutionary point in the field and doctoral programs in gender studies and feminist studies are cropping up. There are increasing opportunities and possibilities if you are interested in exploring feminist studies at the graduate level.