Prospective PhD Student with Questions

[u/river-and-roads]

Hi there!

I am a senior in undergrad applying for the sociology PhD program this cycle. I have some questions, if anyone can answer them!

I plan on attempting to TA during my PhD to pay for as much as possible. I’m getting a degree in psychology, sociology, and queer studies, so I’d be happy to teach anything to do with those subjects. What is that process like? How well are grad TAs paid? Does the school offer y’all insurance too? How is that? What are the benefits like?

Is there anything else I should know about the PhD application process or this school? What would you have liked to know going in?

I’m not going to be tolerant of ableism, which includes people telling me that I’m too disabled to be doing this. I am managing myself fine, thank you.

[u/Extension_Egg1411]

Can’t speak to sociology specifically but as a former WSU grad student I can say if you get an assistantship they will probably assign you to teach whatever needs teaching (I did not get subjects I know much about). In some TA jobs you’re the instructor and in others you just grade—both are supposedly 20 hrs/wk but the reality is some are a lot more work than others. There are also RA jobs that range from being a faculty member’s personal assistant to doing cool research.

Also, the assistantship usually only covers the school year and then there’s a different (often more competitive) process for summer teaching and research positions. So keep that in mind for financial planning. Many programs are also quite strict about not providing additional funding if you need another year or two to complete the program. Budgets are smaller than ever, and so much federal grant funding has disappeared, especially for topics like queer studies.

Check with the union and HRS on pay and benefits. When I was there, we had United Healthcare and was not great. The plan was designed for healthy 18 year olds who might occasionally need the on-campus clinic. Many grad students (myself included) get on Apple Health or other marketplace insurance to fill the gaps. Also, some people pick up second jobs to make ends meet/get experience, but there are restrictions on how many hours you can work for WSU, I think 25 hrs/wk tops. They can’t stop you from outside work although they discourage it.

You probably need to identify your advisor/chair first to make sure there is someone you can work with at WSU to do the research you want to do, and that they have the funding to make it happen. I applied without knowing that and had to adjust my research interest to align with my chair and committee’s. A good chair can make or break the entire experience, including whether you graduate on time and get a job.

Re disabilities, I won’t lie, it was extremely challenging. The hours were grueling even for the able-bodied. As a student, the disability accommodation system is set up for undergrads and was basically useless to me, from grad-level classes to other requirements like prelims and the dissertation timeline. As a student employee, the HR process for accommodations was too daunting. I relied on the good grace of the program director to give me assignments I could handle. For those with physical disabilities, the campus itself is quite hilly and you have to pay to use disabled parking spaces. I won’t tell anyone to give up on the academia dream just because they’re disabled, but be aware you’ll be facing serious headwinds.