Women's and Gender Studies (MA)
Department website: https://liberalarts.utexas.edu/wgss/graduate-program/
Women’s and gender studies comprises research or creative work that raises new questions, formulates theories, or carries out empirical investigations that further understanding of science, social science, history, the humanities and arts, education, public and social policy, and paradigms of knowledge in applied and professional fields in such a way that women and gender systems are brought to the center of scholarship. Students pursue disciplinary and interdisciplinary research or creative work that prepares them for research or professional careers in which knowledge about women, gender, and sexuality is crucial. Students who complete the program graduate with a greater understanding of the field of women's and gender studies; an understanding of and commitment to resisting interlocking oppressions; critical knowledge of women's human rights; and scholarly connections to the department's faculty. The master’s degree in women’s and gender studies is excellent preparation for further training in public policy, social work, health care, education, the arts, technology, and business.
The master's degree is a two-year program that prepares graduates to pursue PhD work in Women's and Gender Studies at another institution or in another discipline. The master's degree also provides good intellectual grounding for further training and professional development in the arts, business, community and non-profit organizations, education, health care, public policy, social work, and technology.
Graduate Portfolio Program
The women’s and gender studies graduate portfolio program is open to all graduate students at The University of Texas at Austin. It offers graduate students from all disciplines an opportunity to incorporate women’s and gender studies into their degree programs. Students may enter the program at any point in their graduate work, but it is recommended that they do so as soon as they decide to pursue the portfolio.
The program builds upon the Department's rich and broad-based expertise across disciplines and colleges/schools. Portfolio students develop a specialization unique to their own program of work through women’s and gender studies courses, scholarly papers, and presentations.
Once all portfolio requirements are completed and the student’s graduate degree is awarded, their official University transcript will indicate completion of the graduate portfolio in women’s and gender studies.
In addition, interested students may receive an in-house certificate for the "WGS Portfolio Program with LGBTQ/Sexualities Track" by taking courses identified as having LGBTQ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer) studies content. This list of courses is known as the “Pink Book,” and is published on the WGSS website.
Requirements and application information are available online.
Graduate Seminar Courses
The Department of Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies offers an interdisciplinary program that focuses on understanding women’s experiences from a variety of perspectives and on the role gender plays in shaping society. The program’s large and diverse faculty draws on the scholarship of more than 270 distinguished faculty members from twenty-nine departments and 14 colleges and schools. Women's and Gender Studies 393, Seminar: Topics in Women's and Gender Studies, provides access to cutting-edge scholarship from multiple perspectives by offering topics from nearly every graduate discipline. The program’s faculty affiliates offer as many as thirty different seminar classes every semester.
Graduate Handbook
Graduate handbook information is updated and maintained by each program. Graduate handbooks are available within each program's office and online. Please contact the program with concerns or questions.
Admission
An admission committee composed of Graduate Studies Committee members evaluates all applications. The committee seeks to admit a small, dynamic group of students who will make a difference in the community, both in and outside of academia. The limited size of the incoming cohort allows the program to provide each student with personal attention and fosters a sense of community among students and faculty members.
The Admissions Committee looks for candidates with an understanding of women's and gender studies as a field, commitment to antiracist feminist practice, a strong academic background, and a clear sense of the topics or areas they wish to pursue during the two-year master’s degree. The Department of Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies depends on students to be activists and leaders in the community. The Admissions Committee also looks for students who will not only attend class but also attend workshops and conferences, form organizations, volunteer, and participate in extracurricular activities.
A complete list of required application materials is published by the Department of Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies.
Total Hours Required: 36
Thesis: 36
Report: 36
Requirements
Students pursuing the Master of Arts degree in Women's and Gender Studies will write either a Thesis or a Report at the end of their coursework:
Thesis
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Major | ||
| Core Foundations Courses (must be completed in their first year) | 9 | |
| Writing Workshop | ||
| Feminist Theories | ||
| Research Methods Seminar in Women's and Gender Studies | ||
| WGS 698 | Thesis | 6 |
| Additional Coursework | 21 | |
| Total Hours | 36 | |
Report
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Major | ||
| Core Foundations Courses (must be completed in their first year) | 9 | |
| Writing Workshop | ||
| Feminist Theories | ||
| Research Methods Seminar in Women's and Gender Studies | ||
| WGS 398R | Master's Report | 3 |
| Additional Coursework | 24 | |
| Total Hours | 36 | |
Additional Requirements and Policies
Students are required to meet regularly with their thesis advisor during their second year.
In addition, each student must demonstrate competence in the research skills appropriate to the student’s overall academic and career objectives and to the final thesis or report. A minimum of four additional courses related to women, gender, sexuality, or feminism may be selected from the extensive offerings of faculty members affiliated with the Department of Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies. Other courses may be substituted with the graduate advisor’s approval.
All WGS students must also present their work at least once during the Annual Emerging Scholarship in Women's and Gender Studies Graduate Student Conference.