Master of Arts in Women's, Gender and Sexuality Studies

The MA program in Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies (WGSS), one of the oldest programs of its kind in the country, provides intensive academic training in feminist theory, women's and gender issues, and sexuality studies. The MA core curriculum focuses on foundational, intersectional, and transnational feminist theories. Students may also choose from a range of electives in areas such as literature, geography, history, sociology, politics and art, as well as legal, development, cross-cultural and sexuality studies. In addition, students may opt to concentrate in one of the program's areas of specializations: sexuality studies and transnational feminisms. Electives can be chosen from a range of courses offered by core and affiliate faculty, including internships and study abroad opportunities. We also offer a joint MA/JD degree program with UC's Law School, a program which is part of the Law School's Center for Race, Gender and Social Justice. Both the MA and MA/JD programs culminate in an original research or creative project supervised by a faculty committee.

Applicants for all our graduate programs must have completed a Baccalaureate at an accredited college, with a minimum undergraduate grade point average of 3.0.
Your application should include the following information:

Personal essay (approx. 1-2 double-spaced pages), in which you demonstrate your personal and intellectual commitment to women's, gender, and sexuality studies, your potential to succeed in a research-oriented graduate program, and your professional goals consistent with advanced work in the field.
Recent (within 2 years) TOEFL or IELTS Scores: Required for non-native English speakers. More information on minimum requirements can be found on the Graduate Admissions website.
Three letters of recommendation: From individuals who can address your work in Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies and/or your research-oriented work
Writing sample: In most cases, this will be an essay or research paper about women, gender, and/or sexuality-related issues written for a prior college course. Applicants returning to university after a period of absence should confer with the Graduate Director about the possibility of submitting another type of writing sample, such as a grant application, magazine article, or letter to the editor.
Unofficial transcript(s) of all undergraduate and, if applicable, graduate courses are required for the admission application. Official transcripts will be required after accepting admittance to the program.
Recent (within 2 years) TOEFL or IELTS Scores: Required for non-native English speakers. Expected minimum TOEFL scores: 100 (online iBT), 600 (paper-based). Expected minimum IELTS score: 7.