MA in Women's Gender and Sexuality Studies
In the pioneering Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies (WGSS) Master of Arts degree program, students create an individualized program of study that combines course work with opportunities for practical experience at top agencies and organizations in the nation's capital. Graduates gain the professional skills needed to become competitive participants in the realm of public policy, nonprofit leadership, business, law and more.
Students are expected to develop intellectual depth and a degree of expertise through a four-course concentration in either a specific discipline or a topical area. Examples of specific disciplines include anthropology, sociology, English, history and philosophy, among others. Examples of topical areas include women and health, international development, race and gender and LGBT sexuality.
Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies Info Session: January 12
Join us online for an information session discussing the field of women's, gender, and sexuality studies and the GW Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies program.
"My graduate degree was critical in further developing a feminist lens and approach. ... I now have a deeper understanding of my work advocating for social justice."
Chitra Panjabi
MA '10
Choosing an MA Degree
Career Paths for Graduates
Find out where a WGSS degree can take you.
Graduate Study Guide
Learn more about deadlines and tuition, scholarships and theses and exam guidelines.
Choosing Program Options
Find out whether the WGSS or WGSS-Public Policy program is a better fit for interests.
Course Requirements
This Bulletin covers the degree requirements for students matriculating in the current academic year. Students who matriculated before the current year can find their requirements in the relevant archived Bulletin.
The following requirements must be fulfilled:
The general requirements stated under Columbian College of Arts and Sciences, Graduate Regulations.
36 credits in coursework for the major, including 9 credits in core courses, a 3-credit capstone course, a12-credit concentration, and 12 credits in elective courses.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Required | ||
| Core courses | ||
| WGSS 6220 | Fundamentals of Feminist Theory | |
| WGSS 6221 | Research Issues in Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies | |
| WGSS 6225 | Contemporary Feminist Theory | |
| or WGSS 6230 | Global Feminisms | |
| Capstone | ||
| WGSS 6299 | Capstone Research Seminar | |
| Concentration | ||
| In consultation with the advisor, students develop a 12-credit concentration consisting of four graduate-level courses. | ||
| Electives | ||
| Four elective courses (12 credits) selected in consultation with the advisor. Electives can but are not required to be related to the student’s concentration. | ||