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Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies Program

Columbian College of Arts & Sciences

Combined BA/MA Degrees

A student discussing in WGSS's sexual communication class

The Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies (WGSS) Program offers two combined Bachelor of Arts and Master of Arts degree programs: a BA/MA in Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies or a BA/MA in Public Policy with a concentration in WGSS. The combined degrees allow students to take up to 12 graduate credits as part of their undergraduate program.

Anna Woodward

"The WGSS Program truly supports each student . . . and prioritizes the recognition of a diversity of experiences."

Anna Woodward
BA '19

 

 

Combined BA/MA in Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies

The WGSS dual BA/MA is steeped in the program’s trademark strength areas: intersectionality, global feminism, public policy and media and visual culture. Students engage in critical debates on gender and sexuality studies and receive rigorous interdisciplinary training to provide a foundation for scholarly research and analysis. Students also specialize in a disciplinary or topical area of their choice. 

Requirements for both the Bachelor of Arts in WGSS and the Master of Arts in WGSS degrees must be fulfilled. Students receive their BA in Women’s, Gender and Sexuality Studies after four years and are admitted to the MA program with 12 credits, leaving another 24 credit hours to complete the MA degree. The normal full-time MA student carries a 9-hour load per semester, leaving three remaining semesters to complete the master’s degree. Students in the BA/MA program must complete one of three options:

 

Combined BA/MA in Public Policy With a Concentration in Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies

The first of its kind in the nation, the combined public policy and WGSS degree focuses on contemporary policy issues through the lens of gender and sexuality. The program trains students to critically analyze policy issues and pose questions drawing from research, economics and critical theory. Along with women’s and gender studies coursework, students take at least four policy courses in GW’s Trachtenberg School of Public Policy and Public Administration. Students in the BA/MA program must complete one of three options:

Requirements for both the Bachelor of Arts in WGSS and the Master of Arts in Public Policy-WGSS degrees must be fulfilled. Coursework for the MA in Public Policy-WGSS is also applicable to the PhD in Public Policy and Public Administration program at GW.

 

How to Apply

Students interested in the dual degree program should confer with their advisor early in their junior year. To be eligible, applicants must have completed 75 undergraduate credits. Eligible students must apply to the graduate portion of the program no later than the spring term of the junior year. At that point, students are recommended for admission on the same basis as other applicants for the graduate degree program.

All students must complete a Columbian College Combined Bachelor’s/Master’s Program Application for Admission early in their junior year and submit it to the Columbian College Office of Graduate Studies. Applicants to the combined BA/MA programs are required to provide:

  • Unofficial transcript
  • Two faculty references
  • Personal statement
  • Writing sample