Program Overview

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Overview

The University of Colorado Boulder Department of Women and Gender Studies offers a Master of Arts in Gender and Sexuality Studies. This post-baccalaureate degree program provides students with an interdisciplinary education, utilizing various theoretical and methodological approaches across the humanities and social sciences to examine women, gender, and sexuality in an international context.

Requirements

Program Requirements

Students must successfully complete 30 credit hours of academic coursework, with at least 27 credits at the 5000 level or above. No more than 3 credits (one course) may be taken at the 4000 undergraduate level, upon approval of the director of graduate studies. Up to 9 credit hours of graduate coursework may be transferred from another accredited institution, in alignment with the program requirements and upon approval by the director of graduate studies. Independent study credit hours shall not exceed 6 credit hours.

Required Courses and Credits

• WGST 6090: Feminist Theories (3 credits)
• WGST 6190: Feminist Methodology (3 credits)
• WGST 6796: Queer Theories (3 credits)
• Electives or Independent Study (WGST) (6 credits)
• Electives (WGST or approved electives from other departments) (9 credits)
• WGST 6959: Master's Thesis in Gender and Sexuality Studies (6 credits) or
• WGST 6969: Master’s Practicum in Gender and Sexuality Studies Total Credit Hours: 30

Elective Coursework

Fifteen credit hours (typically five courses) are taken as electives. A minimum of 6 credit hours (two courses) of the electives must be taken within the Department of Women and Gender Studies. A maximum of 6 credit hours (two courses) may be taken as Independent Studies with faculty in Women and Gender Studies, following approval by the director of graduate studies.

Elective offerings include:

• WGST 5200: Religion and Reproductive Politics in the United States
• WGST 5400: Critical Inquiries in Transgender Studies
• WGST 6290: Special Topics in Gender and Sexuality Studies

Degree Plans

By the end of the second semester of graduate study in the program, students will select either the thesis option or the practicum option. Six credit hours must be taken as thesis hours or practicum hours, depending on the student’s plan of study.

Plan I: Thesis Option – The thesis option is a project of original research that culminates in a master’s level paper defended by the student to their faculty committee.

Plan II: Practicum Option – The practicum option requires students to complete 150 to 180 hours of paid or unpaid work at an agency, organization, or project relevant to gender and sexuality studies, culminating in a comprehensive oral examination and a paper detailing and analyzing the work achieved.

Transfer Credit

After completion of six credit hours with a GPA of 3.0 or higher, students may request the transfer of a maximum of nine graduate studies credits toward the elective credits if the transfer courses align with the requirements of the MA in gender and sexuality studies.

Plans of Study

Plan I: Thesis Option

• Year One:
  • Fall Semester: WGST 6090 (3 credits), Elective (3 credits)
  • Spring Semester: WGST 6190 (3 credits), WGST 6796 (3 credits), Elective (3 credits)
• Year Two:
  • Fall Semester: Electives (6 credits), WGST 6959 (3 credits)
  • Spring Semester: Elective (3 credits), WGST 6959 (3 credits) Total Credit Hours: 30

Plan II: Practicum Option

• Year One:
  • Fall Semester: WGST 6090 (3 credits), Elective (3 credits)
  • Spring Semester: WGST 6190 (3 credits), WGST 6796 (3 credits), Elective (3 credits)
• Year Two:
  • Fall Semester: Electives (6 credits), WGST 6969 (3 credits)
  • Spring Semester: Elective (3 credits), WGST 6969 (3 credits) Total Credit Hours: 30

Learning Outcomes

By the completion of the program, students will be able to:

• Demonstrate expertise of knowledge in the discipline and synthesize knowledge through academic writing.
• Effectively communicate and present research to academic and public audiences in both written and oral form.
• Design and conduct original research in the discipline (Thesis Option).
• Apply discipline-specific knowledge to work in related fields (Practicum Option).