Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies, M.A.
The interdisciplinary M.A. in Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies requires 36 credit hours and prepares graduates for professional employment and for further study. All students take 9 credits of required theory courses, 6 credits of capstone experience, and 21 credits of additional course work appropriate to their plan of study. Course options may include a component of professional skills development to prepare students for immediate employment in non-faculty positions in education, in non-profit organizations, government, or business. Students may also develop a plan of study leading to the pursuit of doctoral degrees in women’s and gender studies or other professional degrees for employment in such diverse areas as counseling, university teaching, the arts, and business.
For information regarding deadlines and requirements for admission, please see the Guide to Graduate Admissions.
In addition to the application materials required by The Graduate School, applicants must submit:
- A statement of purpose explaining how the WGS M.A. program aligns with their personal, academic, and/or professional experience and goals.
- An academic writing sample such as a research paper from an academic course.
If applying for an assistantship or other funding, applicants must also submit an academic and professional resume or CV (curriculum vitae).
M.A. students in WGS may apply for concurrent study in a graduate certificate program in such fields as Non-Profit Management or African-American Studies.
Degree Program Requirements
Required: 36 credit hours
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Required Core Courses (9 credits) | ||
| WGS 650 | Feminist Theory: Intersections of Gender, Race and Class | 3 |
| WGS 651 | Feminist Research Analysis | 3 |
| Select one course (3 credits) from the following: | 3 | |
| Communication and Gender | ||
| Transnational and Postcolonial Feminist Perspectives | ||
| Women's Rhetoric and Feminist Pedagogy | ||
| Critical Sexuality Studies and Queer Theory | ||
| Individualized Plan of Study (21 credits) | ||
| Select a minimum of 9 credits from courses constituting a concentrated area of study 1 | 9 | |
| Select 12 credits from courses approved for WGS credit 2 | 12 | |
| Capstone Experience (6 credits) | ||
| Select one option (6 credits) from the following: | 6 | |
Thesis Option | ||
| Thesis | ||
Internship Option | ||
| Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies Internship | ||
| Internship Seminar 3 | ||
| Total Credit Hours | 36 | |
| 1 | That reflects the student's goals and interests. |
| 2 | Or from other graduate offerings consistent with the student's plan of study. |
| 3 | Must be taken concurrently with WGS 601. |
Individualized Plan of Study
The proposed plan of study must be approved by the WGS Graduate Advisor (Graduate Program Director). These courses may be selected from those carrying a WGS marker or appropriate courses in relevant fields.
Representative Courses Approved for WGS Credit
Consult advisor for additional options. Students may not double-count courses taken to fulfill requirements.
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| WGS 530 | Critical Sexuality Studies and Queer Theory | 3 |
| WGS 600 | Independent Study | 3-6 |
| WGS 601 | Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies Internship | 3 |
| WGS 602 | Internship Seminar | 3 |
| WGS 706 | Topics in Gender and Sexuality Studies | 3 |
| ADS 650 | Topics in African American Gender Studies | 3 |
| CST 659 | Communication and Gender | 3 |
| ELC 609 | Epistemology and Education | 3 |
| ELC 662 | Power, Politics, and Schools | 3 |
| ELC 664 | Introduction to Qualitative Inquiry: A Social Justice Approach | 3 |
| ELC 670 | Leadership for Teaching and Learning | 3 |
| ELC 688 | Contemporary Problems Seminar | 1-3 |
| ELC 700 | Critical Perspectives in Education, Leadership, and Culture | 3 |
| ERM 604 | Methods of Educational Research | 3 |
| HEA 662 | Gender and Health | 3 |
| HEA 665 | Violence and Public Health | 3 |
| HIS 551 | Gender and History: Selected Topics | 3 |
| KIN 630 | Sport and Society: Social Inequalities | 3 |
| MAS 620 | Human Nature and Society | 3 |
Possible Additional Courses, Depending on Plan of Study
Consult advisor for additional options.
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Business Administration | ||
| MBA 701 | Quantitative Analysis for Decision Making | 3 |
| MBA 702 | Financial and Managerial Accounting | 3 |
| MBA 703 | Economic Policies and Impact on Global Outcomes | 3 |
| MBA 706 | Marketing Management | 3 |
| CST 630 | Communication, Organization, and Democracy | 3 |
| Dance | ||
| DCE 667 | The Dancer's Body | 3 |
| Educational Research Methodology | ||
| ERM 604 | Methods of Educational Research | 3 |
| History | ||
| HIS 502 | African American History: Selected Topics | 3 |
| HIS/IAR 626 | The Practice of Public History | 3 |
| HIS 713 | African Americans after Slavery | 3 |
| Library and Information Studies | ||
| LIS 636 | Website Production and Usability for Librarians | 3 |
| Peace and Conflict Studies | ||
| PCS 600 | Transforming Conflict: Histories and Theories | 3 |
| PCS 601 | Indigenous Peace Practices | 3 |
| PCS 610 | Transitional Justice | 3 |
| Philosophy | ||
| PHI 620 | Ethics and Genetics | 3 |
| Political Science | ||
| PSC 540 | Nonprofit Management and Leadership | 3 |
| Public Health | ||
| HEA 601 | Foundations of Public Health | 3 |
| HEA 602 | Epidemiology Methods | 3 |
| HEA 603 | Community Health Analysis | 3 |
| HEA 612 | Management of Community Health Organizations | 3 |
| HEA 640 | Global Health Issues | 3 |
| HEA 645 | Health Policy | 3 |
| HEA 676 | Problems Seminar | 3 |
Accelerated B.A. to M.A. in Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies
Application and Admission
Undergraduate students at UNC Greensboro may apply for admission to the Accelerated Master's Program in Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies. A cumulative undergraduate GPA of at least 3.5, based on at least 30 credit hours earned at UNC Greensboro is required. Applicants must have completed at least 60 credits and may not apply for admission to the AMP before the first semester of the junior year.
All applicants must complete the Accelerated Master's Program information as part of the application for admission to the M.A. program.
Standardized entrance exams (GRE or MAT) are optional for AMP students, although they may be useful in future applications for graduate fellowships.
Applications to the Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies program require the following additional items: a statement of purpose; an academic writing sample; and a resume.
Courses
The M.A. degree requires 36 credit hours of graduate-level course work. AMP students may apply a maximum of 12 credits of graduate-level course work toward completion of both the undergraduate and the graduate degrees, provided that they earn a grade of B (3.0) or better in each graduate course and fulfill graduate-level requirements. No more than 9 credits at the 500 level may be counted toward the M.A. degree. Please see the University Catalog for a full description of the M.A. degree requirements.
The following courses may be counted toward both the B.A. and the M.A. degrees. All courses leading to the completion of the M.A. degree must be approved by the WGS Graduate Program Director.
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| WGS 650 | Feminist Theory: Intersections of Gender, Race and Class | 3 |
| WGS 651 | Feminist Research Analysis | 3 |
| Select up to two courses from the following: * | 6 | |
| Critical Sexuality Studies and Queer Theory | ||
| African American Culture and Identity | ||
| Women's Rhetoric and Feminist Pedagogy | ||
| Gender and History: Selected Topics | ||
| * | In consultation with the Graduate Advisor. |