Gender and Women's Studies MA at University of Wisconsin Madison

The master's degree in Gender and Women's Studies provides advanced feminist training in gender analysis for students with a variety of academic backgrounds and career plans. The degree engages the multidisciplinary perspectives associated with gender studies and women's studies: queer studies, transgender studies, sexuality studies, race and ethnicity studies, disability studies, area and global studies, cultural studies, postcolonial and transnational studies.

The M.A. curriculum in Gender and Women's Studies draws from the strengths of current course offerings in the program, as well as from methodologies and course offerings in other fields and departments. Some courses investigate these topics at the global level while others focus on the local, regional or national levels. The curriculum ensures an overarching transnational and cross-cultural framework. Courses use interdisciplinary methodologies and/or disciplinary approaches.

The degree program is designed to be a two-year full-time sequence. All students are expected to maintain satisfactory progress in the graduate program in accordance with the regulations of the Graduate School and department policies.

1. Demonstrate the ability to read, understand, and critique the major concepts and theories related to feminism, women, and gender, and apply these critical perspectives across disciplines.
2. Understanding of historical and contemporary agency by people across a spectrum of gender and the ways this agency has shaped lives in various geographic settings.
3. Demonstrate the ability to analyze the intersections between gender and other socially meaningful categories, such as race, class, gender identity, ethnicity, disability, nation, religion, and sexuality, and to explain how gender functions as a social institution.
4. Demonstrate the ability to conduct interdisciplinary feminist analysis that (1) includes a critical literature review, (2) selects appropriate research methodologies, and (3) proposes an appropriate research design to collect, analyze, interpret, and present findings.
5. Develop and utilize strong cultural competencies (e.g., sensitivity to race/ethnicity/gender/disability/sexual orientation issues) to allow them to enter into various cultural, social, economic, civic, academic, and workplace settings.
6. Acknowledge and engage in ethical courses of action in research and collaborative practice.