Women's Studies and Gender Studies (MA)
The Graduate Programs in Women’s Studies and Gender Studies draw from a variety of departments and programs on campus to analyze how knowledge is shaped by power (especially around the intersecting axes of gender, sexuality, and race) and to create new pathways for promoting social justice.
The WSGS community at Loyola is broadly interdisciplinary; culturally and intellectually diverse; tight-knit and supportive; politically and socially engaged; and committed to open-ended critique, inquiry, and invention.
The Women's Studies and Gender Studies (MA) also offers an Accelerated Master's Pathway for Undergraduate students to complete their Graduate studies in a fifth year. Further details of the AMP, including the suggested sequence of courses, can be found under the Curriculum tab.
Related Programs
Curriculum
The Master of Arts in Women's Studies and Gender Studies requires 30 credit hours of courses plus a capstone presentation (WSGS 599).
Besides the traditional Master's program, the Women's Studies and Gender Studies (MA) is also offered as an Accelerated Master's Pathway where exceptional undergraduate students can complete the program in a fifth year. A suggested sequence for the AMP can be found below.
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Required Courses | ||
| WSGS 401 | History of Feminist Thought (Offered every fall) | 3 |
| WSGS 402 | Foundations of Women's Studies (Offered every spring) | 3 |
| One Global Feminisms course 1 | 3 | |
| Global Feminisms | ||
| One Practicum or Thesis 2 | 3 | |
| Practicum | ||
| Thesis Research | ||
| Select six elective courses 3 | 18 | |
| Migration, Identity, Sexuality | ||
| Feminist Pedagogy | ||
| Sexual Assault Advocacy | ||
| Masculinity Studies: Equity, Race, Transformation | ||
| Queer Theory | ||
| Topics in Women's Studies and Gender Studies | ||
| Independent Study | ||
| Thesis Supervision | ||
| Total Hours | 30 | |
- 1
The third core requirement is a course that explores feminism/gender in a global dimension; a number of different courses can satisfy this requirement.
- 2
The practicum consists of either an internship with a Chicago non-governmental organization or a TAship.
- 3
Some graduate level electives are offered through other departments, including English, History, Philosophy, Sociology, Political Science, Theology, Communications, Law, and Social Work. Students must select three electives to apply to a track of study (detailed below).
Tracks of Study
Students must choose one of the following concentration tracks for at least three of their electives. Dual-degree students will not be required to choose a concentration beyond their dual degree, but they may organize their electives around a concentration if they choose.
- Global and Transnational
- Gender and Violence
- Bodies and Sexualities
- Religion and Ethics
- Expressive Arts and Visual Cultures
- Self-designed concentration (must be approved by the Graduate Program Director based on a written statement explaining the merits of the proposed course of study)
Suggested Sequence of Course
Traditional Master's Program
The below sequence of courses is meant to be used as a suggested path for completing coursework. An individual student’s completion of requirements depends on course offerings in a given term as well as the start term for a major or graduate study. Students should consult their Graduate Program Director for assistance with course selection.
| Year 1 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Fall | Hours | |
| WSGS 401 | History of Feminist Thought | 3 |
| WSGS 450 | Global Feminisms | 3 |
| Elective | 3 | |
| Hours | 9 | |
| Spring | ||
| WSGS 402 | Foundations of Women's Studies | 3 |
| Elective | 3 | |
| Elective | 3 | |
| Hours | 9 | |
| Year 2 | ||
| Fall | ||
| Elective | 3 | |
| Elective | 3 | |
| Hours | 6 | |
| Spring | ||
| WSGS 498 or WSGS 500 |
Practicum or Thesis Research |
3 |
| Elective | 3 | |
| Hours | 6 | |
| Total Hours | 30 | |
Accelerated Master's Pathway
Students can take up to 12 credit hours in the senior year with admission to the AMP. These credits are shared between the Bachelor's and Master's programs.
| Senior | ||
|---|---|---|
| Fall | Hours | |
| WSGS 401 | History of Feminist Thought | 3 |
| WSGS 450 | Global Feminisms 1 | 3 |
| Hours | 6 | |
| Spring | ||
| WSGS 402 | Foundations of Women's Studies | 3 |
| Elective 2 | 3 | |
| Hours | 6 | |
| Master's | ||
| Fall | ||
| Elective | 3 | |
| Elective | 3 | |
| Elective | 3 | |
| Hours | 9 | |
| Spring | ||
| WSGS 498 or WSGS 500 |
Practicum or Thesis Research |
3 |
| Elective | 3 | |
| Elective | 3 | |
| Hours | 9 | |
| Total Hours | 30 | |
- 1
This course was chosen for the purposes of creating a sequence of courses. Students are able to choose from WSGS 450 or one of the following electives: WSGS 455, WSGS 460, WSGS 475, WSGS 480, or WSGS 497.
- 2
An elective was chosen for the purposes of creating a sequence of courses. Students are able to choose from WSGS 450 (if not taken in Fall) or one of the following electives: WSGS 455, WSGS 460, WSGS 475, WSGS 480, or WSGS 497.
Responsible Conduct of Research
All PhD students and students in thesis-based Master's degree programs must successfully complete UNIV 370 Responsible Conduct in Research and Scholarship or other approved coursework in responsible conduct of research as part of the degree requirements. It is strongly recommended that students complete this two-day training before beginning the dissertation/thesis stage of the program.
Guidelines for Accelerated Master's Pathways
In Accelerated Master’s Pathways, students share limited, authorized credits between their Undergraduate and Graduate degrees to facilitate completion of both degrees in a shorter amount of time. Shared credits are Graduate level credit hours (400-level or higher) taken during the Undergraduate career and then applied both to the Undergraduate degree and towards Graduate program requirements.
Admission and Matriculation
Accelerated Master's Pathways are designed to enhance opportunities for advanced training for Loyola’s Undergraduates. Admission to these programs is competitive and will depend upon a positive review of credentials by the Graduate program. Accordingly, the admission requirements for these programs may be higher than those required if the Master’s degree were pursued entirely after the receipt of a Bachelor’s degree.
Students enrolled in an Accelerated Master's Pathway who choose not to continue to the Master’s degree program upon completion of the Bachelor’s degree will face no consequences.
Ideally, a student will apply for admission to an AMP program as they approach 90 credit hours in their Undergraduate career.
Students will not officially matriculate into the Master’s degree program and be labeled as a Graduate student by the university, with accompanying changes to tuition and Financial Aid (see below), until the Undergraduate degree has been awarded. Once admitted to the Graduate program, students must meet the academic standing requirements of their Graduate program as they complete the program curriculum.
Advising and Registration
Students in their final Undergraduate year will work with Advising in the home School of their Bachelor's program(s), as well as the Graduate Program Director of the Master’s program. Any 400-level or higher courses that the student plans to enroll in should be reviewed by both advisors to ensure that these courses will complete requirements for both degrees.
Registration in Graduate level courses during the Undergraduate year may require assistance from the Graduate Program Director and/or the student’s current academic advisor to enroll.
Shared Credits
Only courses taken at the 400-level or higher will count toward the Graduate program. At the Undergraduate level, students are restricted to enrolling in and sharing up to the number of Graduate level credits explicitly indicated in the catalog for their selected AMP program.
In general, Graduate level coursework should not be taken prior to admission into the Accelerated Master's Pathway. Exceptions may be granted for professional programs where curriculum for the Accelerated Master's Pathway is designed to begin earlier. On the recommendation of the program’s Graduate Program Director, students may take one of their Graduate level courses before they are admitted to the Accelerated Master’s Pathway if they have advanced abilities in their discipline and course offerings warrant such an exception.
Degree Requirements and Conferral
Undergraduate degree requirements are in no way impacted by admission to an Accelerated Master’s Pathway. Students should not, for example, attempt to negotiate themselves out of a writing intensive requirement on the basis of admission to a Graduate program.
The program’s Graduate Program Director will designate credit hours to be shared through the advising form and Master’s degree conferral review process. Graduate credit hours taken during the Undergraduate career will not be included in the Graduate GPA calculation.
If students wish to transfer credits from another university to Loyola University Chicago, the program’s Graduate Program Director will review the relevant syllabus or syllabi to determine whether it meets the criteria for a 400-level course or higher.
Programs with specialized accreditation requirements that allow programs to offer Graduate curriculum to Undergraduate students will conform to those specialized accreditation requirements.
Degrees are awarded sequentially. All details of Undergraduate commencement are handled in the ordinary way as for all students in the School/College/Institute. Once matriculated in the Graduate program, students abide by the graduation deadlines set forth by the Graduate program. Students in these programs must be continuously enrolled from Undergraduate to Graduate degree program unless given explicit permission by their program for a gap year or approved leave of absence. In offering the option of an Accelerated Master’s Pathway, the university is making possible the acceleration of a student’s Graduate degree completion. It should be understood that students may not request deferral of their matriculation into the Master’s degree program. If students would like to delay their Graduate studies after earning the Undergraduate degree, they may apply for admission to the traditional Master’s degree program. Any application of Graduate credit earned while in the Undergraduate program is subject to the policies of the Graduate degree granting school.
Graduate & Professional Standards and Regulations
Students in graduate and professional programs can find their Academic Policies in Graduate and Professional Academic Standards and Regulations under their school. Any additional University Policies supersede school policies.
Learning Outcomes
Upon graduating, Graduate Women’s Studies and Gender Studies students will be able to:
- Analyze major influences within key historic feminist/gender studies movements in a global landscape.
- Explain how women’s studies and gender studies are distinct and fundamental fields of study intimately connected to each other and other interdisciplinary academic disciplines across the university.
- Examine the intersections of identities (e.g., gender, race, ethnicity, class, sexuality, nationality, etc.) and the ways in which they contribute to instances of privilege and power dynamics across global cultures, space, and time.
- Understand their own relationship within their communities and that actions (or inactions) and cultural competencies are integral to addressing inequalities.
- Conduct research by privileging Feminist, Queer, and/or other Gender Studies theories and methodologies through both an intersectional and social justice lens.