The Women's Studies Program offers graduate training leading to the Master of Arts degree in Women's Studies. The interdisciplinary program is designed to provide a comprehensive foundation in Women's Studies for students seeking work beyond the bachelor's level, whether for self-enrichment or in preparation for doctoral work or a variety of careers. Students will elect a concentration in Inequality and Social Policy or Cultural Studies, and they will choose to write a thesis or do a capstone project to complete their degree.

Program objectives are: (1) development of an interdisciplinary understanding of the social, political, and cultural roles of gender and race in global history and contemporary U.S. society; (2) ability to write a research paper of sufficient quality to be presented at a professional meeting or conference; (3) practical experience in the application of theoretical concepts of gender and race to social and cultural phenomena in their environments; and (4) an appreciation of and the ability to synthesize theoretical perspectives on gender and race from both the humanities and the social sciences.

To complete an online Master of Arts application, click here.
(IN ADDITION TO THE WMST PROGRAM,
APPLICANTS MUST APPLY TO THE U OF M GRADUATE SCHOOL)

You'll need to print 3 reference forms to be completed by people qualified to judge your ability to undertake graduate work.

Thesis Program:

1. The thesis program requires the successful completion of thirty-six (36) credit hours of graduate level work. At least twenty-six (26) credit hours have to be completed on/above the 7000 level:
   1. 9 hours in the required core:
      WMST 7300 Understanding Women's Lives: Multidisciplinary Theories and Methods
      WMST 7310 Women, Race, and Social Inequality
      WMST 7320 Women and Multi-Cultural Expression
      
   2. 12 hours in area of concentration
   3. 9-12 hours of other electives
   4. 3-6 WMST 7996 thesis hours
2. Successful completion of
   1. One written comprehensive examination
   2. Thesis
   3. Thesis defense/oral comprehensive examination

The four-hour written comprehensive examination addresses standard issues in the field of Women's Studies. A reading list with required and recommended texts will be made available to the student in the first year of study. Questions on the comprehensive exam will be based on the reading list as well as on course work completed in the Women's Studies core curriculum. Comprehensive examinations are given in the week prior to the beginning of the student's last semester in the program. The director of Women's Studies schedules the examination in consultation with the student and the student's thesis/comprehensive examination committee

The 2-hour oral examination counts as both a thesis defense and as an oral comprehensive examination. During the defense, students are asked broad questions covering the breadth of coursework as well as the thesis content.

Since the thesis defense serves as both a thesis defense and an oral comprehensive examination, both the Thesis Defense Results form and the Comprehensive Examination Results from will be submitted to the Graduate School for students who take the thesis option.

Advising. All students will choose an advisor at the beginning of their second year in the program, and this advisor will chair the thesis/comprehensive examination committee. Approaching their final semester of coursework, students will choose two more members from faculty affiliated with Women's Studies to fully name their thesis/comprehensive examination committee. The thesis/comprehensive examination committee must be in place at the beginning of a student's last semester of coursework. When choosing a committee, the graduate school guidelines about the graduate faculty status of committee members must be observed. (More information under "Faculty Advisory Committee" at http://academics.memphis.edu/gradschool/tdinfo.html.)

Capstone Project Program

1. The capstone project program requires the successful completion of thirty-six (36) credit hours of graduate level work. At least twenty-six (26) credit hours must be completed on/above the 7000 level:
   1. 9 hours in the required core:
      WMST 7300 Understanding Women's Lives: Multidisciplinary Theories and Methods
      WMST 7310 Women, Race, and Social Inequality
      WMST 7320 Women and Multi-Cultural Expression
      
   2. 12 hours in area of concentration
   3. 9-12 hours of other electives
   4. 3-6 WMST 7350 capstone project hours
2. Successful completion of
   1. one written comprehensive examination
   2. capstone project
   3. capstone project journal
   4. capstone project presentation/oral comprehensive examination

The four-hour written comprehensive examination addresses standard issues in the field of Women's Studies. A reading list with required and recommended texts will be made available to the student in the first year of study. Questions on the comprehensive exam will be based on the reading list as well as on course work completed in the Women's Studies core curriculum. Comprehensive examinations are given in the week prior to the beginning of the student's last semester in the program. The director of Women's Studies schedules the examination in consultation with the student and the student's thesis/comprehensive examination committee

The 2-hour oral examination counts as both a capstone project presentation and as an oral comprehensive examination. During the presentation, students are asked broad questions covering the breadth of coursework as well as the capstone project content.

Project. The capstone project must be documented in a journal, and results of the project are, upon conclusion, presented not only to the capstone project/comprehensive examination committee, but also to a larger forum of interested scholars and community members. Capstone projects must be approved by the director of Women's Studies and the student's advisor.

Advising. All students will choose an advisor at the beginning of their second year in the program, and this advisor will chair the capstone project/comprehensive examination committee. Approaching their final semester of coursework, students must choose two more members from faculty affiliated with Women's Studies to fully name their capstone project/comprehensive examination committee. The capstone project/comprehensive examination committee must be in place at the beginning of a student's last semester of coursework. When choosing a committee, the graduate school guidelines about the graduate faculty status of committee members must be observed. (More information under "Faculty Advisory Committee" at http://academics.memphis.edu/gradschool/tdinfo.html.)