Department of Women's, Gender and Sexuality Studies

Master of Arts in Women’s, Gender and Sexuality Studies

The stand-alone Master of Arts in Women's, Gender and Sexuality Studies is not accepting applications for Fall 2023.


The master of arts degree is a full-time program that offers solid grounding in feminist and gender theory, knowledge and methodologies. It’s flexible, too, so you can choose to specialize in one area, including one of our areas of strength: gender and legal studies, sexuality studies, social and public policy, comparative literature and culture.

You may also pursue a joint MA degree in another discipline: Anthropology, English, Near Eastern and Judaic Studies, Public Policy, Sociology or Sustainable International Development. This can take one to two years and requires completion of a research paper.

Why Brandeis?

Brandeis faculty and alumni are among our nation's foremost feminist scholars. Our department will give you a strong grounding in discipline-specific studies along with an interdisciplinary education in the theories, methods and scholarship of Women's, Gender and Sexuality Studies.

By introducing current research in a range of fields, the MA degrees — both the stand-alone master's degree and the joint degrees — create cross-disciplinary dialogue and prepare you for intellectual leadership in careers as diverse as public policy, education, social service, law, management and writing.

Brandeis University is one of nine degree-granting institutions in the Graduate Consortium in Women's Studies (GCWS) located at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). Each semester the GCWS offers interdisciplinary, team-taught seminars in which you may enroll.

Careers and Alumni

About one-third of our recent graduates enroll in PhD programs at prestigious universities, including Columbia University, the University of Michigan, Boston University and Princeton, and two-thirds of our graduates enter the workforce in fields as diverse as law, advocacy, research and higher education.

By earning a master's degree in Women's, Gender and Sexuality Studies, you will gain valuable skills in research and analysis, critical thinking, writing and public speaking, creative problem solving, leadership, conflict resolution and team building — skills that will stand you in good stead for a career in any field you choose.

Curriculum

Over the course of two semesters, you will complete eight courses: a foundational Women's, Gender and Sexuality Studies course, a feminist methodologies course (or the Feminist Inquiry course offered through the Graduate Consortium in Women's Studies) and six electives. A master's research paper (thesis) is also required.

Financial Aid and Scholarship

  • To be nominated for a DEIS Scholarship, your application must be received by WGS on or before Jan. 15.
  • To be nominated for a DEIS Scholarship for one of our Joint MA programs, applications are due on Jan. 15 for WGS/Anthropology and WGS/NEJS and on Feb. 1 for WGS/English and WGS/Sociology.
  • To receive full consideration for funding support directly from WGS, your application must be received on or before Jan. 15.

“Participating in the WGS MA program has been an unimaginable experience! WGS is an incredible community filled with individuals who are passionate about their field of study. The commitment to strive towards social justice is clearly seen through on-campus movements, NWSA conferences, scholarship and our own friendships. Our solidarity to strive forward is unparalleled.”

Michelle Guaman MA '20