DEPARTMENT OF WOMEN'S STUDIES

 Women�s Studies encourages students to reexamine their own lives and the world around them in relation to gender, race,
class, and sexuality.  The curriculum reflects new subjects, theories, and methodologies based on a cross-cultural,
mutidisciplinary approach to the study of women.  In the creation of new knowledge, Women�s Studies sees itself as
connected to the social and political environment outside the university. For a full statement of the department's mission and our goals for the M.A., see: www.albany.edu/ws

Students may pursue an M.A. in Women�s Studies.  In addition, for students admitted to more traditional Ph.D. programs at the university and who wish also to pursue the M.A. in Women�s Studies, cross-listed graduate courses fulfill requirements in both programs.  Students may also elect a Graduate Certificate in Women and Public Policy.  At the graduate level, our faculty cluster in three general areas: 1) Women, Society, and Public Policy; 2) Feminist Writing and Creative Practice; 3) Women in Global and Historical Perspectives.

A limited number of assistantships are available for graduate work in Women�s Studies.  For further information, about the
program, and deadline for application for graduate assistantships, please contact the Department.

Combined B.A.-M.A. Program

Qualified undergraduates may apply for admission to the M.A. program and, if accepted, simultaneously work toward completion of the requirements for both undergraduate and graduate degrees. See Combined Baccalaureate-Master's Degree Programs for details.

Careers

A Master�s degree in Women�s Studies prepares students for graduate work and professional training in a variety of fields.
Students who earn an M.A. in Women�s Studies may apply for further graduate study in women�s studies doctoral programs,
or profession study in law, social welfare, or public administration.  They also find employment in community agencies
(women�s centers, counseling centers, battered women�s shelters, rape crisis centers, women�s health centers, and women�s
vocational agencies), in diversity education (in schools, government agencies, and business), and with campus-based women�s
centers.
 

Program Leading to the Master of Arts in Women's Studies
(32 Credits Minimum)

1. Core Requirements (17 � 18 credits):
Wss 510 Graduate Orientation in Women’s Studies (1-2)
Wss 565 Feminist Theory (4)
Wss 590 Research Seminar in Women�s Studies (4)
Wss 690 MA Final Project (4)
One course that considers the intersections of race, class, and sexuality with sex/gender for example:
        Wss 501 Sexuality, Race and Class in Science and Health (4)
        Wss 520 Advanced Feminist Pedagogy and Theory (2)
        Wss 540/Lcs 540 Black Women in U.S. History (4)
        Wss 550 The Literature of Feminism: An Interdisciplinary Seminar (4)
        Wss 551/Lcs 551/His 551 Gender and Class in Latin American Development (3)
        Wss 645/ Soc 645 Selected Topics in Gender Research (3)
        Eng 701 Gender, Race and Class in English Studies (4)

2. Other Courses as Advised (14 � 15 credits):
    Three of these courses must form a coherent field of study and must be approved by the
    Women’s Studies Director of Graduate Studies.

1. Two core seminars: A Wss/E Aps 525, R Pub 525Q Feminist Thought and Public Policy; A Wss 565 Feminist Theory; R Pad 675Q Women and Public Policy I, or Ssw 732Q Women and Social Welfare.
2. One graduate course on public policy issues and their impact on women.
3. One graduate course on skills effecting the public policy process.
4. One graduate policy reasoning course.
5. R Pub 507 Current Research Topics in Public Policy Analysis (1).