Women's Studies
(WMST)
Abstract
Women's Studies offers an interdisciplinary and integrative program of study leading to the Master of Arts and Doctor of Philosophy degrees. Students will be expected to develop a thorough grounding in the new scholarship on women; acquire an understanding of gender as a category of analysis; analyze and assess theories about the role of gender in systems of hierarchy and its intersection with other categories of difference, such as race, ethnicity, religion, class, sexuality, disability, and age; develop competence in women's studies theories, research methods, and pedagogy, including issues related to women's diversity nationally and globally; and achieve competence in a selected area of specialization.
Admissions Information
Application requirements include a Graduate School application, application fee, official transcripts, GRE scores, (3) letters of recommendation with rating sheets, scholarly writing sample with footnotes approximately 10 pages in length, personal statement of purpose, including research interests, and a CV or resume. Also, please do not submit supporting documents until you have completed and submitted your application. Additional requirements for International students can be found at the following website: www.gradschool.umd.edu/prospective_students/international_admissions.html
Application Deadlines
Type of Applicant Fall Spring Domestic Applicants; US Citizens and Permanent Residents with foreign credentials; International Applicants seeking admissions under A, E, G, H, I and L visas and immigrants
Deadline: December 1
Preferred: December 1International Applicants seeking admission under F (student) or J (exchange visitor) visas
Deadline: December 1
Preferred: December 1
Application Requirements
- Graduate School application and fee
- GRE Scores
- Official transcripts of all undergraduate and graduate work
- 3 Letters of Recommendation with ranking sheets
- 10 page (maximum) Writing Sample
- personal statement of purpose and experience, including research interests
- C.V. or resume
Degree Requirements
Master of Arts (M.A.)
Women's Studies does not have a stand-alone M.A. program. However, on the way to a Ph.D., students who have completed the appropriate coursework may request conferral of a master's degree.
Students will begin the graduate program with a sequence of courses that include the required core interdisciplinary courses for a total of 31 credits and finish with either the completion of a thesis or the 'general' examination. This portion of the program stresses interdisciplinary Master's courses offered in the Department of Women's Studies.
Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.)
Students' continued participation in the doctoral program is dependent upon the quality of their coursework, research and writing, the completion of an interdisciplinary paper and successfully passing exams. After successfully completing the M.A. portion of the program, students will meet with a committee of advisors to determine the balance of their program of coursework. A full complement of courses is oriented toward two enterprises: 1) developing a major field and passing a major field exam, i.e. an interdisciplinary topical inquiry, that will support the dissertation; and 2) developing the research skills of two methodologies. In addition, students must and demonstrate reading competency in a language other than English, relevant to their course of study. Students entering with a bachelor's degree are required to complete a minimum of 54 credits, including 12 dissertation research credits. Students entering with a graduate certificate in Women's Studies or a master's degree are required to take a minimum of 34 credits, including 12 dissertation research credits.
Facilities and Special Resources
Resources for research in the College Park and Washington D.C. are unsurpassed. The University's libraries hold around 2,500,000 volumes. In addition to the outstanding holdings of the Library of Congress, the area also offers the specialized resources of the National Archives and Archives II (located on the grounds of the University of Maryland); the Smithsonian Institution; the National Museum of Women in the Arts; and a broad array of public policy organizations and "think-tanks," such as the Institute for Women's Policy Research, Women's Legal Defense Fund, National Organization for Women, American Association of University Women, Women's Research and Education Institute, National Women's Law Center, American Council on Education's Office of Women in Higher Education, Business and Professional Women's Foundation, Center for Policy Alternative's Women's Policy and Programs, Center for Women's Policy Studies, Feminist Majority, General Federation of Women's Clubs International's Women's History and Resources Center, International Center for Research on Women, National Association for Women in Education, Program on the Studies and Education on Women of the Association of American Colleges and Universities, and the Union Institute Center for Women, plus the many research and policy institutes with include gender issues as part of their agenda.
The National Women's Studies Association, the professional association of the discipline, and one of the leading scholarly journals in our field, Feminist Studies, are both located on or near our campus. Some graduate students may be able to broaden their experience and enhance the applicability and marketability of their coursework by undertaking internships in these two organizations.
The University of Maryland Consortium on Race, Gender and Ethnicity offers grant-getting potential and otherwise support the research endeavors of faculty in these fields. Grants funded through the Consortium will provide additional funding for Women's Studies graduate students and invaluable research experience. High enrollment demand in Women's Studies introductory CORE courses provide yet another opportunity for funding graduate student's programs of study with teaching assistantships.
Financial Assistance
The Women's Studies Department awards a small number of recruitment fellowships to selected candidates. Women's Studies also awards teaching assistantships, research assistantships, and administrative assistantships, are the primary forms of financial aid. These assistantships carry a stipend, benefits, and remission of tuition up to ten credit hours each semester.
Contact Information
Additional information on admission, degree requirements, and financial aid can be obtained from:
Cliffornia Howard/Program Management Specialist
2101 Woods Hall
MD
20742
Telephone: (301) 405-6877
Fax: (301) 314-9190
womensstudies@umd.edu
http://www.womensstudies.umd.edu
