The joint MSW/MA in Women’s and Gender Studies offers a unique and cutting edge graduate program with a focus on gender, community, and social justice. Both programs share a synchronicity of mission and focus on social justice efforts at the community level and together they would provide an excellent foundation for developing a women’s and gender studies-based social work career trajectory.
The joint program is designed to give students the opportunity and flexibility to draw from the strengths of both programs as they build a foundation for their chosen work. The program offers both a broad understanding of social work, with a particular focus on community, and a substantive foundation in the theories and scholarship within women’s and gender studies, with a particular focus on social justice. Students will have the opportunity to deepen their knowledge in the field of women’s and gender studies directly applicable to their interests in social work and build their knowledge-based skills in social work while obtaining the necessary credential for not only securing employment, but the ability to advance their leadership in the profession.
| Program Requirements | Quarter Hours |
|---|---|
| MA Requirements | 32 |
| MSW Requirements | 76 |
| Total hours required | 108 |
MSW Degree Requirements
Course Requirements
All candidates for the MSW/MA Women's and Gender Studies degree enrolled in the 3 year program must complete 76 credit hours of course work within the MSW program.
This includes 44 credit hours detailed below:
| Course | Title | Quarter Hours |
|---|---|---|
| MSW 401 | PROFESSIONAL WRITING AND DEVELOPMENT | 4 |
| MSW 411 | HUMAN BEHAVIOR AND THE SOCIAL ENVIRONMENT I | 4 |
| MSW 412 | HUMAN BEHAVIOR AND THE SOCIAL ENVIRONMENT II | 4 |
| MSW 421 | INTRODUCTION TO SOCIAL WORK RESEARCH | 4 |
| MSW 431 | SOCIAL WELFARE POLICY I | 4 |
| MSW 481 | FOUNDATION PRACTICE I | 4 |
| MSW 491 | FOUNDATION FIELD EDUCATION I | 4 |
| MSW 482 | FOUNDATION PRACTICE II | 4 |
| MSW 492 | FOUNDATION FIELD EDUCATION II | 4 |
| MSW 483 | FOUNDATION PRACTICE III | 4 |
| MSW 493 | FOUNDATION FIELD EDUCATION III | 4 |
Candidates for the MSW/MA Women's and Gender Studies degree must also complete 32 credit hours of MSW concentration courses, listed here.
MA Degree Requirements
Course Requirements
All candidates for the MSW/MA Women's and Gender Studies degree enrolled in the three-year program must complete 32 credit hours of course work within the MA in Women’s and Gender Studies program, detailed below:
| Course | Title | Quarter Hours |
|---|---|---|
| WGS 415 | FEMINIST GENEALOGIES IN WOMEN'S AND GENDER STUDIES | 4 |
| WGS 465 | GLOBALIZATION, TRANSNATIONALISM, AND GENDER | 4 |
| WGS 491 | INTERDISCIPLINARY METHODS AND FEMINIST INQUIRY | 4 |
| WGS 485 | WOMEN, GENDER, AGENCY, AND SOCIAL CHANGE | 4 |
| WGS 493 | FINAL PROJECT INDEPENDENT RESEARCH | 4 |
| Select ONE of the following Theories courses from this list: WGS 400, WGS 414, WGS 472, WGS 475, WGS 481, WGS 488, WGS 490. | 4 | |
| Select TWO additional WGS electives or a course offered by another department that has been approved for credit toward the MA in Women’s and Gender Studies for a total of 8 credit hours. | 8 | |