Students interested in a terminal Master's degree in Women Studies are not admitted to the graduate program in Women Studies. Some students admitted to work toward the Ph.D. find that acquiring a Master's degree on way to the Ph.D. provides and excellent format for their scholarly training. Other students, having realized that the Ph.D. is not the correct career path for them, choose to receive a Master's degree before leaving the department.

Master's Tracks

Thesis Based MA: This track involves the completion of an original research project under the supervision of a Supervisory Committee. The Master's thesis must be written according to the guidelines of the Graduate School and approved by at least two members of the Graduate Faculty at least one of which is a member of the core Women Studies Faculty. Graduate Faculty members are those faculty members approved by their department and the Graduate School serve as Chairs or members of Supervisory Committees.

A list of the Graduate Faculty can be found at: http://www.grad.washington.edu/gradfac/

Practicum Based MA: This track involves completion of an extended practicum placement at a community organization relevant to the student's research interests and/or career goals. A Master's Practicum will have a written component with a practice-related orientation appropriate to the work done e.g. a handbook or manual. The specific written component proposed by the student will need to be approved by the student's advisor or supervisory chair as well as a representative from the organization where the student will be working. The final practicum write-up must be approved by at least two members of the Graduate Faculty at least one of which is a member of the core Women Studies Faculty and by a representative from the placement organization. Graduate Faculty members are those faculty members approved by their department and the Graduate School serve as Chairs or members of Supervisory Committees. A list of the Graduate Faculty can be found at: http://www.grad.washington.edu/gradfac/

Thesis Student Specific Course/Credit Requirements: (These requirements are also summarized in a table below.)

• Thesis students must complete at least 45 credits of coursework and at least 15 Thesis (WOMEN 700) credits.
• Coursework credits must include 15 credits of Core Seminars in Women Studies (WOMEN 501, 502, and 503).
• An additional 30 credits will be earned in 400 or 500 level courses in your area of concentration and should include at least 5 credits in Women Studies courses. These courses should provide a comprehensive and cohesive coverage of the area of concentration and are to be selected in consultation with your Faculty Advisor or Supervisory Committee. A written coursework plan should be included in the student's Annual Plan which is filed with the Graduate Program Coordinator, the Director of Graduate Training at the start of each Fall quarter. Coursework plans can be modified and resubmitted at any time with the approval of your Faculty Advisor or Supervisory Committee.
• At least 18 of the credits must be at the 500 level or above.
• At least 18 credits of coursework must be in courses taken at U.W. for numerical grades. A minimum course grade of 2.7 is required for credits to be applicable to your degree. A minimum grade point average of 3.0 is required to receive the degree.
• A Master's thesis must be approved by at least two members of the Graduate Faculty one of who should be a tenure-line member of the Women Studies faculty. Except in unusual cases, these individuals are the members of your Supervisory Committee.
• The department, Faculty Advisor, or your Supervisory Committee may set additional requirements as they see fit.
• You must complete all work for the Master's Degree within six years. This includes work transferred from other institutions.
• You must be registered at the University either full- or part-time in the quarter in which you complete the requirements for the degree.
• Your signed warrant and completed thesis must be accepted by the Graduate School by the last day of the quarter in order for you to receive your degree that quarter.
• Your Supervisory Committee may request a (formal or informal) presentation to the Women Studies faculty and graduate students on your Master's experience prior to, or just after, the Graduate School approves your Masters Application (See below for information on that process).

Practicum Student Specific Course/Credit Requirements: (These requirements are summarized in the table below.)

• Practicum students must complete at least 45 credits of coursework and at least 15 Practicum (WOMEN 701) credits.
• Coursework credits must include 15 credits of Core Seminars in Women Studies (WOMEN 501, 502, and 503).
• An additional 30 credits will be earned in 400 or 500 level courses in your area of concentration and should include at least 5 credits in Women Studies courses. These courses should provide a comprehensive and cohesive coverage of the area of concentration and are to be selected in consultation with your Faculty Advisor or Supervisory Committee. A written coursework plan should be included in the student's Annual Plan which is filed with the Graduate Program Coordinator, the Director of Graduate Training at the start of each Fall quarter. Coursework plans can be modified and resubmitted at any time with the approval of your Faculty Advisor or Supervisory Committee.
• At least 18 of the credits must be at the 500 level or above.
• At least 18 credits of coursework must be in courses taken at U.W. for numerical grades. A minimum course grade of 2.7 is required for credits to be applicable to your degree. A minimum grade point average of 3.0 is required to receive the degree.
• A Master's Practicum will have a written component with a practice-related orientation appropriate to the work done e.g. a handbook or manual. The specific written component proposed by the student will need to be approved either by the student's advisor or supervisory chair as well as a representative from the organization where the student will be working.
• The department, Faculty Advisor, or your Supervisory Committee may set additional requirements as they see fit.
• You must complete all work for the Master's Degree within six years. This includes work transferred from other institutions.
• You must be registered at the University either full- or part-time in the quarter in which you complete the requirements for the degree.
• Your signed warrant must be accepted by the Graduate School by the last day of the quarter in order for you to receive your degree that quarter.
• Your Supervisory Committee may request a presentation (formal or informal) on your Practicum experience prior to approval of your Masters Application (See below for information on that process).

Summary of Minimum Requirements for the Masters of Arts:

A complete list of the Graduate School rules for a Master's Degree can be found at:

http://www.grad.washington.edu/stsv/mastersinfo.htm

As soon as is appropriate, the student should select a supervisory committee, consisting of two to four members, and the majority, including the chair, must be members of the graduate faculty and at least one member must be a Women Studies core faculty member. Typically, the Chair of your committee will be a core faculty member of the Women Studies department. Practicum students should have a site representative on the committee as well.

At least two graduate faculty members of the committee, including the chair, must sign the Master's Application (warrant).

During the final quarter in which the student expects to receive his/her degree, the procedures below are followed for application, evaluation, and awarding of the degree.  The student must be registered for the quarter in which degree requirements are fulfilled.

The Graduate School procedures for applying to receive Master's degree are found at:

http://www.grad.washington.edu/stsv/mastersinfo.htm#APPLICATION%20FOR%20MASTER'S%20DEGREE

• If the student has not met minimum Graduate School requirements, she/he is notified by email and a contingency is placed on the warrant.  The contingency must be completed before the degree will be conferred.
• The Master's Degree request must be authorized by the department and will only be authorized if the student has met all departmental requirements for the degree except the thesis or practicum paper.
• Once the thesis or practicum paper is approved by supervising faculty, the Master's Degree Request (warrant) is signed and returned to the Graduate Program Coordinator who electronically conveys this information to the Graduate School. This communication must occur no later than the last day of the quarter (defined as the last day of exams) in which the student expects to receive the degree.  If this deadline is not met, registration for the following quarter is required and the student must complete another Master's Degree Request as well.

Once the department submits the Master's Degree Request, the student will receive verification via email.  After the end of the quarter, the students will receive an email indicating whether or not their degree was conferred.