***Please note: The Women's Studies Programs will NOT be accepting MA Applications for Fall of 2005***

Admission
Applicants to the M.A. program must submit the Application for Graduate Admission and meet the requirements of the Graduate Division for admission. In addition to University requirements for admission, scores on the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) General Test are required.

Advising
The Graduate Advisor provides assistance and general information about policies and procedures, funding opportunities and resources. In addition, entering graduate students are assigned a faculty advisor to assist in research planning and other substantive decisions. Students may change faculty advisors at any time, but all advisors must be core Women’s Studies faculty (see the list of affiliated faculty on the Women's Studies website). If you would like to choose an advisor whose name does not appear on the list, contact the Chair for approval. Students must inform the graduate advisor about any changes in faculty advisor.

Foreign Language Requirement
None.

Course Requirements
Master's students are required to take 10 courses (40 units). 

Required courses include:

• 16 units of Women's Studies’ core courses: 201, 202, 210 and 204 (204 is a one-unit seminar sponsored by the Center for the Study of Women and must be taken for four quarters).
• 4 units* of Research Methods (Social Sciences) or Critical Theory (Humanities).  See graduate advisor before enroll
  enrolling in any of these courses.
• 20 units* of electives, no more than 8 of which may be upper division undergraduate courses.
• TOTAL: 40 Units

Please Note:

• Students are expected to enroll in 12 units per quarter.  Four of these units may be from the 500-level series upon approval of a faculty member.  These 500-level courses, however, will not count toward required total (see Graduate Advisor for more information).
• Elective units should include three courses (12 units) in a field of emphasis. The courses should relate to the student’s specialization and be part of a disciplinary or interdisciplinary area of study.
• Students may enroll in four units of 596 (independent study) and four units of 598 (thesis research) while completing their master's thesis. (500 level courses will not be counted toward the fulfillment of required course units)

Language Exam
Not Required.

Field Experience
Not Required.

Comprehensive Examination Plan
None

Master's Thesis
After advancement to candidacy, students must submit a thesis reporting on results of their original investigation of a problem.  While the problem may be one of limited scope, the thesis must show a significant style, organization, and depth of understanding of the subject.

A thesis committee, consisting of at least three faculty members who hold regular professorial appointments at the University, is nominated by the department and appointed by the dean of the Graduate Division for each student (consult the Graduate Division for more details on committee members' eligibility requirements).  The thesis committee, which must be appointed before students may be advanced to candidacy, approves the subject and plan of the thesis, provides guidance,  reads and approves the completed manuscript. Approval must be unanimous. Students are responsible for preparing the thesis in the proper form and for observing filing deadlines.

Steps For Filing The MA Thesis
(see graduate advisor for all forms)

1. Complete the Advancement to Candidacy form (available in Kinsey Hall, Room 288) and submit to the Registrar's office by week three of the quarter you plan to graduate. Contact: Registrar's Office, 310.825.3248
2. Complete the Nomination of Committee form and submit the form to the Graduate Division Office (Room 1255, Murphy Hall) upon completion. The form can be found at the Graduate Division Office's Website.
3. Obtain the Thesis Approval form (also available in the Graduate Division Office) as well as a copy of the informational booklet which explains how the Thesis should be formatted (this is also available at the above site).
4. Return the completed Thesis Approval Form to the Graduate Division Office. The manuscript is then sent to Julianna Jenkins at the Archives Office 310.825.3625

Time-to-Degree
Students who enroll full-time are expected to complete the M.A. degree within two years (six quarters) of registration.

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