MA in Gender and Social Justice Studies [Graduate]

Program requirements

There are two options for completing the MA in Gender and Social Justice Studies: 1) as a thesis-based degree, or 2) as a course-based degree. For the thesis-based MA, normally ★18 of graduate-level courses and a thesis are required. The course-based MA requires ★21 of graduate-level courses and a capping project (GSJ 900). The required capping project is a portfolio – a synthesizing document that highlights students’ learning in the program and that will include a major research paper, a field statement, a creative project or a policy/program/legal analysis. All students (both course-based and thesis-based) are required to take GSJ 501 (Praxis Workshop), which includes a mandatory Community Service-Learning component and GSJ 502 (Research Workshop). All students must complete a mandatory ethics training requirement (see Academic Integrity and Ethics Training Requirement ).

Those who have not already taken a course in Feminist Research Methodologies (or the equivalent) will normally be required to take WGS 302 in addition to their other courses. A student also may be required to take a theory course, if adequate coverage was not obtained in the student’s first degree. All students must complete minimum of ★12 courses in GSJ [including the required courses, 501 (Praxis Workshop) and 502 (Research Workshop)]. There is no residence requirement.

Length of program

The time required to complete the MA will vary with the program (thesis- or course-based) and the candidate. Full-time students in the course-based MA program will normally complete the program within 12 months, while those enrolled in the thesis-based program will normally complete within 24 months. However, the Department of Women’s and Gender Studies recognizes that many of its students are non-traditional and that part-time registration may be their preferred option. The Faculty of Graduate Studies and Research stipulates that thesis-based students must complete all degree requirements within four years of registering for the program; course-based students must complete all degree requirements within six years of registering.

Note that graduate students are registered concurrently in their graduate program of study.