Gender and Women’s Studies in the Middle East/North Africa (M.A.)

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Master of Arts in Gender and Women’s Studies in the Middle East/North Africa

The graduate program in Gender and Women’s Studies offers advanced study in three tracks:

Gender and Women’s Studies in the Middle East/North Africa,
Gender and Justice,
Gender and Development in the Middle East/North Africa.

The graduate program in gender and women’s studies prepares graduates for a wide variety of professional careers. Specialists in gender and women’s studies are being hired as consultants in international development agencies, local NGO’s, national government agencies and regional universities all of which require people that have special training in understanding gender relations. Students wishing to pursue doctoral work will find that interdisciplinary training in gender and women’s studies equips them with theoretical and methodological strengths in most disciplines and applied research fields.

Gender and Women’s Studies in the Middle East/North Africa

This specialization offers an interdisciplinary field of analysis that draws its questions from the social sciences and humanities through investigating how relations of gender are embedded in social, political, and cultural formations.

Gender and Justice

The graduate specialization in gender and justice offers advanced study of contemporary practices and problems of justice ranging from international justice regimes to national legal cultures to social and economic justice claims with a particular focus on the Global South.

Gender and Development in the Middle East/North Africa

The specialization in Gender and Development process analytic and conceptual skills for critical gender analysis across a broad range of development themes, policies and practices with a particular focus on the Middle East/North Africa region.

The requirements for the tracks are as follows

Specialization in Gender and Women’s Studies in the Middle East/North Africa

This track requires students to take GWST 500 in their first semester. This foundational course introduces students to essential theoretical concepts and provides an overview of the academic field. GWST 501, a second semester requirement, immerses students in a select high profile theme in contemporary gender and women’s studies. Finally, students are required to take GWST 505, a research methodologies course, in their second semester. Students select five electives at the 500 level across the social sciences and humanities from a selected list. Of these five courses, two 400 level courses may be considered for credit with approval of the IGWS Graduate Advisory Committee.

Specialization in Gender and Justice

This track requires students to take GWST 500 in their first semester. This foundational course introduces students to essential theoretical concepts and provides an overview of the academic field. Students furthermore are required to take the foundational course for the Gender and Justice specialization, GWST 502, in their first semester. GWST 505, a gender and feminism research methodologies course, is a second semester requirement. Finally, students must take IHRL 517 Human Rights and Identity Groups in their second or third semester respectively. Students select the remaining four courses from three course groups. Group 1: Geographies of Justice; Group 2: Conflict, Identity, Reconstruction; Group 3: The Gendered Subject of Law. Students must select at least one course from each group.

Specialization in Gender and Development in the Middle East

This track requires students to take GWST 500 in their first semester. This foundational course introduces students to essential theoretical concepts and provides an overview of the academic field. Students furthermore are required to take the foundational course for the Gender and Development specialization, GWST 503, in their first semester. Finally, students are required to take two research methodology courses. GWST 505, a gender and feminism research methodologies course, is a second semester requirement. The second research methodologies course must be taken in the third semester. Recommended selections include SOAN 505, SOAN 506. Alternative research methodologies courses can be selected in consultation with the IGWS Graduate Advisory Committee. Students select the remaining four courses from three course groups. Group 1: Issues in Gender and Development; Group 2: Gender, Development, Policy; Group 3: Development Practices.

MA Thesis

All students must complete a thesis according to university regulations. Students must register for GWST 599. Before commencing work on the thesis, the student must have a thesis proposal approved by the IGWS Graduate Advisory Committee. Students should familiarize themselves with the specific procedural requirements of the IGWS thesis. Guidelines are available in the IGWS office and on the web.

Admission

Applicants seeking admission to the graduate program should have an undergraduate degree of high standing in the social sciences or humanities with an overall grade of gayyid giddan or a grade point average of 3.0 or above. Those who lack this background but who are exceptionally well qualified may be admitted provisionally. Provisional admission usually involves additional non-credit coursework to prepare the applicant for graduate work over one or two semesters. Provisionally accepted students must successfully complete the required prerequisites before being admitted to enroll in GWST graduate courses. Students are admitted to the graduate degree program in the fall semester only.

Note

The list of electives for the three track specializations are reviewed by the IGWS Graduate Advisory Committee every academic year. The list is available on the IGWS graduate center website or in the IGWS office.

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