Graduate Programs

General Information

The University of Texas at Austin is in the unique position of having a university-wide interdisciplinary program in Women's and Gender Studies. The program's large and diverse faculty draws on the scholarship of over 200 distinguished faculty from 29 departments and 14 colleges and schools. The wide array of graduate courses offered by over 70 faculty from the Colleges of Communication, Education, Fine Arts, Liberal Arts, and Natural Sciences, and the Schools of Nursing, Public Affairs, and Social Work provides exposure to cutting edge scholarship from multiple perspectives and thus offers students an unusual opportunity for cross-disciplinary inquiry at the graduate level.  Particular strengths of the faculty include African-American studies, cultural studies, diaspora studies, ethnic studies, feminist theories, health and social welfare, international and post-colonial feminisms, masculinities, media studies, performance studies, popular culture, and public policy.

Master's Program

The Center for Women's Studies at The University of Texas at Austin offers a Master's degree in Women's and Gender Studies. The Master's degree will prepare graduates to pursue Ph.D work in Women's and Gender studies at another institution or in a discipline or department. It will also provide good intellectual grounding for further training and professional development in the arts, business, community and non-profit organizations, education, health care, public policy, social work, and technology.

M.A. and Ph.D. Portfolio

The General Portfolio Program in Women's and Gender Studies builds upon the Center’s rich and broad-based expertise across disciplines and schools/colleges. Portfolio students develop a specialization unique to their own program of work through WGS courses, scholarly papers, and presentations.

Students may enter the portfolio program at any point in their graduate work, but it is recommended that they do so as soon as they decide to pursue the portfolio.

Read necessary information about the Portfolio Program

GRS Courses

Through its Professional Development and Community  Engagement Program, the Graduate School offers a series of cross-disciplinary courses (GRS). GRS courses focus on topics such as team building and  collaboration, academic and professional writing, teaching, ethics, consulting, technology, communication, networking, and entrepreneurship. They are  "customized" courses, building on and working with research projects  and ideas that students already are undertaking as part of their teaching,  research, and coursework within a discipline. GRS courses provide students with opportunities and tools to complete current projects (e.g., dissertation  chapters, professional presentations, lectures, grant proposals, etc.).  GRS courses also provide resources enabling students to be successful  academic professionals, able to think boldly and imaginatively about  how to make a lasting contribution to their discipline and community.

• GRS courses may be taken at any stage in one's academic  program.
• GRS courses are open to all University master's and  doctoral students.
• GRS Courses are often counted as part of a plan  of study and may also be taken  on top of a regular or full load of classes. (Check with your department.)
• GRS courses may be taken for a letter grade or on  a Credit/No Credit basis.
• GRS courses are graduate-level and count toward full-time graduate status.

More Information on GRS Courses

Questions?  

For further information about WGS Masters Program, please contact the Graduate Coordinator, Alma Jackie Salcedo at ajsalcedo@mail.utexas.edu or call 512-471-5765.