The Department of Gender and Race Studies offers both a Master of Arts (MA) and a Graduate Certificate in Women’s Studies. These programs are designed to provide knowledge of the roles and status of women in historical and contemporary society, to conduct and encourage research and writing by and about women, to offer skills and information for increasing employment opportunities for women, and to serve as a resource for the University community on topics and issues relating to women.

History

The Master of Arts program in Women’s Studies at The University of Alabama is an interdisciplinary program working cooperatively with other departments to provide knowledge of the cultural history and status of women and to conduct research on the forces which shape women’s role in society.

In 1972 a group of University of Alabama students initiated a project to introduce courses in women’s studies into the curriculum. They identified faculty who would be willing to develop courses on women and, by the spring of 1975, a women’s studies minor had been created in the College of Arts and Sciences. That same year, an independent program in women’s studies — the first in the Southeast — was launched. The Master of Arts degree program was established, with the first graduate students enrolled, in 1988.

The Women’s Studies program, part of the Department of Gender and Race Studies, includes a core faculty, a graduate adjunct faculty, and participating faculty from almost every discipline.

More Information

Degree requirements can be found on the UA Graduate Catalog.

For more information on admission, visit the UA Graduate School’s website.