Graduate Work in Women's Studies

The Women's Studies Department at Old Dominion University, established in 1977, was the first such program in Virginia, and in 1995 became the first among state-assisted schools in the Commonwealth to offer a baccalaureate in women's studies. Now a department, Women's Studies has been notable for its faculty and curriculum development and for multicultural and global emphases.

Graduate work in women's studies provides excellent preparation for Ph.D. work in a wide variety of disciplines. It also increases students' career opportunities in media, counseling, teaching, criminal justice, business, public relations, and many other fields. While the Women's Studies Department does not offer an M.A. under its own auspices, we do provide the following opportunities for graduate work in women's studies:

Master of Arts Degree with an Emphasis in Women's Studies
A master's degree with an emphasis in women's studies is available through the Institute of Humanities, which offers an innovative interdisciplinary graduate program. Students working on an M.A. in Humanities may choose to take much of their course work in women's studies and to write an M.A. thesis or integrative paper in that field. Alternatively, they may combine women's studies with emphases in other liberal arts disciplines. Upon the completion of 15 hours of course work in women's studies, students will be awarded a graduate certificate in women's studies. Students who wish to teach women's studies at the post-secondary level in Virginia should plan to complete 18 hours of coursework.

For information about the Institute of Humanities and its Master of Arts in Humanities, please contact Dr. Dana Heller, Director of the Institute.

Graduate Certificate in Women's Studies
Students who want only the women's studies graduate certificate without a graduate degree may attain it, but must apply, nonetheless, for graduate standing in the Institute of Humanities. They must gain admission to the Humanities graduate program before the completion of nine graduate hours and must satisfy all of the admission requirements for the program, including the GRE. Only students who hold a B.A. or B.S. degree with an overall GPA of 2.75 may apply for the women's studies graduate certificate.

Other students who choose to obtain a master's degree in such fields as English, history, international studies, applied sociology, or counseling have the option of combining that degree with the women's studies graduate certificate.  Students should complete an application in the Women's Studies Department.  Often this can be done without adding more than a few extra credit hours beyond those required for the master's degree. Admission and course requirements vary from department to department.

Requirements
* WMST 560--Feminist Thought (offered once annually)
* WMST 570--Women's Ways of Knowing, Ways of Knowing Women (offered once annually)
* At least 9 additional credits in graduate-level women's studies courses, e.g.
WMST 501-Women: A Global Perspective 
WMST 595 - Women and Social Change in Africa
WMST 595 - Service-Learning in South Africa
WMST 668--Internship
WMST 795 - Gender and Globalization
and/or
graduate courses cross-listed with women's studies from various other disciplines. To insure interdisciplinarity, no more than 6 of these credits can be taken in any one field (with the exception of women's studies).
* At least one of these courses must be on the 600 level.
* Students hoping to teach women's studies in Virginia should plan to take 18 credits in women's studies courses.
* Students must maintain a GPA of 3.0 in all courses taken for the Women's Studies Certificate