Women's Studies Programs

Guide to Graduate Study in the
Women's Studies Program

Introduction

This Guide provides information for incoming students in Women's Studies graduate degree programs at The George Washington University, including suggestions about fulfilling course requirements, funding, and getting oriented once you are on campus.

This Guide has been prepared to supplement other GW publications, not to replace them. Students should consult several sources for guidance, especially The Graduate Programs Bulletin and The Graduate Student Handbook.

The Women's Studies Program at The George Washington University admits between 10 and 15 MA students each year. Some students take courses on a full-time basis (3 courses each semester), and others attend part-time and take a reduced course load (2 courses per semester). Since most students work to help finance their education, graduate seminars are usually scheduled in the evening.

At GW, programs offer interdisciplinary degrees while departments offer degrees within a particular discipline such as history or sociology. Women's Studies faculty are, therefore, drawn from a variety of disciplines and departments across the University but mainly within The Columbian School of Arts and Sciences. The Program comprises a small number of "core faculty" whose appointments are in Women's Studies and a larger number of associated and related faculty.

The Executive Committee on Women's Studies and its subcommittees meet periodically during the academic year to determine policy about the Program, make suggestions about future events, and serve as a guiding task force. The Committee is chaired by the Program director. The executive aide, the Gelman Library staff associate, and two graduate student representatives are invited to attend the meetings.

Placement

The Women's Studies Library contains information on jobs, internships and fellowships in the Washington, DC area and general information related to careers. More extensive listings are maintained by the University Career Center (202 994-6495) and the Fellowship Office (202-994-6828).

Alumni Relations

The Women's Studies Program seeks to maintain an updated list of our graduates' addresses. We publish an alumni directory which is available to alumni upon request. Please remember to inform the office about any change of address, and news about your whereabouts and work are always welcome additions to the Program newsletter.

Ph.D.in Public Policy with a
Concentration in Gender and Social Policy

The Gender and Social Policy Concentration is a field within the multidisciplinary Public Policy doctoral program of GW's Columbian School of Arts & Sciences. The Public Policy doctoral degree requires 72 credits, including:

18 hours of credit in women's studies courses (including feminist theory, research issues in women’s studies, and women and public policy, among others).

30 credit hours in the Public Policy core curriculum (including economics, research methods, and statistics applied to public policy).

up to 12 hours of electives (which may include additional women's studies courses)

a dissertation (which requires a minimum of 12 dissertation credits).

Depending on academic background and record, students may:

apply directly to the PhD program after completing a BA degree.
enter the program after completing an MA degree or other graduate coursework (as many as 24 credits may be applied to the PhD).
begin graduate work in GW's MA program in Public Policy and Women's Studies and subsequently apply to the PhD program.

Further information is available from:

Graduate Program in Public Policy
The George Washington University
MPA Building, Suite 602
Washington, DC 20052
202-994-8400
pubpol@www.gwu.edu
www.gwu.edu/~pubpol

Graduation

The University requires that a student be registered during the semester or summer in which she or he intends to graduate. An application for graduation must be filed with the Columbian School Graduate Office, and the thesis or dissertation fee (if applicable) must be paid at the time of registration. All regulations regarding graduation are listed in the Graduate School Handbook.

Graduation consists of two ceremonies: at the first, which takes place on Saturday at the Smith Center, graduates of the Columbian School of Arts and Sciences are recognized by name and degree. After this ceremony, the Women's Studies program hosts a reception for graduates and their parents (a good place for photo opportunities in cap and gown with faculty in regalia).

The second ceremony, on Sunday morning at the Ellipse south of the White House, includes graduates of all schools; degrees are conferred by the school.