The M.A. in Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies is a liberal arts degree that provides students with an opportunity to pursue advanced interdisciplinary work in Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies and enables them to become active practitioners in this rapidly expanding field of study. The Program may serve as a "terminal" master's degree for students planning non-academic careers. It may also serve as a precursor, a supplemental degree for professional degrees in fields such as law, social work, public health, labor studies, public policy, or clinical psychology. With an increasing emphasis on careers focusing on the delivery of services to women and a rethinking of the needs of women and families worldwide, Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies helps to fill a growing demand for experts versed in women and gender issues. The M.A. program is designed to emphasize global and multicultural perspectives on these matters. The Department welcomes a wide variety of applicants—ranging from recent college graduates to mid-career professionals to international activists—who wish to enrich their engagement with women’s and gender studies.

The deadline for applications is December 20th 

 

Eligibility:

All applicants must have completed a Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university in the United States or a comparable institution in another country.

Admission to the M.A. program is entirely separate from admission to the Ph.D. program. Students in the M.A. program who wish to pursue doctoral work in Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies at Rutgers must apply to the Ph.D. program separately and directly, where they will compete with the general pool of applicants for admissions.

Application Materials:

  • A non-refundable application fee, the amount set by the Graduate School of New Brunswick.
  • A Personal Statement (500-1000 words) specifying your past experiences, reasons for applying, and your areas of interest. It should explain your intellectual and personal goals, why you are interested in pursuing an interdisciplinary degree rather than a more traditional disciplinary one, and how this degree fits into your intellectual and personal future.
  • A résumé listing academic background, work experience, honors, affiliations with professional organizations, papers presented at conferences, published work, language ability, etc.
  • A writing sample (15-20 pages). Typically the writing sample will be an undergraduate senior thesis, a seminar paper, or an article or other published work that demonstrates strong analytical abilities.
  • Three letters of recommendation. Ideally the letters are from professors and scholars who can speak to the applicant's abilities and suitability for graduate study at Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies. Letters from an academic in another discipline or from professionals would also be acceptable.
  • One official transcript from each post-secondary institution attended.
  • Test Recommendations: GRE General is recommended, not required. Rutgers Graduate ETS Code 2790.

For application information and to apply on-online, please go to http://gradstudy.rutgers.edu/

International Applicants:

TOEFL or IELTS is required of all applicants whose undergraduate education was completed in a non-English speaking country. Even if you hold a master's-level degree from a U.S. or other English-speaking country, you must still take the TOEFL or IELTS test. Scores must be current within 2 years of the applied semester.

The only exemptions are for U.S. trained undergraduates and international applicants coming from English-speaking countries with a minimum of 3 years undergraduate education where the mode of instruction was English.

  • The minimum Paper based TOEFL score is 550.
    The minimum Computer based TOEFL score is 213.

The minimum IBT-internet based TOEFL is as follows:

  • Writing 22
  • Speaking 23
  • Reading 21
  • Listening 17

    The acceptable IELTS score is bandwidth 7.

Click here to view specific information on admission requirements for international students.

Deadline:

The deadline for applications is listed above. All materials including transcripts, personal statements, writing samples, resume, and letters of recommendation must arrive by the application deadline. To avoid delays in the processing of applications, all materials should be submitted on-line, at http://gradstudy.rutgers.edu/

If the applicant has hard copy materials that cannot be submitted on-line, they should be sent directly to the Office of Graduate and Professional Admissions.

The mailing address is:

Graduate & Professional Admissions
56 College Avenue
New Brunswick, NJ 08901
Tel: 848-932-7711
Fax: 732-932-8231

Review process:

A Committee of the Graduate Faculty in Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies carefully reviews all application materials and makes recommendations for admission to the Graduate School.
Every effort will be made to inform students of decisions concerning their admission by early April.

While all the applications received are reviewed by faculty over a period of several weeks, the formal process for applying to the MA program is handled centrally by the Rutgers Office of Graduate Admissions. Students who have been accepted will be notified by the Graduate Director and the Office of Admission. Please do not call the Department after the deadline to inquire about your application.

Non-Matriculating Students:

Students who are accepted as non-matriculating are not automatically absorbed into the WGS M.A. Program. Those students must apply to the Program per standard procedures. If accepted, the date of matriculation will coincide with the date of the first class taken in the WGS M.A. Program as a non-matriculating student. Students will, therefore, be required to graduate within the 3-year time limit (imposed on all Masters students) from the date of the first class taken in the WGS M.A. Program as a non-matriculating student.

Financial Support:

Extremely limited financial support is available to M.A. students, in general, at Rutgers University. Financial support through the University, in the form of loans, grants, and work study, may be obtained by contacting the Financial Aid office directly, at:

Office of Financial Aid
620 George Street
New Brunswick, NJ 08901-1175
Tel: 848-932-7057
Website: https://scarlethub.rutgers.edu/financial-services/office-of-financial-aid/

Various jobs are available on campus, including jobs and assistantships in other departments and centers.

For additional information please contact:

Dr. Julie Rajan
Master Program Director
Tel: 848-932-8428
Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.