The Master of Arts in Women’s Studies in Religion (WSR) is designed to introduce students to the field of feminist scholarship in religion.  Students are given great flexibility in designing a course of study built upon a foundation of core courses which ensure grounding in the important methodologies in a selected field.  As part of their studies, students may also elect to do internships in agencies dealing with women or women’s issues through the Master of Arts in Applied Women’s Studies  program.

Students admitted to the MA in Women’s Studies in Religion should refer to the Religion Student Handbook for the year in which they begin the program for complete details.

Degree Requirements

Coursework. The program requires 48 units, comprised of 38-46 units of coursework and 2-10 thesis units.  Coursework must be distributed as follows.

• 12 units of courses in women’s studies in religion.  Courses must deal with religion from a feminist perspective, as Feminism and Process Thought; Gender, Violence, and Religion; and Matristics: Medieval Women’s Theology.
• 12 units in religion, women’s studies, or related disciplines.
• 12 units in methods courses.

Required methods courses are as follows.

• REL 403 - Introduction to Women’s Studies in Religion.  This course explores the rapidly expanding field of women’s studies in religion from a multi-religious perspective.  A comparative approach is used to examine women’s reconceptualizations of the divine in the major religious traditions, issues of hermeneutics, analyses of women’s approach to sexuality, spirituality, ethics, and the environment.  The global context of feminism is highlighted by sessions devoted to women’s religious practices in Africa, Asia, and the Middle East.
• REL 362 - Theories of Religion.  An introduction to methodological issues in the study of religion through a reading of classic theorists such as Marx, Weber, Durkheim, Freud, and Otto, and other notable examples of contemporary theory and interpretation, against the backdrop of the history of Christian thought and the rise of the human sciences in the post-Enlightenment West.
• Feminist Theory.  Any course dealing with feminist methodological approaches to a discipline fulfills the feminist theory requirement.  Courses may include Feminist Theory, Feminist Epistemology, Feminism and Post-Colonialism, Feminism and Queer Theory, and Feminist Political Theory.

Advisory Group Meetings.  Students meet one each month for a meal and discussion in the home of one of the faculty members.  Led by a student facilitator, the agenda arises from issues raised in the classroom, such as the integration of coursework, written work, and the student’s own educational goals.  Once or twice each semester, students meet as group in the Women in Religion Salon to hear faculty and/or student presentations on recent research.

Language Requirement.  Women’s Studies in Religion is an international field with valuable scholarship being done in Europe, Asia, and Latin America.  To enable a student to participate in this larger world of scholarship, a reading knowledge of French, German, or Spanish is required.  Proficiency is demonstrated by passing the French, German, or Spanish exam.  The examination consists of translating a text from the literature of Women’s Studies in Religion.

Thesis.  To ensure students develop the skills for writing a publishable piece of work, a Master’s Thesis is required.  The program utilizes a protocol similar to doctoral requirements for composition of a dissertation.  Thesis requirements are as follows.

• Research project must be in the student’s area of specialization
• Thesis of 60-85 pages in length must be prepared in conjunction with the student’s advisor or advisory committee
• Three readers are required
• Student must pass an oral defense of the thesis, lasting approximately one hour

Upon successfully passing the oral examination and revising the manuscript with any corrections or revisions, the student submits the work to the registrar following established guidelines. A copy of the signed title page must be submitted to the program office.  Degree completion deadlines, announced in the Academic Calendar, apply.

University Policies.  University policies detailed in the Academic Policies  section of the Bulletin apply.