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 program are required to become familiar with the program’s Student Handbook for the year in which the student begins the program.

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 completion, a copy of the signed title page is submitted to the program office

During the spring semester, the program holds a master’s thesis workshop to provide guidance on formulating a topic and suggest strategies for forming a committee. 

Thesis Committee.  The three-person thesis committee consists of a chair, who has primary responsibility for directing the research, and two readers.  The chair must be a member of the Women’s Studies in Religion faculty.  Students must file a Supervisory Committee Request Form, signed by each of the committee members, with the program office.

Thesis Proposal.  Proposals should be five pages in length and include the title of the thesis, the research problem to be addressed, the significance of the problem, the (tentative) thesis, a discussion of work previously done on the problem, and the scope and limitations of the thesis.  The student appends a chapter outline and a bibliography.

Thesis Completion.  Completed theses must conform in format and style to University requirements.  Upon completion, the student submits copies of the work to the advisor for distribution to each member of the committee at least seven weeks before the expected date of the oral examination.  In addition to the completed work, the original copy of the title page must be submitted to the advisor.  The advisor, then, will arrange to have this page signed by members of the committee when the committee approves the work.

Thesis Defense and Final Submission.  An oral examination is scheduled when the Thesis Supervisory Committee concludes that the thesis is ready for defense. The student provides copies, including any revisions, to committee members.  The student is responsible for securing a mutually acceptable date and time for the oral exam and for notifying the program office at least three weeks before the date of the exam.  Exams are scheduled for 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 Student Information  section of the Bulletin apply.