
Study of Women & Gender

The Program for the Study of Women and Gender examines gender, race, class and sexuality as important and simultaneous aspects of social worlds and human lives. Students examine the construction and operation of power relations, social inequalities and resistances to them in national, transnational, cultural, historical and political contexts. As an interdisciplinary endeavor, the program looks at how different academic disciplines view the operation of gender in the labor market, the family, political systems and cultural production. The study of women and gender is joined to an understanding of the forms of activism around the globe.
Photo above: March on Washington for Women’s Reproductive Rights, Washington, D.C. (circa 1989)
Loretta J. Ross Papers, Sophia Smith Collection, Smith College
Announcements
The Feminist Fight Forward: Lessons from 50 Years of Ms.
Thursday, September 28, 2023, 4:30pm, Weinstein Auditorium
Please join us at Smith College to celebrate the extraordinary new anthology 50 Years of Ms.: The Best of the Pathfinding Magazine that Ignited a Revolution (Knopf, Sept. 2023) and engage in critical conversation – with scholars Carrie N. Baker, Loretta Ross, Jackson Katz and Janell Hobson, and Ms. Consulting Digital Editor Carmen Rios. We’ll explore what the future of feminism and movement journalism demands: vision that is bold, imaginative and collaborative.
"Decolonization is Women's Work" written by SWG Professor and Chair Elisabeth Armstrong for Zocalo Public Square
March 8, 1950—International Women's Day—marked the embrace of a feminist battle against imperialism. Read the essay HERE.
"Wolf in Sheep's Clothing: The Legal Standing of Fake Abortion Clinics"
Written by SWG student Leela de Paula '23, this article has been published in the law journal feminists@law, based at the University of Kent. Read the article HERE. Congratulations Leela!
Be sure to check out the SWG Facebook page.

Photo courtesy of the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation.
Associate Professor Loretta Ross Named a 2022 MacArthur Fellow
On October 12, 2022, the MacArthur Foundation announced that Loretta Ross, Associate Professor for the Study of Women and Gender, is a member of the 2022 class of MacArthur Fellows.
Not every course that is cross-listed in the program or taught by SWG faculty will address all of these goals for the major in the Study of Women and Gender, but we expect that every graduating senior will have engaged these concepts and ways of thinking more than once during the course of the major. The goals of the major are to:
- Understand the social construction of familiar or naturalized categories, while also acknowledging that these social constructions have real effects in subordinating groups and in marking bodies.
- Understand and be able to apply the concept of intersectionality—a dynamic analysis of how the intersections of gender, race, class, sexuality, nationality, and other aspects of identity mutually and simultaneously constitute structures, social processes, ideologies and representations in the complex, multidimensional power hierarchies of society.
- Analyze social change and understand agency and resistance.
- Engage theory, read and write about theoretical texts, and recognize that theory emerges from different disciplinary locations.
- Examine historical periods and beliefs different from the current moment.
- Analyze forms of representation and discourse as they shape experience and shape our understanding of ourselves and of the world.
- Approach problems and questions from a variety of disciplinary perspectives.
- Engage in systemic analysis with attention to institutional and economic structures of power.
- Understand theories of transnational, postcolonial and diasporic studies.
- Understand feminist pedagogy and ethics of knowledge production.
Advisers
All members of the Program Committee for the Study of Women and Gender serve as advisers for the major and minor.
Requirements for the Major
The major requires the completion of 10 semester courses, including at least two 300-level seminars, totaling 40 credit hours. These courses shall comprise SWG prefix courses and department-based courses chosen from a list of possibilities compiled yearly by the Program for the Study of Women and Gender. These courses must include:
1. SWG 150 Introduction to the Study of Women and Gender (normally taken in the first or second year; may not be elected S/U)
2. One course with a queer studies focus
3. One course with a race and ethnicity studies focus
4. One course with a transnational, postcolonial or diasporic studies focus
5. Four courses with the SWG prefix, including 150 and one 300-level seminar
6. Two 300-level courses (total)
A single course can be used to fill more than one of these requirements. Transfer students are expected to complete at least half of their major (or five courses) at Smith (or with approved Five College courses). Students with double majors may count a maximum of three courses toward both majors.
In the senior year, a student will complete a statement reflecting on the connections among the courses in their major. The senior statement and SWG advising checklist are due to the faculty adviser by the Friday prior to spring break.
Advisers
All members of the Program Committee for the Study of Women and Gender serve as advisers for the major and minor.
Requirements for the Minor
The minor requires the completion of six semester courses, totaling 24 credit hours from SWG-prefix courses or cross-listed courses. These courses must include:
1. SWG 150, Introduction to the Study of Women and Gender (normally taken in the first or second year, and which may not be elected S/U)
2. One course with a queer studies focus
3. One course with a race and ethnicity studies focus
4. One course with a transnational, postcolonial or diasporic studies focus
A single course can be used to fill more than one of these requirements. Minors are strongly encouraged to elect at least one course at the 300 level.
Honors Requirements
A student may honor in SWG by completing an 8-credit, two-semester thesis in addition to the 10 courses in the major and fulfilling all the general requirements. Eligibility of students for honors work, and supervision and evaluation of the thesis, are determined by the Program Committee for the Study of Women and Gender.
SWG 430D Honors Project
An 8-credit, two-semester thesis in addition to the 10 courses that fulfill the major. Eligibility requirements for honors work, and supervision and evaluation of the thesis are determined by the Program Committee for the Study of Women and Gender.
Credits: 4
Members of the department
Normally offered each academic year
Special Studies
SWG 400 Special Studies
For qualified juniors and seniors. Admission by permission of the instructor and director of the program. No more than 4 special studies credits may be taken in any academic year and no more than 8 special studies credits total may be applied toward the major. Credits: 1-4
Members of the department
Normally offered each academic year
Fall 2023 SWG Courses
For more information, see the Smith College Course Search.
SWG 150 Introduction to the Study of Women and Gender
An introduction to the interdisciplinary field of the study of women and gender through a critical examination of feminist histories, issues and practices. Focus on the U.S. with some attention to the global context. Primarily for first- and second-year students. Enrollment limited to 25. {H}{S} Credits: 4
Kelly P. Anderson
SWG 222 Gender, Law and Policy
This course explores the impact of gender on law and policy in the United States historically and today, focusing in the areas of constitutional equality, employment, education, reproduction, the family, violence against women, and immigration. We study constitutional and statutory law as well as public policy. Some of the topics we will cover are sexual orientation and gender identity discrimination, pregnancy/caregiver discrimination, pay equity, sexual harassment, school athletics, marriage, sterilization, contraception and abortion, reproductive technologies, sexual assault, intimate partner violence, and gender-based asylum. We will study feminist efforts to reform the law and examine how inequalities based on gender, race, class and sexuality shape the law. We also discuss and debate contemporary policy and future directions. {H}{S} Credits: 4
Carrie N. Baker
SWG 235 Colloquium: Black Feminism
An in-depth discussion of the history, debates, theory, activism and poetics of Black Feminism. Students study the conversations, ruptures and connections produced in dominant feminist scholarship by black feminist theory. The class reads foundational and emergent work in the field. Students learn the history of those scholarly interventions and examine the pervasive ways of knowing that are being disrupted through black feminist scholarship. Students develop an understanding of the relationship between black feminism, feminism, women of color feminism and queer theory. Topics covered using theoretical texts, works of cinema and popular culture. Students examine cultural texts alongside theory to practice close reading as a methodological tool. Students finish with the analytical and methodological skills to identify and critique structures of power that govern everyday experiences of gender, the body, space, violence and modes of resistance. Prerequisite: SWG 150. Enrollment limited to 25. Credits: 4
Jennifer M. DeClue
SWG 237 Meridians: Feminism, Race, Transnationalism
This practicum course is an academic complement to the work students interning with the Meridians journal as Praxis interns, Quigley Fellows, STRIDE Fellows, MMUF, Meridians interns, etc. are be doing. Run by the journal editor, the class will discuss the scholarly, creative, artistic, archival and artistic work published in Meridians and how it is informed by - and contributes to - intersectionality as a paradigm and practice. Students will also become familiarized with feminist journal production processes and ethics, promotion and marketing strategies, co-curricular events planning and archival research. S/U only. Enrollment limited to 5. Instructor permission required. Credits: 4
Ginetta E. B. Candelario
SWG 241 White Supremacy in the Age of Trump
This course will analyze the history, prevalence, and current manifestations of the white supremacist movement by examining ideological components, tactics and strategies, and its relationship to mainstream politics. We will also research and discuss the relationship between white supremacy and white privilege, and explore how to build a human rights movement to counter the white supremacist movement in the U.S. Students will develop analytical writing and research skills, while engaging in multiple cultural perspectives. The overall goal is to develop the capacity to understand the range of possible responses to white supremacy, both its legal and extralegal forms. Enrollment limited to 50. {H}{S} Credits: 4
Loretta Ross
SWG 245 Colloquium: Collective Organizing
Offered as SWG 245 and CCX 245. This course introduces students to key concepts, debates and provocations that animate the world of community, labor and electoral organizing for social change. To better understand these movements’ visions, students develop an analysis of global and national inequalities, exploitation and oppression. The course explores a range of organizing skills to build an awareness of power dynamics and learn activists’ tools to bring people together towards common goals. A central aspect of this course is practicing community-based learning and research methods in dialogue with community-based activist partners. Enrollment limited to 18.{H}{S} Credits: 4
Ana Del Conde
SWG 300js Seminar: Topics in the Study of Women and Gender—Justice and Security
This course explores understandings of security and justice from a feminist perspective. It draws upon a trans-disciplinary range of social theories and materials from both the US and international contexts (mostly in the Global South), to critically explore how traditional practices of security authorize and protect specific interests while destabilizing and rendering vulnerable other populations. The course centers grassroots practices of security, peace and justice that challenge prevailing militarized and securitized assumptions and practices. At the heart of this course is a commitment to questioning our conceptions of how security works around the intersections of power and oppression (i.e.,gender, race, ethnicity, sexuality, etc.). Enrollment limited to 12. Juniors and seniors only. Instructor permission required. {S} Credits: 4
Ana Del Conde
SWG 300qt Seminar: Topics in the Study of Women and Gender—Building Queer and Trans Lives
This seminar considers “building” as both metaphor and practice in queer and trans feminist epistemologies. What systems and institutions (e.g. white supremacy, settler colonialism, binary gender, ableism, late-stage capitalism, the carceral state) do queer and trans epistemologies slate for demolition or destruction? Should certain structures (e.g. medical, educational, political, scientific, housing) and relationships (e.g. platonic, romantic, sexual, caregiving, community) be repaired or renovated? What needs to be built from scratch or salvaged from existing resources to ensure sustainable, accessible, non-violent, joyful modes of living? We draw on queer, trans, Black feminist, critical disability and feminist science studies blueprints for world-building. Enrollment limited to 12. Juniors and seniors only. Instructor permission required. Credits: 4
Evangeline Heiliger
SWG 303 Seminar: Queer of Color Critique
Students in this course gain a thorough and sustained understanding of queer of color critique by tracking this theoretical framework from its emergence in women of color feminism through the contemporary moment using historical and canonical texts along with the most cutting-edge scholarship being produced in the field. The exploration of this critical framework engages with independent films, novels and short stories, popular music, as well as television and digital media platforms such as Netflix and Amazon. We discuss what is ruptured and what is generated at the intersection of race, gender, class and sexuality. Prerequisites: SWG 150. Enrollment limited to 12. Juniors and seniors only. Instructor permission required. {A}{S} Credits: 4
Jennifer M. DeClue
Fall 2023 Cross-Listed Courses
For more information, see the Smith College Course Search.
AFR 155 Introduction to Black Women’s Studies
Traci-Ann Wint
AFR 201 Colloquium: Methods of Inquiry in African Studies
Karla Zelaya
AMS 245 Femiist & Indigenous Science
Evangeline Heiliger
ANT 352eu Seminar: Topics in Anthropology-Eugenics at Smith College
Fernando Armstrong-Fumero
CCX 245 Colloquium: Collective Organizing
Ana Del Conde
EAL 273 Colloquium: Women and Narration in Modern Korea
Irhe Sohn
EAL 273 F Colloquium: Film Screening: Women and Narration in Modern Korea
Irhe Sohn
FMS 261 Video Games and the Politics of Play
Jennifer C. Malkowski
FRN 230bl Colloquium: Topics in French Studies—Banlieue Lit
Mehammed A. Mack
FYS 112 #FlipTheScript: Hot Topics in African Feminism(s) Today
Kuukuwa Andam
FYS 132 Girls Leaving Home
Ambreen Hai
FYS 179 Rebellious Women
Kelly Anderson
GOV 266 Contemporary Political Theory
Nathan DuFord
GOV 367qs Seminar: Topics in Political Theory—Queering the State
Nathan DuFord
HST 276rj Colloquium: Topics-Historians Read the News-Race, Democracy and Reproductive Right
Jeffrey S. Ahlman
HST 371rs Seminar: Topics in 19th Century United States History—Remembering Slavery: A Gendered
Reading of the WPA Interviews
Elizabeth S. Pryor
JUD 227 Women and Gender in Jewish History
Sari Fein
LAS 201ql Colloquium: Topics in Latin American Studies-Queer Latine Embodiments: Affect, Race and Aesthetics
Vicente Carrillo
MES 213 Colloquium: Sex and Power in the Middle East
Susanna Ferguson
MUS 217 Colloquiun: Feminism and Music Theory
Maeve Sterbenz
MUS 330 Seminar: Music and Democracy
Andrea Moore
PSY 266 Colloquium: Psychology of Women and Gender
Lauren E. Duncan
PSY 364 Research Seminar: Intergroup Relationships
Randi Garcia
PSY 375 Research Seminar: Political Psychology
Lauren E. Duncan
REL 238 Mary: Images and Cults
Vera Shevzov
SAS 201 Mother-Goddess-Wife-Whore: Female Sexuality and Nationalism in South Asian Cinema
Syeda Rubaiyat Hossain
SDS 364 Research Seminar: Intergroup Relationships
Randi Garcia
SOC 216 Social Movements
Nancy E. Whittier
SOC 229 Sex and Gender in American Society
Nancy E. Whittier
SOC 243 Race, Gender and Mass Incarceration
Erica Banks
SOC 327 Seminar: Global Migration in the 21st Century
Payal Banerjee
SPN 250sm Topics in Iberian Cultural History—Sex and the Medieval City
Ibtissam Bouachrine
SPP 373rw Seminar: Topics in Cultural Movements in Spanish America—Radical Words: Latin
American Women and the Struggle for Livable Worlds Michelle Joffroy
WLT 100cw Introduction to World Literatures—Cannibals, Witches, Virgins
Katwiwa Mule
WLT 205 Contemporary African Literature and Film
Katwiwa Mule
WRT 118lg Colloquium: Topics in Writing—Language and Gender
Miranda K. McCarvel
Emeriti
Martha Ackelsberg
William R. Kenan Jr. Professor Emerita of Government & Professor Emerita of the Study of Women & Gender
Paula Giddings
Elizabeth A. Woodson Professor Emerita of Africana Studies
Marilyn Schuster
Andrew W. Mellon Professor Emerita in the Humanities (Study of Women & Gender) & Provost and Dean of the Faculty Emerita
Susan Van Dyne
Professor of the Study of Women and Gender and Chair of the Archives Concentration Emerita
Resources
Adviser: Mehammed Mack
All students should work with their academic adviser to define their academic goals for study abroad before meeting with the SWG study abroad adviser.
Requirements
Minimum eligibility for study abroad: 3.0 GPA (some programs require higher) and program approval from your SWG adviser.
Study Abroad Programs
See the Office for International Study for Smith-approved programs.
Annual SWG Prizes
The Jeanne McFarland and Valeria Dean Burgess Stevens Prizes are awarded annually by the Program for the Study of Women and Gender and the Project on Women and Social Change for excellent work in the study of women and gender.
The Schuster Van Dyne Prize in Queer Studies is awarded annually by the Program for the Study of Women and Gender for excellent work in queer studies.
The Meg Quigley Prize is awarded annually for the best work in SWG 150 Introduction to the Study of Women and Gender.
Deadline
Submissions must be received by 4 p.m. on Wednesday, April 26, 2023.
Guidelines
- Cover sheet must accompany all submissions.
- Each student may submit no more than one paper (total) to the program for consideration in any given year.
- Manuscripts on any aspect of the study of women and gender may be of any length and may have been previously submitted for courses.
- Creative pieces or portfolios as well as analytic essays are appropriate for submission.
- If your paper is a research paper, or one that uses sources, please be sure to cite those sources in an approved fashion (i.e., include footnotes and bibliography where appropriate). Include a brief description of the original assignment or reason for the paper (instructor, class, paragraph describing the assignment, etc.). Papers will be read and evaluated by a multidisciplinary committee, the members of which will not necessarily be aware of the context in which the paper was originally presented.
- All papers should be paginated (i.e., each page should be numbered consecutively).
- Only clean, unmarked papers should be turned in (i.e., without teacher's comments or grades).
- Electronic submissions should be sent to lhedger@smith.edu. Please send in word documents or pdfs.
Questions?
Contact Carrie Baker.
Recent Prize Winners
2022–23
Jeanne McFarland PrizeHannah Beck ‘23
Lucía Belén González ‘23
Valeria Dean Burgess Stevens Prize
Laura Emily Murphy ’23
Olivia Rynberg-Going‘23
Alexa Schnur ‘25
The Schuster Van Dyne Prize in Queer Studies
Moitse Kemelo Moatshe ’23
Zhannan Yin ’23
Meg Quigley Prize in Women’s Studies
Em Jacqueline Kim ’25
Mattea Whitlow ’25
Maia Curran ’26
Aidyn Panczner ’26
2021–22
Jeanne McFarland PrizeLily Sendroff ’22
Valeria Dean Burgess Stevens Prize
Becca Alonso ’22
The Schuster Van Dyne Prize in Queer Studies
Eliza Menzel ’23
Meg Quigley Prize in Women's Studies
Tallulah Costsa ’25
Tehya Daniels ’24
Samara Klotz ’24
Yena Perice ’26J
SWG Research Grants for Students
SWG offers research grants to Smith students conducting research related to the study of women, gender and/or sexuality.
Eligibility: Any student may apply for SWG research grants. Priority will be given to SWG majors and minors, especially for research related to honors theses and special studies, but any Smith student may apply for a SWG research grant to support research related to the study of women, gender and/or sexuality.
Application Procedure: To apply for a SWG research grant, students should submit a proposal of 200–300 words describing their research project and how it relates to the study of women, gender and/or sexuality and an itemized budget to the director of the program, who will bring the proposal to the program committee for approval. Funds will be distributed from the Quigley Endowment.
Application Deadlines: September 15, February 15, May 1
Grant Amount: Up to $750 for domestic research and $1,000 for international research.
SWG Conference Attendance Grant for Students
Students wishing to learn more about the field of women, gender and sexuality studies may apply for funds to attend the National Women’s Studies Association annual conference or other SWG-related academic conferences. This grant may cover registration fees, travel, lodging and/or food.
Eligibility: Any student may apply for a SWG Conference Attendance Grant, but priority will be given to SWG majors and minors and to students who will be presenting SWG-related research.
Application Procedure: To apply for a SWG Conference Attendance Grant, students should submit a proposal of 200-300 words explaining their SWG background, indicating the conference they wish to attend and how it will expand their knowledge of the study of women, gender and/or sexuality, and an itemized budget to the Director of the Program, who will bring the proposal to the Program Committee for approval. Funds will be distributed from the Quigley Endowment.
Application Deadlines: September 15, February 15, May 1
Grant Amount: Up to $750 for domestic conferences and $1,000 for international conferences.
NOTE: Students are encouraged to also apply for NWSA’s Travel Grants and Registration Scholarships. In addition, SWG’s Institutional Membership in NWSA includes three complimentary student memberships annually. Please consult the SWG Director for details.
Quigley Research Fellowships
Quigley research fellowships are awarded on a competitive basis to SWG majors in their junior year to enable majors to work one-on-one with SWG faculty. The paid research fellowships each enable majors to participate in ongoing or new projects as part of a faculty member’s research or development of SWG course materials.
Majors will learn valuable research tools that will prepare them for advanced work in seminars or to propose honors theses.
Each fellowship award is $1,500 paid research assistance (or about 100 hours). The fellowships are available only during the academic year, but may be either for a semester or for two semesters. For example, a fellowship might require a commitment of 10 hours of work per week for a semester, or five hours a week for the academic year. Faculty proposals will identify their preferred timeframe.
In early spring of their sophomore years, majors can apply for one or more of these fellowship opportunities, and rank their choices.
Quigley Proposals for Fall 2023 and Spring 2024
Majors in the class of 2023 and 2024 may compete for a limited number of Quigley Research Fellowships for 2022–23. These paid research fellowships enable qualified juniors and seniors to work one-on-one with a faculty member in the Program for the Study of Women and Gender on a research or curricular project.
Meridians: Feminism, Race, Transnationalism
Full year
Prof. Ginetta E. B. Candelario
The Quigley fellowship involves research assistance to the Editor and staff of the journal Meridians, feminism, race, transnationalism. Work will include providing background information on various subjects published by the journal, helping to assess published articles for possible use in the undergraduate curriculum, and learning publishing-related tasks that will help the fellow to understand how to edit and/or prepare a scholarly journal for publication. Other tasks may include organizing information for the author/subject database and other general clerical needs of the journal. Students applying should be interested in the publishing process as well as the journal content and have sufficient technical skills to perform the required tasks.
Applicant preferences are as follows:
● Multilingual (any global language other than English)
● Any major of study welcome, so long as classes taken indicate a commitment to the study of women and gender, intersectionality, ethnic studies, and transnationalism among others. Sophomores, Juniors, and Seniors strongly encouraged to apply.
Feminist Public Writing
Full year, 5 hours per week
Prof. Carrie Baker
This position will involve assistance in writing articles for Ms. Magazine and other media outlets on a range of current issues, including reproductive justice, sexual harassment and assault, and sex discrimination in employment and education. Responsibilities will include research, transcription of interviews, editing and social media promotion. This position provides opportunities to co-write articles for publication.
Queer Nightlife and Dance Music
Fall semester
Prof. Mehammed Mack
This project will involve compiling an annotated bibliography on the best and most cutting-edge scholarship in dance music, nightlife, electronic music, and queer subcultures at the intersection of all of these fields. It is not necessary, but if you have French skills, that is a plus, because there will be a French discussion section for students who want to count the course for their FRN major (that section will examine the French dance music scene). You will also be asked to prepare some Powerpoint presentations for the class that the teachers will use to lead discussion.
How to Apply
To apply, submit a description of your interests, prior course work and research skills that qualify you for the fellowship of your choice on the application form found HERE. (If applying for more than one project, a separate form must be submitted for each.)
You may apply for more than one project, but you may only receive a single fellowship for work with a single faculty member as a Quigley fellow (up to a maximum of 10-hours-a-week for one semester*, five-hours-a-week over two semesters, or a more intensive hourly work schedule over interterm, depending on faculty member's needs.)
*Accepting a 10-hour a week Quigley Fellowship means you may not hold another full-time campus job or STRIDE position.
Deadline
Quigley forms must be emailed to Lorraine Hedger by Monday, May 1, 2023. First priority will be given to SWG majors in the class of 2024 and 2025.
Smith College
Smith College Libraries—SWG Resource Page
Smith College Library's SWG links for research and reference; useful in finding articles, books and other helpful resources.
Sophia Smith Collection of Women’s History
The Sophia Smith Collection at Smith College is an internationally recognized repository of manuscripts, archives, photographs, periodicals and other primary sources in women's history.
Off Campus
National Women's Studies Association
NWSA is the national association for the field of women’s and gender studies. The association holds an annual conference each year in November, bringing together teachers, students and activists to share ideas and build the field.
Five Colleges
Five College Women's Studies Research Center
The FCWSRC sponsors faculty seminars, community workshops and networking events on topics of importance to women's and gender studies. Check their calendar for upcoming events in the Pioneer Valley.
Five College Certificate in Queer and Sexuality Studies
This certificate provides undergraduate students an opportunity to pursue a course of study that critically examines the relationship between sexual and gender identities, experiences, cultures and communities in a wide range of historical and political contexts.
Five College Certificate in Reproductive Health, Rights, and Justice
This certificate program is dedicated to furthering scholarship, education and research on reproductive health, rights and justice.
Center for Women and Community at UMass
The center provides sexual assault prevention and support services that are trauma informed, survivor-centered, and open to anyone impacted by personal violence.
Ph.D. Programs
UNITED STATES
Arizona State University, Ph.D. in gender studies
Claremont Graduate University (Claremont, CA), Ph.D. and M.A. in women’s studies in religion
Emory University (Atlanta, GA), Ph.D. in women’s studies
Indiana University, Bloomington, Ph.D. in gender studies
Ohio State University, Ph.D. and M.A. in women’s, gender and sexuality studies
Oregon State University, Ph.D. in women's, gender and sexuality studies
Rutgers University (New Brunswick, NJ), Ph.D. in women’s and gender studies
Stony Brook University (Stony Brook, NY), Ph.D in women’s and gender and sexuality studies
Texas Woman's University, Ph.D. in multicultural women’s and gender studies
University of Arizona, Ph.D. in gender and women’s studies
University of Buffalo, Ph.D in global gender studies
University of California, Los Angeles, Ph.D. in gender studies
University of California, Santa Barbara, Ph.D. in feminist studies
University of California, Santa Cruz, Ph.D. in feminist studies
University of Kansas, Lawrence, Ph.D. in women, gender, and sexuality studies
University of Kentucky, Lexington, Ph.D. in women’s studies
University of Iowa, Iowa City, Ph.D. in women’s, gender and sexuality studies
University of Maryland, College Park, Ph.D. and M.A. in women’s studies
University of Michigan, joint Ph.D. programs in women’s studies and English, history, psychology, or sociology
University of Minnesota, Minneapolis (with Center for Advanced Feminist Studies), Ph.D. in women’s, gender and sexuality studies
University of Washington, Seattle, Ph.D. and M.A. in gender, women’s and sexuality studies
University of Wisconsin-Madison, Ph.D. in gender and women's studies
Yale University (New Haven, CT), Combined Ph.D. in women's, gender and sexuality studies
INTERNATIONAL
Central European University, Budapest, M.A. and Ph.D. in gender studies (a Smith alum directs the program)
Josai International University, Ph.D. and M.A. in women’s studies
London School of Economics and Political Science, Gender Institute, England, Ph.D. and M.Phil. in gender studies; M.Sc. in gender and social policy
Manchester University, M.A. in women’s studies
Monash University (Melbourne, Australia, Ph.D. and M.A. in women’s studies
The Netherlands Research School of Women's Studies (NOV), Ph.D. in women’s studies at six Dutch universities
Simon Fraser University (British Columbia, Canada), Ph.D. and M.A. in gender, sexuality and women’s studies
University of Auckland, New Zealand, M.A. and Ph.D. in gender studies
University of British Columbia (Vancouver, BC, Canada), M.A. and Ph.D. administered by Institute for Gender, Race, Sexuality and Social Justice
University of Melbourne (Melbourne, Australia), Ph.D. and M.A. in gender studies
University of Sussex (Brighton, UK), D.Phil. and M.A. programs in gender studies
University of Sydney (New South Wales, Australia), Ph.D. and M.A. (by research) in women’s studies
University of Toronto (Women and Gender Studies Institute), Ph.D. (Doctoral Program in Women and Gender Studies (DWGS)) and M.A. programs
University of Warwick, England, Ph.D. programs in women and gender; M.A. in interdisciplinary gender studies, gender and international development, or gender, literature and modernity
University of York (York, England), D.Phil., M.A., and M.Phil. programs in women’s studies
York University (Ontario, Canada), Ph.D. and M.A. in gender, feminist and women’s studies
Dual Degree J.D./M.A. Gender and Women’s Studies Programs
George Washington University, J.D./M.A. in women’s studies
Pace University and Sarah Lawrence College, J.D./M.A. in women’s history and law
State University of New York, J.D./M.A. women’s, gender and sexuality studies
University at Albany & Albany Law School, J.D./MA in Women's Gender and Sexuality Studies
University of Arizona, J.D./M.A. in women’s studies
University of Cincinnati, J.D./M.A. in women’s studies
University of Florida, J.D./M.A. in women’s studies
Other Gender and Law Programs
American University, Women and International Law Program L.L.M. in international legal studies with a specialization in gender and international law.
For more information, including law schools with feminist journals and women’s rights clinics, see this listing (pdf).
See also “Second-Degree Feminism,” Ms. Magazine (Fall 2014), p. 15.
M.A. Programs
UNITED STATES
Brandeis University (Waltham, MA), M.A. in women’s, gender and sexuality studies
Claremont Graduate University (Claremont, CA), interdisciplinary M.A. program in applied women’s studies
Clark Atlanta University (Atlanta, GA), M.A. in Africana women’s studies
DePaul University (Chicago, IL), M.A. in women’s and gender studies
Eastern Michigan University (Ypsilanti, MI), M.A. of liberal studies in women’s and gender studies (interdisciplinary)
Florida Atlantic University (Boca Raton, FL), M.A. and graduate certificate in women’s studies
George Mason University (Fairfax, VA), M.A. Interdisciplinary Studies with a concentration in women and gender studies
George Washington University (Washington, D.C.), M.A. in women’s studies; M.A. in public policy with a concentration in women’s studies
Georgia State University (Atlanta, GA), M.A. in women’s studies
Jewish Theological Seminary, M.A. in Jewish women’s studies
Loyola University, Chicago, M.A. in women’s studies, and a three-course graduate certificate; Mary Griffin Graduate Scholarship in WST available to one full-time graduate student in the program
Minnesota State University, M.S. in women’s studies
Ohio State University (Columbus, OH), M.A. in women’s studies
Roosevelt University (Chicago, IL), M.A. and graduate certificate in women’s and gender studies
San Diego State University (San Diego, CA), M.A. in women’s studies
San Francisco State University, M.A. in women’s studies
Sarah Lawrence College (Bronxville, New York), M.A. in women’s history
Simmons College (Boston, MA), Interdisciplinary M.A. program in gender/cultural studies
Southern Connecticut State University, New Haven, M.A. in women’s studies and a graduate certificate in women’s studies
State University of New York, Albany, M.A. in women’s, gender sexuality studies
Texas Woman's University, M.A. in women’s studies
Towson University (Maryland), M.S. in women’s and gender studies
University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa M.A. in women’s studies
University of Cincinnati, M.A. in women’s studies
University of Florida, M.A. and M.W.S. in gender, sexuality and women’s studies
University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, self-designed, interdisciplinary M.A. in women’s studies
University of Louisville, M.A. in women’s and gender studies
University of Memphis, interdisciplinary M.A. program in women’s studies
University of North Carolina, Greensboro, M.A. in women’s and gender studies
University of Northern Iowa, Cedar Falls, M.A. in women’s studies
University of South Florida, Tampa, M.A. in women’s studies
University of Texas, Austin, M.A. in women’s and gender studies
University of Wisconsin-Madison M.A. in women's studies/gender studies
INTERNATIONAL
Manchester University, M.A. in women’s politics and policy research
Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John’s (Newfoundland, Canada), M.A. in gender studies
Mount St. Vincent University, Halifax (Nova Scotia, Canada), M.A. in women’s and gender studies offered jointly by Dalhousie, Mount Saint Vincent, and Saint Mary’s universities
Oxford University (England), One-year interdisciplinary master’s degree
Simon Fraser University, Burnaby (British Columbia, Canada), M.A. in women’s and gender studies
Trinity College at University of Dublin, The Centre for Women’s Studies offers the M.Phil. in women’s and gender studies, also welcomes applications from those wishing to do the M.Litt. and Ph.D. degrees, which are by research alone
University of Leeds, multiple post graguate programs at the master’s and Ph.D. levels in women’s, gender and sexuality studies in multiple contexts
University of Nijmegen (Netherlands), M.A. degree specializations, including feminist theology
University of Ottawa (Canada), collaborative program in women’s studies at the master’s level
University of Toronto (Canada), graduate collaborative program in women’s studies, M.A. and Ph.D.
University of Western Ontario (Canada), M.A. in women’s studies and feminist research
University of Wollongong (Australia), M.A. in women’s studies
University of York (England), standalone M.A. in women’s studies. Also offers M.A. in women’s studies by research and an M.Sc in women, development and administration
SWG alumnae and current majors are welcome to search the SWG alumnae database.
- Current majors can identify alumnae who have worked in their fields of interest or who have done graduate work or could provide tips about internships.
- Alumnae can help prospective and current students see all that a major in women’s and gender studies has mattered and catch up with what classmates have been doing.
- Members can create a profile and make information available for others to search (you control what information appears in search results).

Meridians: feminism, race, transnationalism
Meridians is an intersectional feminist journal based at Smith College that has been showcasing the ideas and voices of women of color for more than 20 years. Founded by former Smith College president Ruth J. Simmons, Meridians’ goal is to make scholarship by and about women of color central to U.S. and global economic conditions and political practices. It is a double-blind, peer-reviewed journal that publishes cutting-edge creative work at the intersection of race, gender, ethnicity and nation.
EXPLORE MERIDIANS
Contact
Seelye Hall 207A
Smith College
Northampton, MA 01063
Chair: Carrie N. Baker
Administrative Coordinator: Lorraine Hedger
Individual appointments can be arranged directly with the faculty.