The Women’s and Gender Studies Track (WGST) is earned within either the Master of Humanities or the Master of Social Science degree, interdisciplinary Master degrees in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences at the University of Colorado Denver. Women’s and Gender Studies are based in feminist theory, queer theory, post-colonial and ethnic studies, and a variety of social sciences and cultural studies. Students pursuing the WGST track, focus on issues of sex and gender as they manifest in societies through culture, language, politics, visual representation, and history. They take course work in social theory, feminist theory, and gender studies emphasizing critical thinking about the condition of women and the role of gender in both historical and in contemporary experience. Students will take 9 hours of required courses work for either the Humanities or Social Science general degree plan. They then pursue focused coursework and track requirements as outlined below.
Target Audience
For students in either program pursuing a different track (Philosophy-Theory; Visual Studies; Community Health; Social Justice, etc., there is also an option of a 12-credit hour WGST Graduate Certificate that allows coursework for their track to be used for the certificate when course content is appropriate. For example, a student taking a course on Gender and International Development for the Social Justice track may also use this course to count towards the 12 credits required for a WGST Grad Certificate, thereby allowing the student to gain two-pronged concentration.
Suggested Advisors
English: Dr. Sarah Hagelin
English: Dr. Gillian Silverman
History: Dr. Marjorie Levine-Clark
Interdisciplinary Studies: Dr. Omar Swartz
Visual Arts: Dr. Maria Buszek
WGST: Dr. Lorna Hutchison
Master of Humanities or Master of Social Science Core Requirements:
Required Core MH/MSS courses
IDST 5020 Foundations and Theories of Interdisciplinary Studies (every Fall)*
IDST 5013 Methods and Practices of Interdisciplinary Studies (every Spring)**
IDST 5023 Research Perspective in Interdisciplinary Studies (once a year)***
WGST Track Requirements In addition to the program’s core required courses, the following are required:
- Complete one WGST Theory course,
SSCI/HUMN/WGST 6010: Feminism and Gender Theory Seminar: Methods and Theories of Feminism and Gender Studies
PHIL/WGST 5500: Feminist Philosophy
ENGL/HIST 5306: Survey of Feminist Thought - A minimum of 12-credit hours of WGST-related graduate course work (this may include the option of a WGST-related internship), and
- Complete a final project or thesis on a WGST topic
Suggested Elective Courses for the Track
Below is a list of pre-approved courses for the track. Be aware that it is not comprehensive and that departments change their offerings regularly. Always check with the department to see when a given course might be scheduled. Also check with your MHMSS Program advisor to discuss additional course oppurtunities.
ANTH 5200 Gender in Cross-Cultural Perspective
COMM 5660 Queer Media Studies
ENGL 5000 Study of Major Authors (when the author is a female or author or related)
ENGL/HIST 5306 Survey of Feminist Thought
ETST 5305 Women of Color Feminisms
HIST/WGST 5307 History of Sexuality
HUMN/IDST/WGST 5720 Sexuality, Gender, and Visual Representation****
IDST/WGST 5770 Viewing Empire: The Art of Imperial and Colonial Propaganda (Previously HUMN 5770 Selling Empires: The Art of Visual Propaganda)
PHIL/WGST 5500 Feminist Philosophy
PHIL 5308 Contemporary Feminist Thought
PSCI 4215 Women’s Rights, Human Rights: Global Perspectives
PSCI 4564 Gender and Politics
PSCI 5555 International Women’s Resistance
PSCI 5245 Gender, Development and Globalization
SOCY 5550 Seminar: Sociology of the Family
WGST 5230 Women in the West
WGST 5248 Gender, Development and Globalization
WGST 5303 Sex and Gender in Modern Britain
WGST 5306 Survey of Feminist Thought
WGST 5345 Gender, Science and Medicine: 1600 to the Present
WGST 5420 Goddess Traditions
WGST 5510 Whores and Saints: Medieval Women
WGST 5511 French Women Writers
* Previously listed as: SSCI 5020/HUMN 5025 Foundations and Theories in Interdisciplinary Social Science/Humanities
**Previously SSCI/HUMN 5013 Methods and Practices in Interdisciplinary Social Sciences/Humanities
***Previously SSCI 5023 Research Perspectives in the Social Sciences/ HUMN 5924 Directed Research and Readings in Interdisciplinary Humanities
****Previously listed as HUMN/SSCI/WGST 5720
For more information about this or any track within the Master of Humanities or Social Science programs, contact:
Omar Swartz, Graduate Advisor, Interdisciplinary Studies: omar.swartz@ucdenver.edu or
Margaret Woodhull, Director, Interdisciplinary Studies: margaret.woodhull@ucdenver.edu or
E-mail: masterhs@ucdenver.edu
Website: http://clas.ucdenver.edu/mhmss
Office: Student Commons Building, 3203
Phone: 303-315-3565
For information on the WGST Graduate Certificate contact: Sarah Hagelin WGST Program Director: sarah.hagelin@ucdenver.edu