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Master of Arts in Gender and Social Justice Studies (Women's and Gender Studies)

Canada

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What will I learn?

The Department of Women's and Gender Studies offers a program in Gender and Social Justice Studies (GSJ) leading to the degree of Master of Arts. The Department of Women's and Gender Studies is a well-established, interdisciplinary unit housed in the Faculty of Arts. It draws from a strong, broad-based community of feminist and gender studies scholars in one of Canada's top research universities. Core faculty conduct research in the areas of feminist legal studies, gendered violence, gender and development, gender and immigration, sexuality and queer studies, feminist theory, feminist visual culture, feminist cultural studies, feminist philosophy, feminist history, religious studies and trauma and cultural memory studies.

The course-based Master of Arts in Gender and Social Justice is offered by itself or in conjunction with a specialization within the Digital Humanities Program.

Program requirements

The MA in Gender and Social Justice Studies can be completed as a thesis-based degree, or as a course-based degree.

Thesis-based MA

Students are required to complete a minimum of ?18 in coursework and a thesis

Coursework:

GSJ 501 (?3) - Praxis Workshop, which includes a mandatory Community Service-Learning component and
GSJ 502 (?3) - Research Workshop
Four ?3 graduate-level courses
Additional coursework may be required

Students who have not already taken a course in Feminist Research Methodologies (or the equivalent) will normally be required to audit WGS 302 in addition to their other courses.

Students also may be required to take a theory course, if adequate coverage was not obtained in the student’s first degree.

Students must complete minimum of ?12 courses in GSJ
Graduate courses offered by other departments may be taken with the consent of the Graduate Coordinator; thesis-based students may only take ?6 in courses outside of GSJ.

Thesis

Registration in 900-level THES

Course-based MA

The course based MA can be taken in Gender and Social Justice Studies or with a specialization in Digital Humanities.

Students are required to complete a minimum of ?24 in coursework, including a ?3 capping project.

Coursework

GSJ 501 (?3 ) - Praxis Workshop, which includes a mandatory Community Service-Learning component and
GSJ 502 (?3 ) - Research Workshop
Five ?3 graduate-level courses
Additional coursework may be required

Students who have not already taken a course in Feminist Research Methodologies (or the equivalent) will normally be required to audit WGS 302 in addition to their other courses.

Students also may be required to take a theory course, if adequate coverage was not obtained in the student’s first degree.

Students must complete minimum of ?12 courses in GSJ
Graduate courses offered by other departments may be taken with the consent of the Graduate Coordinator; course-based students may only take ?9 in courses outside of GSJ.
Students admitted to the course-based MA with a specialization in Digital Humanities are required to complete ?9 courses in DH.

Capping Project

GSJ 900 (?3) – Directed Research Project. The required capping project is a portfolio – a synthesizing document that highlights students’ learning in the program and that will include a major research paper, a field statement, a creative project or a policy/program/legal analysis.

Length of Program

The time required to complete the MA will vary with the program (thesis- or course-based) and the candidate. Full-time students in the course-based MA program will normally complete the program within 12 months, while those enrolled in the thesis-based program will normally complete within 24 months.

Which department am I in?

Faculty of Arts

Study options

Full Time (Thesis based: 24 months; course based: 12 months)

Tuition fees
CAD$8,874.00 (US$ 6,378) per year
Standard Fee - Thesis-Based yearly fee: CAN $8,874, Course-Based fee: CAN $1,901.52 per 3 credit course; Non-Standard fee - CAN $11,409.52 (Annual fee)

*Price shown is for indicative purposes, please

Start date

September 2025

Venue

University of Alberta

North Campus,

116 Street and 85 Avenue,

EDMONTON,

Alberta (AB),

T6G 2R3, Canada

Entry requirements

For international students

Normally, the Department's minimum admission requirements are a BA in Women's Studies or a related discipline with an admission GPA of at least 3.3 on the 4- point scale from the University of Alberta, or an equivalent qualification and standing from a recognized institution.

English language requirement:

  • TOEFL score of 92 (internet-based) or equivalent is required;
  • Academic IELTS: 6.5, with at least 6.0 on each test band;
  • CAEL: overall 70 with at least 60 on each subtest;
  • PTE Academic: 61 with a minimum band score of 60.

The application deadline for Fall (Sept) admission is January 15 of the same year.

*There may be different IELTS requirements depending on your chosen course.

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About University of Alberta

One of Canada’s top teaching and research universities, the University of Alberta has an international reputation for academic excellence.

  • Top 100 university globally (QS, 2025)
  • 18 faculties, offering more than 200 undergraduate programs
  • Students from over 157 countries
  • 6th in the world in the Times Higher Education Impact Rankings