Women and Gender Studies Concentration

Combining research, teaching, and activism focusing on the intersections among gender, sexuality, race and class.

Student

Dedicated to the merging of research, teaching, and activism, the Women and Gender Studies (WGST) concentration is extraordinary in two respects. First, our commitment to a multidisciplinary pedagogy ensures that you’ll have the opportunity to explore courses throughout the university that advance your intellectual and professional goals. Second, we are a community. Here, students, faculty and staff find a welcoming home that supports their work and personal development, both inside and outside the classroom. Our students take required coursework in feminist and queer theory, critical race theory, and transnational and global feminisms. Elective course offerings in WGST include African American women’s history, disability studies, gender and health, human rights, immigration, sexuality and globalization, black psychology, and ecofeminism.

Learn more about WGST:

Now Available: Option to complete this concentration online!

Not yet in a position to move to the Metro DC area?  Courses are conveniently offered in person and online, allowing students to complete the program from almost anywhere. 

When you apply, there is no need to decide whether you want to take classes online or in person. Online courses are available for all students. See the online course options here.

Who's in the Program

Students come from all walks of life and backgrounds and range from recent college graduates to mid-career professionals. A desire to merge their interests in the intersections among gender, sexuality, race and class with coursework in a discipline of interest such as history, literature, sociology, anthropology, health, education, philosophy, social work, conflict analysis and resolution, or the arts, is a central characteristic of students in this concentration. The program accommodates both full-time and part-time students.

Experiential Learning

WGST students regularly complete internships with a variety of DC-area organizations that support trans and queer communities, sex workers, women, and immigrants. Recent students have completed internships at the American Association of University Women, the Fairfax County Office of Women & Domestic and Sexual Violence Services, the World Bank, and in a range of public service activities devoted to addressing gender inequality, youth unemployment, disability advocacy, and women’s human rights.

Career Paths

WGST graduates go on to careers in academia, teaching and education, public service, non-profit work, community organizing, international human rights, and gender-based violence prevention.

Faculty and Research 

You will study with renowned faculty whose research emphasizes the intersections of gender, sexuality, race, and globalization in a variety of social settings. Faculty expertise includes feminist and queer theory, transnational feminisms, African American Women's History, critical race studies, human rights, gender and health, and disability studies.

Why Mason

The diversity—including sexual, gender, race, ethnicity, class, age, ability status, religion, and nation—within the women and gender studies community grounds an informed and multi-perspective discussion in and outside the classroom. Students also benefit from the program’s proximity to the Washington, D.C, area, with its abundant opportunities for research and career opportunities in the non-profit sector, public policy and education.

Students may explore the possibility of dual master’s degrees.  George Mason undergraduates in any major can pursue this degree on an accelerated track

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