Prospective MA Student

How to apply to the Women and Gender Studies MA Program at San Francisco State University

The Women and Gender Studies application deadline is February 1st for the following Fall semester admittance.

We do not admit students in the Spring semesters.

Admission to the Program

In order to be admitted to the program, students must meet all general University requirements. They must also possess a bachelor's degree in Women and Gender Studies from an accredited institution or take 9-12 upper division undergraduate units upon advisement of the Women and Gender Studies Admissions Committee. These undergraduate courses will not count toward the M.A. degree. Once completed, students will be granted classified status in the Women and Gender Studies MA Program.

Students are required to possess a grade point average of at least 3.0 in the last 60 semester units that they attempted for their bachelor's degree.

GRE is not required.

To apply, go to the Division of Graduate Studies website.There you will find the application. Also you will need to submit your official transcripts to the Division of Graduate Studies at:

In addition to the general online application for admission submitted to the University, applicants must directly provide the Women and Gender Studies Graduate Admissions Committee with the following items:

1. A written statement of background, intentions, and goals, including experience in women and gender studies and with women's issues; rationale for pursuing the M.A. degree; and relation of the M.A. degree in Women and Gender Studies to prior academic work and to career objectives; two to three double spaced pages;
2. Two scholarly letters of reference from individuals with direct knowledge of the applicant's scholarly ability;

These items must be mailed directly to:

See SFSU Graduate Studies site for application requirements and current application deadlines.

Profile of a Successful Graduate Candidate

Each year, Women and Gender Studies at SFSU receives a number of applications to our graduate program and are not able to extend offers to everyone who applies. We review many more applications than we can accept. In reviewing applications, the committee focuses particularly on three things: a strong academic transcript in women and gender studies or related field (the average GPA of our applicants is 3.5); a personal statement that shows academic preparation for graduate school and that articulates academic goals that can be supported by the methodological and intellectual interests and expertise of the department’s faculty; and letters of recommendation that can speak to the student’s academic readiness for graduate level studies.

For questions about the application process, please contact the Women and Gender Studies Graduate Coordinator, Professor Nan Alamilla Boyd, alamilla@sfsu.edu