Feminist Studies is an interdisciplinary discipline that produces innovative research and fosters effective and creative teaching. Our faculty focus on the ways that relations of gender–intersecting with race, class, ethnicity, sexuality, nation, ability, and other axes of difference–are embedded in social, political, and cultural formations.
MA / Ph.D. Programs
Our three broad areas of concentration are race and nation, genders and sexualities, and productive and reproductive labors. The Department is among a select group of universities offering a Ph.D. in this field for those interested in research and teaching at the university level.
The graduate program in Feminist Studies offers six areas of emphasis, all from intersectional and transnational perspectives:
- Sexuality Studies, Trans Studies, and Queer of Color Critique
- Transnational Feminist and Migration Studies
- Feminist Media, Cultural, and Performance Studies
- Reproductive, Sexual, and Productive Labors
- Bodies, Ecologies, and Critical Disability Studies
- Critical Race Studies, Black Feminisms, and Latina/x Feminisms
Admission Information
Applications may be submitted online at UCSB Graduate Division. Helpful information on applying to Graduate Programs at UCSB may be found at the Graduate Division Admissions and Outreach.
For more information on the structure of the program, please refer to the Graduate Student Handbook
Applicants should put their name on each page of their Statement of Purpose. The statement of purpose (typically 2-5 pages) should clearly indicate why the applicant wishes to pursue graduate studies in the field of Feminist Studies.
UC Santa Barbara is interested in a diverse and inclusive graduate student population. Please describe any aspects of your personal background, accomplishments, or achievements that you feel are important in evaluating your application for graduate study. For example, please describe if you have experienced economic challenges in achieving higher education, such as being financially responsible for family members or dependents, having to work significant hours during undergraduate schooling or coming from a family background of limited income. Please describe if you have any unusual or varied life experiences that might contribute to the diversity of the graduate group, such as fluency in other languages, experience living in bi-cultural communities, academic research interests focusing on cultural, societal, or educational problems as they affect under-served segments of society, or evidence of an intention to use the graduate degree toward serving disadvantaged individuals or populations. Your Personal History and Diversity Statement must be written in a narrative (essay) form without duplicating content from your Statement of Purpose. A minimun word count of 250 words is required. There is no maximum length requirement. Most statements are typically 2-3 pages.
Other information on the admissions process and helpful links are on the Graduate Division's FAQ page.
Graduate Program Requirements
Both the M.A. and the Ph.D. begin with a core of courses that ground students in the theoretical, methodological, epistemological, and pedagogical traditions of feminist studies.
M.A./Ph.D. and Ph.D. students concentrate in one of three thematic fields (race and nation, genders and sexualities, productive and reproductive labors) while taking some coursework in all three, thus gaining broad expertise. They may also take a cluster of courses in an outside disciplinary or interdisciplinary field to complement their work in feminist studies. In addition, they engage in extensive original research, both in research seminars and in the completion of a thesis at the Master's level and a dissertation once advanced to candidacy in the Ph.D.
More information regarding the Ph.D. Program can be found in the UCSB Catalog.
Requirements for students who completed the M.A. in Feminist Studies at an institution other than UCSB
Plan for students who completed the M.A. in Feminist Studies at UCSB
Learning Outcomes for M.A. in Feminist Studies
More information regarding the M.A. Program can be found in the UCSB Catalog.
Requirements for M.A. in Feminist Studies
Learning Outcomes for M.A. in Feminist Studies
Graduate Handbook
This handbook is designed to explain the structure of the graduate program in Feminist Studies, outline degree requirements, and provide information about the Department of Feminist Studies, its faculty and staff, and procedures relevant to graduate students.