Recommendation:

That the Faculty recommend to the Dean approval of the Implementation of a Master of Arts in Women's Studies as described below.

Rationale:

See especially Sections 2.3 and 4 below.

1. Program Identrification

1.1	Title of Proposed Program: Master's Degree in Women's Studies
1.2	Department or Functional Body: Center for Women's Studies, UW-Milwaukee
1.3	College, School or Functional Equivalent: College of Letters and Science, UW-Milwaukee
1.4	Timetable for Initiation: Fall 2009

2. Context

2.1 History of the Program

The Women's Studies program has long been a national leader in the field and a model of interdisciplinary education at UWM. The first Women's Studies program in Wisconsin, Women's Studies at UWM dates back to 1974, when the Office of Women's Studies was established under the auspices of the Vice Chancellor in response to student demand, a mandate by the Regents that all UW campuses create Women's Studies programs, and growing faculty interest. In 1978, the program began offering an undergraduate certificate in Women's Studies. In 1983, the Office of Women's Studies moved to the Graduate School, and two years later, it became the Center for Women's Studies, with its research center in the Graduate School and curricular program in the College of Letters and Science. The Center for Women's Studies moved fully into the College of Letters and Science in 2001. After offering an interdisciplinary major through the College's Committee Interdisciplinary Major (CIM) for over 30 years (since 1971), Women's Studies began to offer a B.A. and minor in Women's Studies in fall 2005. There are currently more than 30 B.A. majors (11 graduated in 2007) and 13 minors or continuing certificate students. The program has offered a graduate certificate in Women's Studies for over 10 years, beginning in 1995.

At present, there are two assistant professors with 50% appointments in Women's Studies and another department (Philosophy, Geography). Women's Studies is recruiting for a third, open rank joint appointment during the 2007-2008 academic year. There are more than 100 Women's Studies affiliates across campus. Women's Studies faculty and academic staff affiliates, many of whom teach courses cross-listed with Women's Studies, are based in eight of UWM's schools and colleges: the College of Letters and Science, the College of Health Sciences, the College of Nursing, the Helen Bader School of Social Welfare, the Peck School of the Arts, the School of Architecture and Urban Planning, the Sheldon B. Lubar School of Business, the School of Education, and the School of Information Sciences. Affiliated faculty members make significant contributions to the University community. The Director of the Center for International Education (Patrice Petro), Interim Director of the Center for 21st Century Studies (Merry Wiesner Hanks), and Vilas Professor of the Humanities (Kumkum Sangari) are Women's Studies faculty affiliates. Over 20 current affiliated faculty members have been fellows at the Center for 21st Century Studies. Past and present affiliates include five assistant or associate deans and nearly 20 department chairs. In addition, the Women's Studies program regularly co-sponsors events with a broad range of departments, programs, and organizations. Over the last five years, the Center has co-sponsored events with the Center for 21st Century Studies, the Cultures and Communities Program, the Institute for Race and Ethnicity, the Center for Jewish Studies, the Union Art Gallery, the Women's Resource Center, the School of Information Sciences, the Departments of Africology, Art History, English, History, Journalism and Mass Communication, and Music, and has regularly contributed to the Center for Latin American and Caribbean Studies Film Festival and Latin American Film Series. In 2004, the Center for Women's Studies organized and hosted in Milwaukee the annual conference of the National Women's Studies Association.

The Women's Studies program offers an undergraduate major and minor and a graduate certificate. The B.A. in Women's Studies requires 33 credits (34 if students elect to take the four credit "Feminism in the City" internship) that are satisfied by a combination of required Women's Studies courses (Introduction to Women's Studies, Global Feminisms, Theoretical Traditions in Women's Studies, Feminist Research Methods, and either the Advanced Humanities or Advanced Social Sciences Seminar in Women's Studies), additional Women's Studies courses (such as the internship, study abroad or special topics courses), and approved cross-listed courses taught in other departments. Students must take courses in both the humanities and social sciences and are strongly encouraged, depending on availability, to do some of their coursework in the natural sciences and the arts. The Graduate Certificate in Women's Studies is a 15 credit interdisciplinary certificate available to students enrolled in UWM graduate degree programs and non-degree students with master's or doctoral degrees. It is designed for students in any field who wish to complement their advanced training and scholarly work with an additional specialization in Women's Studies. Certificate students must enroll in either the Advanced Humanities or Social Sciences Seminar and take a minimum of six graduate credits in departments other than their degree program or field of specialization.

In the last five years (fall 2002-fall 2007), 20 students completed graduate certificates in Women's Studies, combining their certificates with doctoral programs in Anthropology, Architecture, English, History, Nursing, Psychology, and Urban Studies, and master's programs in Anthropology, Curriculum and Instruction, English, Health Psychology, History, Philosophy, Public Administration, and Urban Studies. Eleven students presently are enrolled in the certificate program, pursuing doctoral degrees in English (2), Nursing, and Psychology, and master's degrees in Fine Arts (2), History and Information Science, Information Science, and Liberal Studies. Two non-degree students with graduate degrees in Health Administration and Business also are working toward graduate certificates. On average, five students complete a graduate certificate in Women's Studies each academic year.

The diversity of disciplines among graduate certificate recipients indicates clearly that advanced coursework in Women's Studies is attractive to students with a wide variety of interests and professional goals. Given the significant, continued interest in Women's Studies at both the undergraduate and graduate levels, the Women's Studies program is now ready to build on its strengths and offer an M.A. degree.

2.2 Instructional Setting of the Program

The Women's Studies program is housed in the College of Letters and Science. Because Women's Studies is an interdisciplinary field, the M.A., like the undergraduate academic program, combines course work in Women's Studies with courses taken in disciplines across the university. The program has and will continue to have extensive interconnections with existing academic programs in Letters & Science as well as in other schools and colleges.

2.3 Relation to Mission Statement and Institutional Academic Planning

The initiatives and future plans of the Women's Studies program at UW-Milwaukee contribute substantially to the goals of the College of Letters and Science and the University, particularly the commitment to metropolitan diversity. A master's degree in Women's Studies fits well with Chancellor Santiago's recent initiatives to expand and enhance graduate education at UWM, particularly graduate education in interdisciplinary fields and to "dramatically expand UWM's intellectual space" (Spring 2007 Plenary Speech).

As the UWM Strategic Plan states, UW-Milwaukee is the major urban campus in the UW System, and as such, it has a "special opportunity and responsibility to provide postsecondary education to a diverse population." The Select Mission of UWM includes a commitment to "further academic and professional opportunities at all levels for women, minority, part-time, and financially or educationally disadvantaged students." Women currently constitute more than half of the UWM and UW System student population, as well as 75% of College Connection graduates (as of summer 2006). Increasing the "academic and professional opportunities at all levels for women" is a key component of UWM's strategic planning and initiatives. To that end, a master's program in Women's Studies is uniquely positioned both to attract women pursuing academic careers and to bring into the academy women in the workforce and from underrepresented groups.

According to the Strategic Plan, in order to expand its urban mission, UWM should "intensify efforts to use the university's metropolitan location to expand the student educational experience by providing more internships, fieldwork, co-op programs and other learning opportunities in the community." In the spring of 1999, Women's Studies began offering a seminar-grounded undergraduate internship course entitled "Feminism in the City: Internship in Women's Studies." This course has enabled Women's Studies students to combine their classroom knowledge with the practical experience of working in a local women's organization in the metropolitan area, such as the Milwaukee Women's Center, the YWCA, and the Women's Fund, among others. In the spring of 2002, the Center for Women's Studies implemented a program in collaboration with Women's Studies Programs throughout the UW System that permits undergraduates to participate in an Urban Semester at UWM during which they take courses at UWM, including the Internship in Women's Studies. Students from several campuses in non-urban areas, including UW-Stevens Point and UW-River Falls, have enrolled in this program. Moreover, Women's Studies includes a service learning component in its freshman seminars. The M.A. program will build on these successful undergraduate efforts by requiring a graduate-level practicum and offering the possibility of enrollment for students from other UW-campuses, through classroom-based, hybrid, and on-line courses.

3. Description

3.1 Program Description:

The age of information technology and international communication necessitates that urban citizens become global citizens. Community-specific and cross-cultural knowledge is no longer the province of one or several well-bounded disciplines. Looking ahead, global and metropolitan contexts will be explored best within interdisciplinary educational and research programs, such as Women's Studies, which by definition cross disciplinary boundaries as well as draw on traditional disciplines. In the twenty-first century, educational and research programs must be tailored to explore and impart interdisciplinary knowledge in a manner that emphasizes the relationship between theoretical and practical learning. To this end, required Women's Studies courses in Feminist Theory, Feminist Research Methods, Women's Studies Practicum, and Global Feminisms collectively reinforce the interconnectedness of theory, analysis, and practice both within and outside of the classroom.

3.2 Objectives:

The M.A. in Women's Studies is an outgrowth of the university mission to provide innovative and comprehensive graduate education. The UWM Women's Studies master's degree integrates theoretical understanding and practical experience in an interdisciplinary structure that takes advantage of the unique opportunities offered by UWM's metropolitan setting. Students completing an M.A. in Women's Studies will:

• understand Women's Studies as an interdisciplinary field of study and research;
• understand feminist theory at an advanced level;
• develop critical thinking skills that will enable them to analyze competing perspectives and integrate various bodies of knowledge across traditional academic boundaries, paying particular attention to gender-based assumptions and their consequences on individuals and social and cultural groups;
• apply feminist theory and methods to practical situations;
• attain the background necessary for entry into Ph.D. programs in Women's Studies, which increasingly are requiring an M.A. in Women's Studies for admission.

In addition to skills specific to the Women's Studies M.A., students will have developed a set of more general skills that will allow them to be prepared for:

• further graduate study in many fields of the humanities, social sciences, or professions;
• career fields that require an advanced degree, including work in non-profit organizations, business, the creative arts, education, government and public policy, journalism, law, medicine, publishing, science, the social sciences, and social work.

3.3 Curriculum:

Admission

An applicant must meet Graduate School admission requirements and submit the following materials to be considered for admission:

• three letters of recommendation from persons familiar with the applicant's academic or professional work;
• a sample of the applicant's written work that demonstrates the applicant's critical thinking, research and writing skills;
• a letter of intent explaining the applicant's reasons for graduate study;
• undergraduate transcripts; other degree transcripts if applicable;
• GRE scores recommended; TOEFL scores required if applicable;
• a minimum GPA of 2.75 in undergraduate coursework.

Course of Study

To earn an M.A. in Women's Studies, students must complete 24 or 27 credits (thesis option includes three thesis credits), of which 12-15 credits are in required Women's Studies courses and 9-12 credits in appropriate graduate level courses offered in Women's Studies or in other departments. Students must achieve a minimum GPA of 3.0 in credits attempted, including transfer credits. No more than six credits may be in U/G courses, and no more than six credits may be transfer credits. Students may not accumulate more than three credits of graduate level Independent Study in Women's Studies (WMNS 999).

Women's Studies (WMNS) Courses Required for the Degree:

Women's Studies 401: Global Feminisms (U/G) (currently offered)
Women's Studies 710: Feminist Theory (new)
Women's Studies 711: Feminist Research Methods (new)M/br> Women's Studies 820: Women's Studies Practicum (new)

Students who previously took WMNS 401 for undergraduate credit will substitute, with the approval of the Director, a graduate course with a focus on globalization and women.

Women's Studies (WMNS) Courses Optional:

Women's Studies 888: Candidate for Degree (new)
Women's Studies 980: Master's Thesis Research (new)
Women's Studies 999: Independent Study

The remaining credits will be completed in cross-listed courses or courses tailored to fit the students academic and professional goals, as approved by the Director of Women's Studies or the student's Women's Studies advisor (faculty with partial appointments in Women's Studies and graduate faculty status). In the past five years (fall 2003-spring 2007), courses that would have been available to Women's Studies master's students include:

AdLdsp 779	Current Topics in Administrative Leadership: "Women, Teaching, & Leadership in Educational Organizations" subtitle (G)
AdLdsp 795	Women and Leadership in Education (G)
Anthro 641	Seminar in Anthropology: "Gender, Nationalism, and the Body Politic" Subtitle (U/G)
Bio Sci 675	Physiology of Reproduction (U/G)
BusAdm 441	Diversity in Organizations (U/G)
BusAdm 443	Special Topics in Human Resources Management: "Managing Diversity" subtitle (U/G)
Commun 802	Marital and Family Communication (G)
Commun 803	Gender and Communication (G)
Commun 860	Seminar: Issues in Communication: "Work and Family Balance" subtitle (G)
CompLit 704	Seminar in Cultural Studies: "Narrative, History, Gender" subtitle (G)
Crm Jst 970	Readings in Criminal Justice Research: "Women and Criminal Justice" subtitle (G)
Ed Pol 522	Abusive Relationships: Community Problems, Community Solutions (U/G)
Ed Pol 579	Current Topics in Cultural Foundations of Education: "Educating Black Girls" subtitle (U/G)
English 776	Women Writers: subtitles include "Postcolonial Women Writers;" "Historicizing Women's Anger" (G)
English 812	Seminar in Theories of Composition and Rhetoric: "Feminist Rhetorics" subtitle (G)
English 878	Seminar in Feminist Critical Theory: "Cultural Diversity/Multiculturalism/Globalization - Gendered Debates" subtitle (G)
Geog 410	Gendered Geographies (U/G)
Hist 840	Colloquium on Global History: "Gender and Sexuality in History" subtitle (G)
Hist 900	Seminar on U.S. History: "History of Women in America" subtitle (G)
Hist 940	Seminar on Global History: "Gender, Religion, and Encounters with the 'Other'" subtitle (G)
Hist 972	Seminar on Modern Studies: "Gender, Race, Science, and Medicine-19th and 20th Centuries" subtitle (G)
Ind Rel 800	Current Issues in Industrial Relations: subtitles include "Family Friendly Work Practices;" "Sexual Harassment in the Workplace" (G)
JMC 815	Mass Media and Cultural Studies (focus on Feminist Media Studies) (G)
L&I Sci 891	Advanced Topics in Library and Information Science: "Feminism, Librarianship, and Information" subtitle (G)
LibrlSt 722	Special Topics in Contemporary Cultural Studies: "Women and Modernism-Western Art" subtitle (G)
Philos 535	Philosophical Topics in Feminist Theory: "Feminist Ethics and Social Thought" subtitle (U/G)
Pol Sci 464	Women and the Law (U/G)
SocWrk 771	Development of the Family Over the Life Span (G)
SocWrk 820	Seminar in Social Work Practice: "Family Violence"subtitle (G)
Sociol 927	Seminar in Sociology of Contemporary Institutions: subtitles include "Sociology of Gender;" Women, Work, and Family" (G)

The Marquette University/UWM Cooperative Graduate Student Exchange Program provides an additional resource for graduate coursework to meet individual student needs.

Advising

Graduate advising will be the responsibility of the Director of the Center for Women's Studies and faculty members with joint-appointments in Women's Studies and graduate faculty status.

Degree Completion Requirements

Students have the option of completing their M.A. with a written thesis, paper or project, or with a comprehensive examination. All options include an oral defense.

Master's Thesis:
Students who choose to write a thesis must follow the Graduate School's format requirements. The thesis is an academic research paper, a minimum of fifty pages in length, that demonstrates the student's ability to carry out an independent investigation, to analyze data (qualitative and/or quantitative), and to present the results in a clear and systematic form. The thesis includes a review of relevant scholarship and makes a contribution to the field.

Master's Paper or Project:
The master's paper is a more limited scholarly product than the thesis, between 30 and 50 pages in length, which often takes the form of a scholarly essay of publishable quality. Like the thesis, the paper should demonstrate the student's ability to formulate an argument, analyze data, present results in a clear, systematic form, and show familiarity with relevant scholarship. The master's project may be a creative or artistic project that is research-based or a research-based practical project.

Master's Examination:
The master's examination is a comprehensive written examination that addresses central issues and texts in the field of Women's Studies. Questions are drawn from a reading list developed by the student in consultation with his/her advisor and committee and approved by the Women's Studies Graduate Committee, and from a reading list developed by Women's Studies faculty that reflects course work completed in the Women's Studies core curriculum.

Procedure:
Before completing 12 credits, students must decide which option they intend to pursue and select an advisor with whom to develop their proposal (thesis, project or paper option) or reading list for the written exam. The proposal must be approved by the student's master's committee before submission to Women's Studies Graduate Committee for their review and approval.

Master's Committee:
The master's committee is comprised of the student's major advisor (the Director or a faculty member with joint appointment in Women's Studies) and two other faculty members, all with graduate faculty status. The master's committee approves the proposal or bibliography, assesses the completed master's project, paper, thesis, or written examination, and conducts the oral defense.

Time Limit

The M.A. in Women's Studies will conform to the Graduate School time to degree requirements, which requires students to complete their M.A. degree within five years of enrollment.

New Courses Required for the M.A. in Women's Studies

WMNS 710:	Feminist Theory (3 credits) Advanced analysis of feminist theory including emergent, contemporary, and historical discussions of major theoretical issues. Prereq: grad st.
WMNS 711:	Feminist Research Methods (3 credits) Interdisciplinary study of approaches to research and research methodologies used by feminist scholars across the disciplines to study women and gender issues. The course is designed to provide students with the essential skills necessary for planning and conducting research in the field of Women's Studies. Prereq: grad st.
WMNS 820:	Women's Studies Practicum (3 credits) Prereq.: WMNS 710 (Feminist Theory) and WMNS 711 (Feminist Research Methods); consent of Women's Studies Graduate Committee; grad st. Internship, field experience or related practical experience that provides students the opportunity to apply feminist theories and research methods in a practical context. Course includes a proposal, regular meetings with an advisor, a journal and a final written report of the project. Cannot be repeated.
WMNS 888:	Candidate for Degree Available for students who must meet minimum credit requirement. Fee for 1 cr assessed. Prereq: grad st.
WMNS 980:	Master's Thesis Research (3 credits) For students pursuing the thesis option. Prereq: grad st; cons instr. Cannot be repeated.

3.4 Interrelationship with Other Curricula:

Because Women's Studies is an interdisciplinary field of study, the program has substantive connections to numerous academic programs at UWM. Its undergraduate and M.A. degrees require students to take coursework in other departments. Those cross-listed courses expose students to multiple disciplinary approaches and knowledge bases; this has always been one of the great strengths of Women's Studies as a scholarly field. Our joint-appointment faculty are based in both social sciences and humanities, and our faculty affiliates, who often teach cross-listed courses, represent eight UWM schools or colleges. The diverse backgrounds of our current graduate certificate students, who are also pursuing graduate degrees in education, nursing, architecture, health sciences, humanities, information science, social sciences, and business, demonstrate the range of interconnections that exist between Women's Studies and other curricula. Moreover, preliminary talks are underway regarding the creation of a coordinated master's degree program with the School of Information Science, a dual degree option similar to that already established with SOIS and Anthropology, English, History, Foreign Language and Literature, Geography, Music, and Urban Studies.

3.5 Accreditation Requirement: not applicable

3.6 Diversity:

Women's Studies is built on a wide range of scholarship and instruction that addresses women in all their diversity, including race, class, sexuality, age, and ability. Women's Studies courses offer all students, including returning students, attractive alternative curricular options that allow them to understand their diverse cultural experiences within an intellectual setting that supports their educational success. Several of our instructors teach in the Cultures and Communities program, which offers UWM undergraduates a multicultural curricular cluster to fulfill general education requirements, and for the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Studies certificate program, and bring their knowledge and experience to Women's Studies classrooms. Global Feminisms (WMNS 410) is a required course for both B.A. and M.A. degrees. The Women's Studies program has asked to participate on the Chancellor's Council for Inclusion. The program is committed to building a student population, faculty and staff, and curriculum that are diverse and reflect UWM's metropolitan location. To that end, we are using our current ties to Milwaukee area non-profit and service organizations to attract working professionals to the master's program by surveying their needs and interests and to advertise the program among the city's diverse populations.

3.7 Collaboration:

The UW System is unique in the nation in having established in 1989 the UW-System Women's Studies Consortium, a formal structure which, among other significant activities, facilitates inter-institutional collaboration and communication. It is comprised of the fourteen campus-based Women's Studies programs and UW-Extension. Students from other Women's Studies programs have participated in our internship course, "Feminism in the City," while UWM students have enrolled in study-abroad programs offered through Women's Studies at other UW campuses. There is a long history of inter-campus cooperation upon which to build.

3.8 Outreach:

The merger of theory and practice, of knowledge and experience, is an essential feature of Women's Studies. At UWM, this commitment is visible in our undergraduate internship course, "Feminism in the City: Internship in Women's Studies," and in the service learning component of our freshman seminar. The practicum required for the master's degree likewise furthers this goal by providing students with the opportunity to use their academic training in feminist theory and feminist research methods in environments other than the UWM classroom, including outreach and service learning settings.

3.9 Delivery Method:

Many cross-listed graduate courses are taught during the late afternoon and evening. The Women's Studies program will also schedule late afternoon and evening classes to accommodate working adults and other non-traditional students. In addition, we will expand our current practice of offering WMNS courses on-line to include WMNS graduate courses required for the degree. To the extent possible, Women's Studies will schedule its graduate courses so that students can complete a significant portion of their master's course work on-line.

4. Need

4.1 Comparable Programs in Wisconsin:

Only UW-Madison offers a master's degree program in Women's Studies. It differs significantly in structure and targeted student populations, and, as responses to the UWM Entitlement to Plan demonstrate, UW-Madison perceives no overlap or competition between the two degree programs. The Chair of Women's Studies at Madison finds that UWM's master's program "would not compete with our new Master's degree program in Women's and Gender Studies." Similarly, UW-Madison's Letters and Science administration concludes that "there is no overlap between the scholarly focus of the proposed program and ours."

The UW-Madison program is designed as a two-year, full-time residence degree. It has a global emphasis, requires second language competency, and culminates in a thesis that focuses on transnational and cross-cultural questions. The M.A. at UWM, in contrast, is designed to attract not only students who will undertake further academic training, but also working and returning students who desire an advanced degree to further their career goals and who cannot enroll in a full-time program. The UWM program will offer evening and on-line courses to accommodate those students, practicum experience outside the classroom, and non-thesis options.

4.2 Comparable Programs Outside Wisconsin:

In Minnesota, the University of Minnesota's Department of Gender, Women's and Sexuality Studies offers a Ph.D. and graduate minor in Feminist Studies, but not a stand-alone master's degree. Minnesota State University-Mankato has a master's degree program in Women's Studies. However, it offers an M.S. rather than an M.A. degree and historically has had a social sciences emphasis. The M.A. program at UWM will build on current interest in its graduate certificate among students from a wide range of disciplines (such as Nursing, Art History, Information Science, Psychology, and English, among others) and offer a graduate program that fits student academic and career goals in the humanities, social and natural sciences, arts, and professions.

In the northern Illinois/Chicago region, three universities have master's programs in Women's Studies: Roosevelt University, Loyola University, and DePaul University. Roosevelt University is a private institution with tuition costs significantly higher than those at UWM. It requires 30-33 credits and two required courses, whereas UWM's 24 or 27 credit master's program offers a more structured, yet flexible, course of study that includes the practicum experience. As private, religious institutions, Loyola and DePaul Universities offer students a different educational setting than UWM, as a public university, provides. DePaul's master's program will share some similar features with the M.A. at UWM (options for completion of degree, courses in feminist theory, research methods, global feminisms). It differs, however, in being designed to be completed in two years, following a structured series of courses, whereas the UWM program permits students to complete degrees over a longer period of time. The M.A. at DePaul is 48 credit hours (12 courses) at a significantly higher cost. There are thus no comparable programs in neighboring states that would compete for students with an M.A. program at UWM.

4.3 Regional, State, and National Needs

There is a great need for graduate degree programs in Women's Studies regionally and across Wisconsin, and the responses from other UW System programs unanimously support the creation of a Women's Studies master's degree program at UWM. Several comments speak explicitly to the need for more graduate degree programs in Women's Studies in Wisconsin:

UW-Eau Claire: "it would help students from western WI to earn a graduate degree without the need to relocate. This would be of benefit to non-traditional students and lower income students especially." "It would be an advantage to our major or minor students who want to advance their studies to have more than one program to choose from within the UW system."

UW-Madison: "the limited size of the UW-Madison program means that our program cannot meet the demand for this degree, and in this regard our colleagues are hopeful that the proposed program will help meet a pressing need for more programs offering advanced inquiry and scholarly research into Women's Studies."

UW-Madison: "based on [our] interactions with other graduate programs in the CIC and the response to our new MA . . . there is far more demand for Women's Studies graduate programs than we will be able to meet."

UW-Oshkosh: "Having a masters program in Women's Studies at UWM will be a good thing for our state system."

Nationally, Women's Studies programs at both undergraduate and graduate levels have increased dramatically over the last decade. In that time, the number of bachelor degree programs has roughly doubled to more than 250. In the last six years, over 20 graduate programs have been added in the U.S. There are more than 15 doctoral programs (two beginning in 2007 or 2008) and over 40 M.A. or M.S. degree programs. Approximately 67 institutions offer a graduate certificate, minor, concentration or emphasis in Women's Studies or Women's and Gender Studies.

4.4 Student Demand—Future Enrollment

A significant gauge of the marketability of a Women's Studies master's degree is the track record of our graduates. There are several different markets for individuals with advanced degrees in Women's Studies. One of them is education. Many alumnae with graduate certificates in Women's Studies currently are employed in teaching at either the high school or college level. Those in higher education have appointments in Architecture, Nursing, Anthropology, Medicine, Ethnic Studies, and English, and they often teach courses cross-listed with Women's Studies at their current institution. Florence Kyomugisha (Urban Studies) and Rosamaría Chacón (English) have tenure-track appointments at Cal-State Northridge; Karen Keddy is an assistant professor of architecture at Ball State University. Others graduate certificate students are continuing their studies toward careers in education. Ashley Falzetti, who received an M.A. in Philosophy along with a graduate certificate in Women's Studies, is currently in the Women and Gender Studies doctoral program at Rutgers University. One alumna with an M.A. in Anthropology is currently enrolled in the School of Education to receive credentials for secondary school education. Another is completing an M.S. in Marketing at UWM. Florence Kyomushiga has indicated that she would not have gotten her faculty appointment had she not had a graduate certificate in Women's Studies and that her candidacy would have been further enhanced had she had an M.A. Indeed, programs are increasingly expecting formal graduate training in Women's Studies in job candidates. In the joint Political Science/Women's Studies search conducted last fall, candidates with master's degrees or graduate certificates or minors in Women's Studies ranked more highly than candidates without them. Other graduate certificate students work in both public and private sectors. For example, one alumna runs a counseling center and another runs community-based athletic events.

Strong support for establishing a Women's Studies master's program at UWM likewise comes both from individuals pursing an academic career and from those seeking advanced training related to their employment or career goals:

Alumna currently enrolled in the M.S. Marketing program at UWM: "I would have considered a Women's Studies MA, if one had been available when I completed my BA."

Alumna currently pursing a Ph.D. in Psychology at UWM: if a master's degree in Women's Studies were "an option when I first came to UWM, I definitely would have pursued it."

Alumna co-founder of a feminist bookstore in Milwaukee: "I wish there was a Women's or Gender Studies MA. I would have applied directly after I finished my BA."

Alumna co-founder of a feminist bookstore in Milwaukee who also works at a public radio station: "if [an M.A. program] were put in place in the next few years, I would consider returning to UWM for graduate work."

Alumna currently working in Milwaukee: "I would definitely be interested in an M.A. in Women's Studies. As a graduate of UWM with degrees in English and Women's Studies, my search for graduate schools has been focused on schools with M.A. programs in Women's Studies-not just graduate certificates. . . . While my current plans are to move from Milwaukee for school, a graduate program here in town could definitely influence my decision to move."

Alumna accepted into master's program in Women's Studies at DePaul University: "I would very seriously have considered staying in Milwaukee if [the program] had been offered when I was ready to apply to schools."

Alumna accepted into master's program in Sociology at UWM: "with the opportunity for majors and others involved in the program to pursue an advanced degree, there will be more research done at UWM on women's issues. . . Of course I would consider pursuing a master's degree in Women's Studies at UWM!"

Alumna currently enrolled in School of Education post-baccalaureate secondary education certificate program: "I do wish UWM had offered an M.A. in Women's Studies. When I was looking for graduate programs, I wanted to get a master's in Women's Studies, but not many schools in the Midwest offered it at the time (2002). The graduate certificate program in Women's Studies interested me and that's one of the reasons I came to UWM for my master's in Anthropology. I support the plan to develop an M.A. at UWM."

Graduate student in SOIS: "If I could have pursued it [M.A. in Women's Studies] as a joint degree with my current degree, yes. There are several programs that do this already, so it would be nice if this program would have that option as well."

Current Women's Studies undergraduate: "I support [an M.A. program]. I have looked into other Women's Studies master's degrees, but I am unable and unwilling to move away from the Milwaukee area."

Current Women's Studies undergraduate: "I would consider pursuing a master's degree in Women's Studies at UWM if it were available. I think that the classes that are offered now in the undergraduate program are informative and important, and the benefits of offering a master's program would be just as important, especially in an urban setting."

Current Women's Studies undergraduate: "I am very interested in pursuing the program. My undergraduate major is JMC, but I hope to get a master's degree in Women's Studies perhaps to pursue feminist journalism. I am also considering teaching this subject at the college level. Whatever path I choose, I would like to have the option of going to UWM for the degree."

Current Women's Studies undergraduate: "I would pursue a master's in Women's Studies at UWM if the program were up and running, but I am planning on getting my doctorate in Women's Studies, beginning in the next year, and the program won't be available."

Health Educator at the UWM Norris Health Center: "If there were a master's degree program in Women's Studies that was offered, I would definitely be interested in pursuing it. I was thinking about the certificate program, but am holding off to see if you're able to do a master's program! I'd be really excited about that."

Administrator in College of Letters and Science: "I certainly would have [enrolled in a master's program in Women's Studies]."

Senior staff in Graduate School: "I have been waiting for a master's program in Women's Studies and would apply."

The Women's Studies program anticipates enrolling qualified applicants once the degree is approved. Enrollment estimates for the first five years are as follows:

	2009-2010	2010-2011	2011-2012	2012-2013	2013-2014
1st year class	5	5	6	6	6
2nd year class	_	5	4	5	5
3rd year class	_	_	4	4	4
4th year class	_	_	_	3	3
5th year class	_	_	_	_	3
Total	5	10	14	18	21

We expect that students will take between two and four years to complete the degree, depending on their enrollment options. A full-time student can complete the M.A. in two years taking nine credits per semester, in three years with nine credits per year, and under five years with six credits per year. The program seeks maximum flexibility in accommodating non-traditional, returning, and working students. The program goal is an enrollment of 20-25 M.A. by the end of the first five years. If a Women's Studies M.A./MLIS dual degree program is implemented, enrollment figures may be somewhat higher.

According to the most recent Women's Studies in the CIC Report 2005-2006, the two CIC schools with master's programs have comparable enrollments: Ohio State (15 M.A., 15 Ph.D.) and Penn State (11 graduate minors, 4 M.A., 29 Ph.D.). UW-Madison's master's program in Women's and Gender Studies, established in 2006-2007, plans to admit no more than five master's students per year.

4.5 Collaborative or Alternative Program Exploration:

Women's Studies has begun conversations with the Dean and Associate Dean of SOIS to develop a coordinated master's degree program (MA/MLIS).

5. Assessemt and Advising

5.1 Assessment

Women's Studies will use both indirect and direct measures to assess the master's program:

1. Women's Studies will collect syllabi and final papers from all required WMNS graduate courses offered during the academic year. The Women's Studies Graduate Committee will review the materials to assess whether the courses are meeting program goals. It will also review written student evaluations as part of the assessment. In the first three years, the Women's Studies Graduate Committee will review all final papers, syllabi, and evaluations to obtain as large a sample as possible from which to establish a baseline for future evaluations. In later years, the program may choose to use a sampling of materials to streamline assessment, but for the first three years, all materials will be evaluated for consistency with program goals, notably proficiency in critical thinking, analysis, and understanding of the field.
2. Beginning in the third year, and every three years thereafter, students completing the degree or leaving without finishing the degree will be surveyed to obtain their assessment of the program and its effects on their career opportunities and development.
3. As per UW System guidelines, the program will undergo a full review after five years and, subsequently, in accordance with the established timetable of graduate program evaluations.

5.2 Advising

Graduate faculty with joint-appointments in Women's Studies, as well as the Director of the Center for Women's Studies, will serve as advisors to students in the master's program.

5.3 Access for Individuals with Disabilities

The Women's Studies program complies with campus policies and uses campus resources to address the needs of individuals with disabilities who are enrolled in its academic programs; this practice will be continued in the master's degree program.

6. Personnel

6.1 Current Faculty Requirements

At the present time, two assistant professors with joint appointments in Women's Studies and graduate faculty status contribute a total of .75 FTE (in real terms) to Women's Studies curricular code courses (WMNS). Although both appointments are 50% in Women's Studies, one assistant professor only teaches one WMNS course per year. The two faculty members will contribute .50 FTE to the master's program. Women's Studies has also used faculty buy-outs (one per year on average, .25 FTE) from other departments, schools or colleges. In addition to the two joint-appointment faculty members, the Director has a 50% administrative appointment (.50 FTE) and will also participate in advising and related duties necessary for the operation of the master's program.

6.2 Additional Faculty Requirements

Women's Studies is recruiting for a third joint appointment faculty member at open rank to begin in the fall 2008 semester. This position will contribute another .50 FTE to WMNS courses, including .25 FTE to the master's program. While this additional faculty member will teach graduate WMNS courses, in planning for growth more graduate faculty members will be needed. For this reason, Women's Studies requests two additional joint-appointment faculty positions over the subsequent two years.

Until Women's Studies can serve as a tenure home, an option currently being explored, the program is limited to recruiting joint appointment faculty members whose tenure homes are in other departments.

6.3 Academic Staff

Women's Studies has a full-time Academic Program Specialist. She will contribute .05 FTE toward administration of the master's program. At this time, we do not anticipate the need for additional academic staff positions.

6.4 Classified Staff

Women's Studies has a full-time Program Assistant. She will contribute .10 FTE toward support for the master's program. At this time, we do not anticipate the need for additional classified staff positions.

7. Academic Support Services

7.1 Library Resources

As with other fields, the funds available for the purchase of books, serials and other research materials in Women's Studies have not kept pace with the rising costs of academic publications. Faculty members and students in WMNS and cross-listed courses thus rely on Interlibrary Loan and on-line data bases and journals to supplement campus library resources. Women's Studies master's students also have access to a large number of Women's Studies listservs and databases, as well as publications by organizations doing research on women's and gender issues. The UW System Women's Studies Librarian, Phyllis Holman Weisbard, is also available to assist students with their research and information needs.

7.2 Access to Student Services

The admissions process will comply with Graduate School and CIE requirements and procedures. The Women's Studies Graduate Committee will discuss and recommend students for admission to the master's program. Applicants will be directed to the financial aid office on campus, provided information about the Graduate School's financial assistance, and informed of scholarship opportunities available through the Center for Women's Studies. As part of their advising responsibilities, the Director and graduate faculty members with joint-appointments in Women's Studies will be available to address the placement concerns of individual students. Some of this advising may occur on-line to accommodate student schedules.

8. Facilities - Equipment

8.1 Capital Resources-Existing Facilities and Capital Equipment

The Women's Studies program does not have sufficient office space for instructors and administrators at the present time. The program has 8 rooms: a main office/conference area, a storage room, offices for the Director and Assistant Director, an office shared by the two joint-appointment assistant professors, an office shared by two lecturers, an office shared by three or more lecturers (depending on the semester), and an office for the 2008 joint-appointment hire. The program has no designated classrooms. Its capital equipment consists of computers supplied through the L&S allocation system.

8.2 Capital Budget Needs-Additional Facilities and Capital Equipment

The program will need a minimum of two additional offices to accommodate future hires and tenured UWM faculty members who have agreed to move part of their lines into Women's Studies. These offices will need to be furnished and faculty members provided with computers and printers. The program also needs a dedicated classroom or seminar room where U and U/G courses may be scheduled. At a minimum, the program can share two dedicated classrooms with another program. Because Women's Studies is not a department, WMNS courses have low priority in room assignments, often receiving them later than other units.

8.3 Clinical Facilities: not applicable

8.4 Security

The Women's Studies program will continue to follow campus procedures regarding academic integrity and to verify compliance with requirements for its degrees and certificate.

9. Finance

9.1 Operating Budget Requirements

Compared with many other new programs, the MA in Women's Studies will require a modest increase in funding. The budget calls for hiring one new faculty member each year, each devoting 25% time to the program. Each new faculty member will have a joint appointment (50-50) in Women's Studies and a regular College department. The MA will admit its first class of students in Fall 2009 but will not start to offer teaching assistantships until Fall 2010, at which time 1 FTE TA is requested. No additional academic staff or classified staff members are needed to administer the MA program. The purchase of a computer set-up and office furniture in each of the first three years will be necessary, but the costs will be relatively low ($4500) in the most expensive year.

9.2 Operating Budget - S&E Requirements

The MA proposal does not request any additional S&E funds beyond a very modest inflationary adjustment ($6 per year devoted to the MA program).

9.3 Operating Budget Reallocations

The budgetary needs for the M.A. program will be addressed through internal reallocation and the acquisition of some new resources in the form of tuition revenue and online course fees. Making joint hires ameliorates the impact of reallocation on other departments.

9.4 Extramural Research Support

While individual faculty members associated with the program seek extramural funding, at the present time there is nothing specific to the Women's Studies MA program to report.

 

Women's Studies M.A. Budget (pdf 39k)