M.A. in Interdisciplinary Studies
with Emphasis in Gender Studies

The Master of Arts in interdisciplinary studies provides graduate students the opportunity to complete a tailored program of study that integrates knowledge and scholarship from two or more disciplines traditionally associated with a Master of Arts. Students seeking graduate study in emerging interdisciplinary fields or cross-disciplinary specialties for which the University of Mississippi does not yet offer a defined degree select two or more concentrations to integrate as they develop mastery. The emphasis in gender studies in the Master of Arts in interdisciplinary studies provides graduate students the opportunity to complete a tailored program of study that integrates knowledge and scholarship from gender studies and one or more additional discipline(s) traditionally associated with a Master of Arts.

Students may select a thesis or non-thesis track. The thesis track requires the completion of a thesis that reflects original research conducted during their enrollment in the Master of Arts in interdisciplinary studies. The non-thesis track requires a capstone project that applies cross-disciplinary knowledge. The thesis option prepares students to conduct research/scholarship needed for research careers and doctoral study. Thesis students conduct original research, completed in entirety during enrollment in the Master of Arts in interdisciplinary studies degree, which integrates gender studies with one or more selected discipline(s). Graduate faculty associated with gender studies and graduate faculty representing the additional selected discipline(s) comprise the examination committee for the thesis.

The non-thesis option equips students to apply cross-disciplinary knowledge. Students complete a capstone experience in which they gain applied experience integrating gender studies with one or more discipline(s). Students design the capstone experience, with guidance from a committee of gender studies faculty and faculty representing the additional selected discipline(s), to integrate their unique cross-disciplinary expertise in a non-research setting to address a particular theme or goal directly related to real-world problems/needs.

General Education Requirements

Program Requirements:

  • A minimum of 36 graduate hours

  • 12 of these credits will be courses in the gender studies core: G ST 600 - Gender Studies Methodology, G ST 601 - Gender Theory, G St 605 - Feminist Pedagogy, and G ST 615 - Readings-Sexuality in Modern US History

  • 15 additional hours of coursework, at least 9 hours in one discipline

  • A thesis or project, completed with 9 thesis hours. The thesis or project must combine gender studies and one other discipline in its methodology

Admissions:

Applicants must meet one of the following requirements:

  • First be admitted into an existing degree program

  • Be admitted via application to a designated emphasis within the Master of Arts in interdisciplinary studies

  • Submit with their application:

    • three cover letters

    • a Curriculum Vitae (CV)

    • a statement clearly outlining the plan of study they intend to pursue (identifying the two or more disciplines of study they will pursue with potential
      coursework)

    • either a score from the GRE/GMAT or a portfolio (students should select the option that they believe most closely aligns with the disciplines they will integrate during their studies

Applicants:

  • must have a bachelor’s degree by the start of the program and have a GPA of 3.0 or higher. Conditional admission is not available for the Master of Interdisciplinary Studies.

  • apply to the interdisciplinary degree in gender studies; the admission committee will include the dean of the Graduate School, the director of gender studies, an additional gender studies full-time instructional professor, and at least three gender studies affiliates from three different disciplinary departments.

  • name a graduate faculty member and gender studies affiliate at UM, who will write a letter of recommendation agreeing to serve as an adviser. In the application letter, the student will provide a brief explanation (e.g., preliminary plan of study) of the interdisciplinary nature of the intended program of study.

An important criterion for admission to the MIS program is whether the intended program of study can only be pursued as an interdisciplinary program, rather than being possible within an existing master’s program of study, and whether the chairs and program coordinators from the involved departments’ support the request.

Course Requirements

Plan of Study:

Within the first semester of entering the MIS program, a student must submit a formal plan of study. This plan must include a list of courses to be taken (or already taken) that will fulfill the interdisciplinary distribution requirement. The plan should also indicate whether the student will pursue the thesis or non-thesis option and the general nature of the final oral examination. The plan of study will be reviewed by the MIS Program Steering Committee. For either the thesis or non-thesis option, the plan of study should meet the expectations of an interdisciplinary program of study. That is, the plan should explain how the proposed coursework and research are interdisciplinary in nature and why the degree cannot be pursued within an existing master’s program. When submitting the plan of study, the primary adviser is responsible for ascertaining whether the proposed coursework will be offered during a reasonable period
of time. Also, the adviser is responsible for assuring that the student has a reasonable opportunity or access to materials needed to conduct thesis research. The plan of study will also include a recommendation of whether the degree should be an M.A. or M.S. in interdisciplinary studies and the college/school to which the degree should be aligned. Once a plan of study is approved, any significant change to the plan of study (e.g., anything beyond a course substitution, committee member substitution, or minor change in research direction) must be approved by both the MIS Program Advisory Committee and the dean of the Graduate School. Also, either the MIS Program Steering Committee or the dean of the Graduate School may require a periodic review of the progress of a student.