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JD/MA in Women, Gender & Sexuality Studies

This dual degree combines legal training with critical analysis of gender, race, and sexuality to prepare graduates for justice-focused careers.

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Program Overview

The JD/MA joint-degree program in Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies (WGSS) provides theoretically rigorous, justice-oriented training on how gender, race, and sexuality shape—and are shaped by—legal institutions. The program prepares students to work effectively in a wide range of legal, policy, and advocacy settings.

Who Should Consider a JD/MA in Women, Gender & Sexuality Studies (WGSS)?

This program is designed for students interested in:

  • Gender, law, and social justice organizations
  • Employment discrimination in workplaces
  • Sexual harassment in the workplace and educational institutions
  • Family law practice and policy
  • Reproductive rights organizations
  • Violence against women prevention and redress
  • LGBTQ+ rights in the workplace
  • Immigrant women’s rights in policy and law

Why WashU Law?

Women, Gender & Sexuality Studies and Law faculty have built deep collaborative partnerships at WashU. Law faculty with WGSS affiliations co-teach courses and serve on department committees, creating an intellectually vibrant environment where legal frameworks meet critical theory. These connections enable coordinated guidance throughout your program and career planning through the Law School’s Career Center, helping you find positions that draw on both areas of expertise.

FAQs

Your questions answered.

A separate application must be submitted to both the Law School and the Graduate School of Arts & Sciences. Please indicate to both schools at the time of application that you are seeking admission as a dual degree candidate.

The program takes four years to complete—one year less than if both degrees were completed separately. You’ll spend five semesters (86 credits) at the law school and three semesters (32 credits) in the Department of Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies in Arts & Sciences. Nine credits from each program count toward the other degree.

Students who start in the Law School can apply to the dual program during their first year and begin the dual program in their second year if accepted.

Please contact the Admissions Office (applylaw@wustl.edu) to discuss this joint degree opportunity.