The School of Information (iSchool) and the Center for Women’s and Gender Studies (WGS) offer a dual degree program leading to the Master of Science in Information Studies (MSInfoStds) and the Master of Arts in Women’s and Gender Studies (MA). The program includes 30 credits in WGS and 30 in the iSchool.
Graduates are qualified to work as information specialists in important cultural repositories such as archives, museums, governmental and non-profit organizations, preservation and conservation laboratories, and academic, public and school libraries. They possess specialized research competencies and a deeper awareness of the interrelatedness of technologies and cultural products of all kinds including knowledge and are qualified to pursue a doctoral degree or to work in a professional library or research setting.
Collaboration between the two academic units is evident in the Gender and Technology research cluster sponsored by the Center for Women’s and Gender Studies; in the class Gender, Technology and Information co-taught by faculty members from the College of Engineering and the School of Information in this cluster; and the status of several iSchool faculty members as faculty affiliates of the Center for Women’s and Gender Studies. The dual degree program encourages students to develop working relationships with the professional librarians and archivists at some of the outstanding collections on campus and beyond, e.g., the Harry Ransom Center, the Benson Latin American Collection, the Center for American History, the UT Law Library, the Texas State Archives and Library Commission, and the Austin History Center.
Admission
Potential students apply to both programs, and the two admissions committees review the materials for admission to the respective degree programs. The Graduate Advisor and Dual Program Coordinator at the Center for Women’s and Gender Studies and the Dual Program Coordinator at the School of Information then consider applicants who have been admitted to both programs for admission to the dual degree program.
Requirements for the Dual Degree
Students pursuing the dual degree in Women’s and Gender Studies and Information Studies may either write a thesis or complete a Professional Experience and Project (INF 388L, e.g., “Capstone”) at the end of their coursework. The thesis requires 60 hours of coursework, of which six hours are earned in the thesis course. The project option requires 60 hours of coursework, of which three hours are earned in the Capstone course. All students must complete all core courses in the two programs and must demonstrate research competence appropriate to the student’s overall academic and career objectives and to the final thesis or Capstone. Elective courses related to women, gender, sexuality, or feminism may be selected from the offerings of WGS faculty affiliates including faculty members from the iSchool.
The two degrees are awarded simultaneously at the completion of all course and exit requirements.
