Normally, the Department’s minimum admission requirements are a BA in Women’s Studies or a related discipline with an admission GPA of at least 3.3 on the 4- point scale from the University of Alberta, or an equivalent qualification and standing from a recognized institution. The admission GPA will be calculated on the last 60 units of graded coursework completed, or on the equivalent of the last two years of full-time graded coursework.
Where applicable, a minimum TOEFL (Internet-based) score of 92 (for tests written before January 21, 2026) or a minimum TOEFL (Internet-based) score of 4.5 (for tests written on or after January 21, 2026) or equivalent is required (see
Applicants are also required to submit a CV, statement of research interest, a writing sample, and to arrange for three letters of reference.
Potential applicants, including non-traditional students, are encouraged to contact the Graduate Coordinator of the department at
to discuss their qualifications.
Applicants considering a specialization in Digital Humanities must meet both the minimum entrance requirements for the MA program in Gender and Social Justice and for the Digital Humanities (DH) Program. Applications are first reviewed by the Graduate Committee in Gender and Social Justice, and, if successful at that stage, are forwarded to DH for its review process.
Graduate program application deadlines
The Department of Women’s and Gender Studies offers a program in Gender and Social Justice Studies (GSJ) leading to the degree of Master of Arts. The Department of Women’s and Gender Studies is a well-established, interdisciplinary unit housed in the Faculty of Arts. It draws from a strong, broad-based community of feminist and gender studies scholars in one of Canada’s top research universities. Core faculty conduct research in the areas of feminist legal studies, gendered violence, gender and development, gender and immigration, sexuality and queer studies, feminist theory, feminist visual culture, feminist cultural studies, feminist philosophy, feminist history, religious studies and trauma and cultural memory studies. The course-based Master of Arts in Gender and Social Justice is offered by itself or in conjunction with a specialization within the Digital Humanities Program. Detailed graduate program information is available on the Department’s homepage at www.wgs.ualberta.ca