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Human Sexuality Studies, M.A.

Master of Arts

About this program

The Master of Arts in Human Sexuality Studies explores how sexuality shapes health, identity, and culture. You will study theory, research, and education across many disciplines. Courses focus on sexual and cultural diversity, policy, and social change. You’ll build strong writing, research, and communication skills to engage many audiences. This degree prepares you to work in advocacy, education, research, or public policy focused on sexual health and rights.

Program Curriculum and Requirements

Master's

What you can do

Employment Opportunities

A Master of Arts in Human Sexuality Studies degree prepares you for careers such as Counselors, Market Research Analysts, Mental Health Counselors and Marriage and Family Therapists, Police and Detectives, Postsecondary Teacher, Probation Officers and Correctional Treatment Specialists, Rehabilitation Counselors, Social and Human Service Assistants, Sociologist, Substance Abuse and Behavioral Disorders Counselors, Survey Researchers.

Program Scope

The Master of Arts program in Sexuality Studies provides an integrative and comprehensive graduate degree for students interested in studying and working with issues related to human sexuality, sexuality education, research and social policy. It offers an interdisciplinary curriculum in the study of sexuality, with particular emphasis on theory, research and application. Sexual and cultural diversity and their relevant historical, social, developmental and biological aspects are considered.

It investigates the assumptions and applications surrounding current methodologies of the major disciplines that are presently concerned with human sexuality. It enables students to understand varied and often contradictory policies around which sexuality has been formulated, generating a perspective through which they will be able to formulate new and improved solutions to these issues.

Program Learning Outcomes

  1. Students completing the program successfully will possess strong writing skills in sexuality topics, and they will have the ability to write for a diverse audience, including academics and non-academics, and those in advocacy and political positions.
  2. Students completing the program successfully will possess strong presentation skills in sexuality topics, including the ability to be conversant about a number of “hot button” topics, as for example, sexual and reproductive health, and rights. Students should be able to pursue research and to engage many distinct sectors of the public dialogue on sexuality, in ways that are relevant to sexual literacy and well-being in the US.
  3. Graduating Human Sexuality Masters students will have a comprehensive knowledge and skill set of sexuality-related issues, including but not limited to sexual theory, methodology, sexuality education, sexual health, reproductive rights, biology and sexuality, race and sexuality, and contemporary policies that relate to these topics.
  4. Students completing the program successfully will possess a good foundation in the intellectual history and sexual theories of the field -- past and present, including the early sexuality researchers and theorists (e.g. Kraft- Ebbing and Freud), as well as modern theorists (e.g. Foucault and Butler); in addition students will have a good foundation in feminist theory as it relates to sexuality; and they will have some understanding of critical race theory as it intersects with sexuality theory.
  5. Students completing the program successfully will possess a good understanding of the sociological, epistemological, psychological, cultural, and biological dimensions of gender, sexual orientation, and sexual identity development.
  6. Students completing the program successfully will demonstrate good research skills.
  7. Students completing the program successfully will possess good understanding of ethical considerations in sexuality research.

Admissions Information

A Statement of Purpose

The statement of purpose is the first document that the admissions committee will read. It is critical that you write a strong and exciting statement, so you should prepare yourself to write many different drafts. It will be helpful if others can read your statement and be brutally honest in their comments. In the statement you must first of all let us know what you want to accomplish by studying human sexuality in our program. We are interested to read what life experience, including educational experience, compelled you to seek a graduate degree in the field. What do you expect to achieve during your graduate education, and what future goals do your education and degree support? Write a story that tells us how these two years you will spend in our program fit in your life. What history led you to the Department of Sexuality Studies, what will you do here, and where do you plan to go after completing the program? We want to make sure that your goals can be met by the strengths of our program. It will help you if your statement generates excitement about you among the members of the admissions committee. Please write no more than two pages single spaced, using standard margins and font sizes.

Two Letters of Recommendation

When you ask for letters of recommendation, it behooves you to send letters that will be highly favorable. You can ask your referees, politely, if they will write you a strong letter. A weak letter will hurt your chances like few other things. We will read the letters of recommendation after we have read your statement and will make sure that your referees support the impression you have given about yourself. Most importantly, we will try to ascertain that you have the academic potential to be successful in a demanding graduate program and that you will finish what you have started. 

Writing Sample

To help the admissions committee assess your readiness and suitability for our MA program, you should submit an academic writing sample that best showcases your analytic and writing skills. This could be a class assignment, a senior thesis, or a writing sample that you create specifically for your application. The writing sample should be a minimum of 1,500 words, excluding the works cited or reference page. There is no maximum word limit.

Transcripts

Indicating a GPA of 3.0 or higher. Please note for the admissions process you will need to submit two sets of transcripts for all your college course work.

Graduate Record Examination (GRE Requirement)

 The Sexuality Studies MA Program does not require applicants to take the GRE exam.

Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL)

Applicants, regardless of citizenship, whose native language is not English and who preparatory education was principally in a language other than English are required to take TOEFL. The minimum score is 550 for the written test or 213 for the computer test.

Western Regional Graduate Program

We are pleased to announce that the Sexuality Studies M.A. program is now part of the Western Regional Graduate Program (WRGP) which enables students in 16 Western states and territories to enroll in participating public graduate programs as nonresidents, yet pay the lower resident tuition rate.

Fall: January 15 (early)
March 15 (regular)
May 1 (final deadline)
No Spring Admissions

Ready to apply? Visit the Graduate Students page to get started.

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