Both the M.A. and the Ph.D. begin with a core of courses that ground students in the theoretical, methodological, epistemological, and pedagogical traditions of feminist studies.
M.A./Ph.D. and Ph.D. students concentrate in one of three thematic fields (race and nation, genders and sexualities, productive and reproductive labors) while taking some coursework in all three, thus gaining broad expertise. They may also take a cluster of courses in an outside disciplinary or interdisciplinary field to complement their work in feminist studies. In addition, they engage in extensive original research, both in research seminars and in the completion of a thesis at the Master's level and a dissertation once advanced to candidacy in the Ph.D.