MA Program requirements

Entry Requirements

In addition to meeting the general CEU admissions requirements, applicants must attach a 500-word typewritten essay on the relevance of their academic/professional background to graduate study at CEU and to their future career goals. For specific information on CEU admissions requiremenets and application process, please consult the main CEU website.

Tips for Applying to the MA Program

When we evaluate candidates for admissions to the MA program, the brief essay we require is of great importance. What do we look for in a good MA essay?

First and foremost, we are interested in finding out about your academic interest in gender studies. The best way to tell us is to describe a research project you are planning to do for your MA thesis. Such a mini research proposal does not have to be longer than two paragraphs, but it should contain a research question you are interested in pursuing, and some theoretical justification for doing the study. It is important to indicate briefly the methodology you will be using and your academic preparation for carrying out such a project.

We are also interested in your background in, and commitment to, gender studies. If you have taken any courses that mentioned gender issues, if you have read anything that was relevant for this field, please mention it in your essay. Also, if you have worked in an NGO or other organization which dealt with relevant issues, that is useful to know, along with your comments and evaluations. But even if you do not have any academic or professional background in gender studies per se, we would like to find out why you are interested in applying for this degree program and what academic motivations you may have that makes this a desirable choice for you.

What detracts from a strong application essay? First, we would like to accept students who are committed to an MA in Gender Studies. Therefore, if you are applying to two different programs, please at least write a separate essay for us. We cannot fully evaluate essays which were obviously written for admission to, for example, the department of International Relations. Second, essays which contain very general information about the situation of women in a particular country, or just produce a review of gender statistics or summarize policy reports of international or national organizations without much reflection, are also considered quite weak. It is important to show that you can critically evaluate sources and have thoughts and ideas about what others may have written. Third, personal reasons and experience is very significant in choosing to study questions of gender. However, these are not enough: we are looking for your ability to link your personal experience to broader social issues and more theoretically, academically driven motivations. Finally, writing counts as well. A disorganized essay full of typos and grammatical errors will not make a good impression, no matter how substantively enlightening it might be.

For more information please contact Judit Zotter, MA Program Coordinator.

The Master of Arts degree in Gender Studies is registered by the Board of Regents of the University of the State of New York (US) for and on behalf of the State Education Department.