Program Type 

Terminal Master's Degree

Program Description 

UCSB’s Black Feminist Studies MA concentration is a two-year degree program that invites students to collectively imagine what it means to be free. With specializations in Black LGBT History, Art, and Activism, Reproductive Justice, and Healing Justice and Black Wellness, Black Feminist Studies coursework engages history, theory, creative work, healing traditions, and activism throughout the African Diaspora. In addition to their time in the classroom, students partner with community organizations to prepare for work in reproductive justice, literary and performance arts, healing justice, transformative education, and social justice advocacy. We are committed to placing graduates in careers that shape equitable and justice-oriented futures.

Required Courses

FEMST 280A: Feminist Pedagogy

FEMST 280 B: Feminist Writing Seminar

FEMST 240:Transnational Feminisms

BLST 208: Black Epistemologies

BLST Black Feminist Thought (Pending approval)

Graduate and Professional Pathways

This interdisciplinary program prepares graduates for positions in: 

  • LGBTQ and Reproductive Justice organizations and advocacy groups
  • Community engagement and organizing initiatives
  • Public policy development and analysis (local, state, federal, and international levels)
  • Social justice focused non-profits and NGOs
  • Community healing and restorative justice programs
  • Policy research and think tanks
  • Arts and cultural organizations with social justice missions

Related Disciplines

  • Sociology and Anthropology 
  • Film and Cultural Studies
  • English
  • History
  • Environmental Studies
  • Global Studies
  • Political Science