Athabasca University

Programme overview

This 33-credit Master of Arts in Interdisciplinary Studies with an Equity Studies focus is delivered online and integrates approaches from the arts, humanities and social sciences to examine inequality and marginalization. Students declare the Equity Studies focus after admission by submitting a study plan to the Graduate Office. Program delivery includes paced and individualized study formats, with three intakes per year.

What you'll study

The focus area examines how social categories—race, gender, class, sexuality, disability, age, religion and geography—are produced and mobilized, and how systems of power shape institutions and everyday life. Coursework and topics include interdisciplinary theories, methods and practices for understanding inequality; movements for social change; environmental justice; intergenerational equity; and relationships between humans and the more-than-human world. The degree concludes with a final integrated project or capstone paper, completed either in a paced capstone course or through an individual study project that connects research to work, life, or a community challenge.

Entry requirements

Admission requires a baccalaureate degree and an academic writing assessment. Students are admitted to the MA Interdisciplinary Studies program and must submit a study plan to declare the Equity Studies focus. At least 18 of the program’s 33 credits must be completed through Athabasca University.

Career prospects

Graduates are prepared to apply critical, interdisciplinary knowledge and reflective approaches in professional, community and research settings where understanding and addressing systemic inequality is required. The program emphasises connecting scholarship to lived experience and real-world institutional or community contexts.

Scholarships & funding angle

Tuition and fee information is provided by the university; students should consult Athabasca University for specific funding, scholarships and fee schedules. The program text notes that, starting Sep. 1, 2026, eligible Canadian Indigenous graduate students receive a 10% reduction on the tuition portion of AU graduate course costs.