Women's Studies Major

"What can you do with a Women's Studies degree?" Many of our majors have found success and contentment after graduation, pursuing careers in law, social work, journalism, education, non-profit organizations, public policy, arts, and graduate studies. The better question is, "What can't you do with a Women's Studies degree?"

Nothing short of changing the world and the way we think about it - an underlying philosophy that graduates from our program carry with them both in their professional and personal pursuits. The curriculum of the Women's Studies major is designed to not only enhance students' interests in certain social, political, and cultural issues but to also fully support those students who wish to pursue double majors. Our interdisciplinary program enables students to combine our major with other studies, including English, Film Studies, Globalization Studies, Psychology, Sociology, History, Pre-Law, Political Science, and natural sciences, to name a few.

New Requirements for the Women's Studies, effective Fall 2012

We have re-designed the major to combine academic rigor with flexibility, so that students who discover the Women's Studies major in the junior or senior year are able to complete all the requirements without having to delay graduation. These new requirements apply to students who declare their major in Fall 2012.

Courses that are required for students who entered the program under previous Bulletins will continue to be offered on a regular basis. Click here to access pre-Fall 2012 requirements (PDF file).

Degree Requirements for the Major in Women’s Studies

General Program B.A.: A minimum of 36 credits in Women's Studies including:

Required core courses (15 credits)
a. Gateway: A WSS 100 Women Creating Change (3)
b. Intersections: A WSS 240 Classism, Racism, and Sexism: Issues (3)
c. Theory: A WSS 360 Feminist Social and Political Thought (3); or A WSS 399 Topics
    in Women's Studies (1-3) ; or A WSS 498 Topics in Women's Studies (3)
d. Research Methods: A WSS 490Z Research Seminar in Women's Studies (3)
e. Internship: A WSS 492Y Internship in Women's Studies; or A WSS 322Y Feminist Pedagogy in Practice (3)

Electives (21 credits)
A total of 21 additional credits in Women's Studies courses, 9 credits of which must be at the 300 or 400 level.