B.A., B.S. in Women's Studies

Women?s Studies in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences are a cross-disciplinary program in which students may elect a minor or a major. Women?s Studies provide an opportunity for students to examine women?s roles, contributions, and status in social and cultural context and to investigate a variety of disciplines from feminist perspectives. Women?s Studies creates an understanding that interrelated factors -e.g., race, ethnicity, class, age, disability, religion, national origin, and sexual orientation - inform knowledge of women?s history, culture, and social roles. Women?s Studies seek to improve critical thinking and to provide students with the intellectual means to question prevailing assumptions. It encourages students to explore the contexts and ideological origins of knowledge and to examine the relationship between knowledge and power in society. It promotes social responsibility by examining the connections between personal experience and political activity, and validates student contributions and voices. Women?s Studies graduates are skilled in critical thinking, research methods, and effective communication. Because they have developed a thorough understanding of gender, race, and class, they can understand and work effectively with employers, colleagues, and clients to analyze and address complex social problems. Women?s Studies graduates acquire strong backgrounds for careers in such areas as counseling, education, human resources, public policy, politics, business, or law. The program includes core courses in Women?s Studies and cross-listed courses in anthropology, art history, classical studies, economics, English, history, health and human performance, political science, psychology, religion, sociology, speech communication, and world languages and cultures. An undergraduate major requires 33 credits of core and cross-listed courses.