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Undergraduate Major

 Women Studies majors must take their required courses for the major on campus.  No more than 6 credits of elective credits taken online through e-campus may be used toward the WS on-campus major.

The Major in Women Studies represents an interdisciplinary curriculum comprised of coursework in the social sciences and humanities with gender as the focal point of analysis. The curriculum examines women’s experiences, past and present, through feminist theory and research to better understand differences in power and privilege based on gender as well as race and ethnicity, religion, socioeconomic status, sexual identity, age, physical appearance, and mental or physical ability. Many classes incorporate a social activism component, and students are required to complete an internship to put their coursework into action as well as a senior research project to understand and contribute to the scholarship in this field. A total of 51 credits are required for the major, 33 credits of required Women Studies core courses and 18 credits of elective courses chosen from Women Studies or Women Studies Program courses.
Books

REQUIRED CORE COURSES (33 credits)

  • WS 223 Women: Self & Society
  • WS 224 Women: Personal & Social Change
  • WS 270 Violence against Women
  • WS 340 Gender & Science
  • WS 498 Senior Seminar
  • WS 410 Internship
  • WS 414 Systems of Oppression in Women's Lives
  • WS 416 Theories of Feminism
  • WS 430 Women of Color in the US
  • WS 460 Women & Sexuality (Writing-Intensive Curriculum course)
  • WS 480 International Women

ELECTIVES (18 credits)

WS Electives (Choose 2-4 courses)

  • WS 199 Topics
  • WS 230 Women in the Movies
  • WS 235 Global Women in the Movies
  • WS 240 Women & Sport
  • WS 280 Global Women
  • WS 299 Topics
  • WS 320 Gender & Technology
  • WS 325 Disney: Gender, Race, Empire
  • WS 380 Muslim Women
  • WS 399 Topics
  • WS 402 Independent Study
  • WS 417 Feminist Philosophies
  • WS 420 Hate, Resistance, & Reconciliation
  • WS 440 Women & Natural Resouces
  • WS 450 Ecofeminism
  • WS 465 Women, Weight, & Body Image
  • WS 470 Women: Creating Multicultural Alliances
  • WS 490 Self Esteem & Personal Power
  • WS 495 Feminist Theology & Spirituality
  • WS 499 Topics

Program Course Electives (Choose 2-4 courses)

  • ANTH 370 Family, Gender and Generation
  • ANTH 473 Gender, Ethnicity, Culture
  • COMM 432 Gender & Communication
  • ENG 362 Women's Voices in American Literature
  • ENG 416 Power and Representation
  • International Women's Voices
  • ENG 498 Women and Literature
  • ES 437 Gender Issues in Asian American Studies
  • ES 456 Theories of Race, Class, Gender, & Sexuality
  • ES 457 Literature by Women of Color in the United States
  • H 465 Public Health & Women: Social & Policy Issues
  • H 474 Public Health & Violence in Society
  • HDFS 440 Families & Work
  • HDFS 444 Child Abuse & Neglect
  • HDFS 447 Families & Poverty
  • HST 343 Women in Modern Russia
  • HST 362 Women in United States History
  • HST 368 Lesbian and Gay Movements in Modern America
  • HST 432 History of Sexuality
  • HST 496 Gender, Family & Politics in Chinese History
  • PHL 280 Ethics of Diversity
  • PS 317 Gender & Politics
  • PS 363 Gender and Race in American Political Thought
  • PS 425 Gender & Law
  • PSY 426 Gender Differences
  • PSY 456 Social Development
  • SOC 312 Sociology of the Family
  • SOC 430 Gender & Society
  • SOC 466 International Development: Gender Issues
  • SOC 480 Environmental Sociology

An approved Program Course is one that has a focus on gender and/or women's issues, is in a unit other than the Women Studies Program, and has been approved as fulfilling the requirements of a Women's Studies Program Course. Program Courses are subject to change based on availability and/or changes in content/focus.