+ Women's Studies

226 East Hall, 419-372-7133

Women's studies is an interdisciplinary major offering critical historical, sociological, philosophical, psychological, and literary examinations of the lives of women. Courses examine the ways in which gender, sexuality, ethnicity, and class were constructed in specific historical periods or cultures and trace the impact of these social categories on people's lives, concepts, and values today. They offer women and men of all backgrounds and viewpoints the opportunity to work together to develop and test ways of envisioning human life and community.

Readings and classroom discussions introduce students to the new scholarship, which reveal the ways in which women's lives have been frequently erased from traditional scholarship. Faculty encourage critical analyses of women in society, culture, and history; they promote active learning and social responsibility.

Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of the baccalaureate degree, students in women's studies are expected to be able to:

• Discuss the multiple types of feminisms that currently exist in the U.S. and internationally, as well as their histories and development;
• Critically analyze and make profitable connections between feminist theories and feminist practices;
• Explicate the basic debates or areas of contention within contemporary feminist thought;
• Describe the multiple ways in which gender is intersected by other social relations such as race, ethnicity, sexuality, class, and nation;
• Identify the basic components that distinguish feminist methodologies from other approaches to inquiry and the ways in which Women's Studies' approaches have transformed traditional disciplines;
• Communicate clearly and effectively in written and oral expression.

Major, Bachelor of Arts (39 hours) — minor required — click for 2008-2009 course requirements

Minor (21 hours)

• WS 200, 273, 305, 313 (12)
• Three additional courses (9 hours) on women and/or gender are selected in consultation with the program advisor (at least 1 must be at the 400 level).

Career opportunities
The Women's Studies Program prepares students for a variety of careers. Recent graduates have entered such fields as law, communications, education, health care, business, counseling, library science, and the ministry.

Students are encouraged to develop coordinated major-minor and double-major programs that research and analyze the development and application of specific gender themes. Women's studies majors select an internship or research track. The goal of the internship track is to create areas of expertise that address important occupational challenges and issues. This allows students to gain valuable work experience and apply the methods and conceptual tools they have acquired in real-work settings.

Students who choose to pursue graduate study follow the research track. Here they gain experience conducting research while working closely with a faculty mentor.