Women Studies

Women studies is an interdisciplinary discipline that offers students a cohesive framework for the study of women's and men's lives within historical and contemporary contexts, and from multi-disciplinary, multi-cultural, and international perspectives. As a field of inquiry, women studies challenges traditional scholarship about human societies and fosters the construction of new theoretical and methodological approaches to understanding diverse experiences and realities.

Undergraduate Program

The Department of Women Studies offers the following programs of study:

• The Bachelor of Arts degree with a major in women studies
• A minor

Bachelor of Arts

Department Admission Requirements

Major Requirements

Minimum 62 credits, as follows:

1. WOMEN 200 or equivalent, 2 credits of WOMEN 299, and one additional WOMEN 200-level course
2. WOMEN 322 or WOMEN 456; WOMEN 357
3. One course in feminist theory (WOMEN 455 is recommended for those planning to pursue graduate study. See department adviser for a complete list of acceptable courses.)
4. Minimum 3 credits of WOMEN 497 fieldwork
5. 25 additional Women Studies upper-division credits
6. Senior capstone, WOMEN 494

Minor

1. WOMEN 200 or equivalent; one additional WOMEN 200-level course (10 credits)
2. WOMEN 322 or WOMEN 456 (5 credits)
3. Additional upper-division credits in women studies (excludes independent-study courses, only 5 credits of WOMEN 490 allowed) (15 credits)

Student Outcomes and Opportunities

• Learning Objectives and Expected Outcomes: A Bachelor of Arts in Women Studies helps students prepare for careers in human, health, legal, or civil service, as well as in the private sector. Some women studies graduates develop careers that focus directly or indirectly on women and women's issues. Many others move into careers that entail understanding the dynamics of gender, race, class, and sexuality. Such positions exist in politics, business, education, government, medicine, and the arts. Recent graduates of women studies have found employment in public agencies, community services, health services, private businesses, and legal firms.
• Instructional and Research Facilities: The Women Studies Technology Center (WSTC)
• Honors Options Available: With College Honors; With Distinction (Departmental Honors). See adviser for requirements.
• Research, Internships, and Service Learning: Students intern in local agencies or businesses to develop skills in an area of specialization appropriate to their area of interest. For lists of these opportunities, see adviser.
• Department Scholarships: None offered.
• Student Organizations/Associations: Students can join the National Women's Studies Association (NWSA), as well as a local student group, Feminism on Campus (FOC).

Graduate Program

Graduate Program Coordinator
B110 Padelford, Box 354345
206-543-6900
womenst@u.washington.edu

The Department of Women Studies offers graduate training leading to the Master of Arts and Doctor of Philosophy degrees in interdisciplinary women studies as well as in a chosen discipline. The core faculty represent the following disciplines: anthropology, American Indian studies, economics and development, history, international studies, English, sociology, and psychology. Although students are required to work primarily with a core faculty member in Women Studies, they have the opportunity to study with more than 60 faculty members from a wide range of disciplines who are adjunct faculty to Women Studies. M.A. students must complete a thesis or practicum. Ph.D. students must complete a dissertation.

Admission Requirements

Applicants are admitted to begin study during autumn quarter only and are required to have their application materials completed by the beginning of the prior January. A complete application file includes the Graduate School application, one copy of official transcripts, three recommendations, a statement of purpose, and scores from the Graduate Record Examination (GRE).

Program Requirements

All students are required to complete 15 credits of the core seminars: History of Feminism (WOMEN 501), Problems in Feminist Theory (WOMEN 502), and Feminist Research and Methods of Inquiry (WOMEN 503). Under the guidance of a core faculty mentor and advisory committee, the student shapes an individual program of study. The master's program usually requires two years of graduate study; the doctoral program usually requires three years of study beyond the master's level, including independent field research and preparation of a dissertation. Ph.D. students must exhibit proficiency in a language relevant to their theoretical and regional areas of specialization. Students are urged to establish foreign language competency as undergraduates before entering the graduate program or as early as possible in their graduate careers.

Financial Aid

A limited number of teaching and research assistantships are offered to Ph.D. students.