Women's Studies

What to do with a degree in Gender or Women’s Studies?

Students with interests in Arts, Business, Education, Social Sciences, Sciences, or Humanities may wish to pursue a Women’s Studies minor or a gender-related (contract) major. These courses will increase students’ skills and sensitivity to issues in any field. Students across the country take Women’s & Gender Studies courses to prepare for work in medicine, nonprofits, counseling, social services, human resource development, teaching, law or politics, among many others. 

Women’s and/or Gender Studies students typically develop and hone skills that employers desire. Some broad skills include: critical thinking, research, analysis, oral/written communication, presentation, & problem solving skills.

More specific foci and specialties of our students include unique understandings of: power relationships and unjust practices, oppression across contexts (e.g., racism, sexism, homophobia, classism), importance of changing the world through micro and macro methods, leadership in social justice movements, and the roles of journalism and media in shaping society, to name just a few.

Thus, although our students are qualified to work in any field valuing the liberal arts and social sciences, many students choose to work in advocacy or social service-related positions, community development, business innovation, and government agencies or policy groups, to name just a few arenas. Additionally, see this WS-jobs summary from whatcanidowiththismajor.com.

Worried about what to tell others? Check out this great article from Watchler (2012), 5 Reasons You Should Major in Women’s Studies.