Women’s Studies advances the understanding of people, culture, and society in context. It includes thinking critically about how people are shaped by and shape culture and society and how gender and sexuality connect with other factors such as ability, age, class, ethnicity, nation, and race. The program deepens students’ critical thinking, analytical skills, and practice.

Women’s Studies majors take courses taught by award-winning faculty in the Department of Gender, Sexuality, and Women’s Studies, and may take approved courses offered in departments across the university as electives. They pursue fulfilling internships that serve communities in Florida and beyond. They participate in research teams, get funding for their research and professional development, including going to conferences. They build skills and networks that make them competitive for graduate study and meaningful careers in many fields. They are campus leaders who go on to diverse careers in industry, public service, policy, arts, education, health, law, technology, and more. Women’s Studies majors enjoy a strong post-graduation employment rate and graduate school acceptance rate.

Women’s Studies majors have the option to complete a general path, or choose a specialization in health, international perspectives, race, or sexuality.

Women’s Studies is also simple to add to another major. Up to 15 credits can count toward both majors. More information on double majoring is available here.

Minors are available in Women's Studies, Theories and Politics of Sexuality, and Health Disparities in Society.

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Requirements for the Major

The Women’s Studies major requires 30 credits of coursework in Women's Studies core and elective courses, at least 24 credits of which must be at the 3000/4000 level. All 30 credits must be completed with minimum grades of C. A minimum of 18 credits for the major must be taken at UF. Students have the option to take elective courses from a variety of departments in addition to those classes offered under the WST prefix designation.

Students are encouraged to fulfill some of the requirements with appropriate study-abroad courses and may petition the program to count courses outside of WST toward the major if they have significant (greater than 50 percent) gender, sexuality, and women’s studies content. Many courses offered in other departments are approved for Women's Studies credit and a semester-by-semester list of them is maintained on the program’s website.
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Required Major Coursework

A minimum of 18 credits for the major must be taken at UF. A minimum of 24 credits for the major must be at the 3000-level or above.

All students, regardless of concentration, take 15 credits of required coursework:

• WST 3015 draws on various materials and methodologies to explore the social construction of women and gender as they intersect with other forms of power; 3 credits.
• One course from each major core category: Category A (Race), Category B (Sexualities), and Category C (Transnational); 9 credits total.
• WST 4935 is taken in the final year and allows students to reflect on their experience in the major and carry their interests forward through structured independent research tied to their scholarly or career interests; 3 credits.

All students also take 15 credits of major electives. Students should check the specialization descriptions to see guidelines for selecting elective courses

Course List

Code	Title	Credits
Core Courses
WST 3015	Interdisciplinary Perspectives in Women's Studies	3
WST 4935	Capstone Seminar 1	3
Major Core Category A: Race (select one):		3
AFA 3332	Black Feminist and Womanist Theory
WST 3610	Gender, Race and Science
WST 3703	History of American Medicine: Race, Class, Gender, and Science
WST 3720	Gender, Race, and Future of AI
Core Courses
WST 4002	Data Feminisms
WST 4240	History of Women's Medicine
WST 4383	Latinx Sexualities
Other approved courses designated in this category 1
Major Core Category B: Sexualities (select one:)		3
WST 2611	Humanities Perspectives on Gender and Sexuality
WST 2612	Social Science Perspectives on Gender and Sexuality
WST 3603	Sexualities Studies
WST 3800	Sexual Ethics
WST 4383	Latinx Sexualities
WST 4384	LGBTQ+ Movements and Critiques
ENG 4844	Queer Theory
Other approved courses designated in this category 1
Major Core Category C: Transnational (select one:)		3
WST 3325	Violence Against Women
WST 3371	Women, Leadership & Diversity in the Global Environment
WST 3415	Transnational Feminism
WST 3663	Gender and Food Politics
WST 4240	History of Women's Medicine
WST 4349	Ecofeminism
Core Courses
WST 4630	Gender, Culture, and Place
Other approved courses designated in this category 2		15
Women’s Studies Major Electives
WST courses and approved electives from other departments		15
Total Credits		45

¹

Prereq: WST 3015

²

Other WST courses and approved electives from other departments.

Specializations

General

Students in the general specialization tailor their coursework for maximum exposure to the various issues covered by Gender, Sexuality, and Women's Studies scholarship.

Students will take:

1. 15 credits of core requirements comprising WST 3015, one Category A (Race) core course, one Category B (Sexualities) core course, one Category C (Transnational) core course, and WST 4935.
2. 15 credits from an approved list of electives available on the program’s website, updated each semester.

Note:

• Elective credits may include up to 6 credits of experiential learning such as internship, undergraduate research, independent study, or honors thesis
• Elective credits may come from courses with the WST prefix or approved courses from other programs
• At least 24 of the required 30 credits for the major must be at the 3000-level or higher
• If the student takes 6 credits at the 2000-level or lower, at least three of the credits must have a WST prefix

Health Equity and Social Justice | HESJ

This specialization emphasizes research andscholarly ways of theorizing how gender combines with other social factors to influence health and how addressing social inequalities can improve health and health care access across communities.

Students will take:

1. 15 credits of core requirements comprising WST 3015, one Category A (Race) core course, one Category B (Sexualities) core course, one Category C (Transnational) core course, and WST 4935.
2. 9 credits of approved HESJ electives from an approved list of electives available on the program’s website, updated each semester.
3. 6 additional credits of approved WST electives which may or may not carry the HESJ designation

Note:

• Elective credits may include up to 6 credits of experiential learning such as internship, undergraduate research, independent study, or honors thesis
• Elective credits may come from courses with the WST prefix or approved courses from other programs
• At least 24 of the required 30 credits for the major must be at the 3000-level or higher
• If the student takes 6 credits at the 2000-level or lower, at least three of the credits must have a WST prefix

International Perspectives on Gender | IPG

This specialization emphasizes research and scholarly ways of theorizing experiences of people around the globe, with transnational perspectives on gender, race, sexuality, and nation.

Students will take:

1. 15 credits of core requirements comprising WST 3015, one Category A (Race) core course, one Category B (Sexualities) core course, one Category C (Transnational) core course, and WST 4935.
2. 9 credits of approved IPG electives (3 of which can also fulfill Core Category C requirement) from an approved list of electives available on the program’s website, updated each semester.
3. 6 additional credits of approved WST electives which may or may not carry the IPG designation (OR 9 additional credits if one of the courses taken to fulfill #1 also fulfills #2 above); total credits for the major must add up to 30

Note:

• Elective credits may include up to 6 credits of experiential learning such as internship, undergraduate research, independent study, or honors thesis
• Elective credits may come from courses with the WST prefix or approved courses from other programs
• At least 24 of the required 30 credits for the major must be at the 3000-level or higher
• If the student takes 6 credits at the 2000-level or lower, at least three of the credits must have a WST prefix

Race, Power, and Social Justice | RPSJ

This specialization emphasizes research and scholarly ways of theorizing race in social organization and culture and its connections with gender and other social factors.

Students will take:

1. 15 credits of core requirements comprising WST 3015, one Category A (Race) core course, one Category B (Sexualities) core course, one Category C (Transnational) core course, and WST 4935.
2. 9 credits of approved RPSJ electives (3 of which can also fulfill Core Category A requirement) from an approved list of RPSJ electives available on the program’s website, updated each semester.
3. 6 additional credits of approved WST electives which may or may not carry the RPSJ designation (OR 9 additional credits if one of the courses taken to fulfill #1 also fulfills #2 above); total credits for the major must add up to 30

Note:

• Elective credits may include up to 6 credits of experiential learning such as internship, undergraduate research, independent study, or honors thesis
• Elective credits may come from courses with the WST prefix or approved courses from other programs
• At least 24 of the required 30 credits for the major must be at the 3000-level or higher
• If the student takes 6 credits at the 2000-level or lower, at least three of the credits must have a WST prefix

Theories and Politics of Sexuality | TPS

This specialization emphasizes research and scholarly ways of theorizing sex and sexualities in social organization and culture and their connections with other social factors.

Students will take:

1. 15 credits of core requirements comprising WST 3015, one Category A (Race) core course, one Category B (Sexualities) core course, one Category C (Transnational) core course, and WST 4935.
2. 9 credits of approved TPS electives (3 of which can also fulfill Core Category B requirement) from an approved list of electives available on the program’s website, updated each semester.
3. 6 additional credits of approved WST electives which may or may not carry the TPS designation (OR 9 additional credits if one of the courses taken to fulfill #1 also fulfills #2 above); total credits for the major must add up to 30

Note:

• Elective credits may include up to 6 credits of experiential learning such as internship, undergraduate research, independent study, or honors thesis
• Elective credits may come from courses with the WST prefix or approved courses from other programs
• At least 24 of the required 30 credits for the major must be at the 3000-level or higher
• If the student takes 6 credits at the 2000-level or lower, at least three of the credits must have a WST prefix

Combination Degree Programs

Women's Studies is a vibrant discipline that contributes to and is informed by multiple disciplines and fields of study. The undergraduate and masters level programs provide general training in critical thinking, written and oral communication, and specific training in analysis of gender and how it connects with other social systems such as race, class, and sexualities. The combination BA/MA degree offers a useful program for well-qualified students who may want to pursue further studies in a PhD program or pursue careers in a variety of fields such as social service, law, art, health, business, education, policy planning, government and nongovernment organizations, and international development. This accelerated program allows students to complete both the BA and the MA in 5 years, rather than the typical 6 years if done separately. The BA/MA program provides advanced training in research and analytic skills, which will be helpful for future employment and/or doctoral studies.
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Critical Tracking records each student’s progress in courses that are required for progress toward each major. Please note the critical-tracking requirements below on a per-semester basis.

For degree requirements outside of the major, refer to CLAS Degree Requirements: Structure of a CLAS Degree.

Equivalent critical-tracking courses as determined by the State of Florida Common Course Prerequisites may be used for transfer students.

Women's Studies is a flexible major without a specific gateway course or prerequisites for most upper-division courses. All courses with the WST prefix can count toward the major; additionally, the major counts some gender- and sexuality-related courses from other programs as well. Two 2000-level courses can count toward the major; however, at least one of those courses must have the WST prefix. Check the program’s website for a semester-specific listing of approved courses. 
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Students should:

• Maintain a 2.0 overall UF GPA and a 2.5 critical-tracking GPA
• Complete three Women’s Studies courses by the fifth semester; at least one of which must be 3000-level or above. WST 3015 is recommended.
• Completing at least one Category A, B, or C class by semester 5 is highly recommended.

Semester 1

• 2.0 UF GPA required

Semester 2

• 2.0 UF GPA required

Semester 3

• Complete one Women's Studies course
• 2.0 UF GPA required

SEMESTER 4

• Complete 1 additional Women's Studies course (WST 3015 recommended) with a 2.5 critical-tracking GPA
• 2.0 UF GPA required

SEMESTER 5

• Complete 1 additional Women's Studies course with a 2.5 critical-tracking GPA. (recommendation: WST 3015, or at least one Category A, B, or C class if not taken yet). At least one of the three courses taken to date for the major must be at the 3000 level or higher.
• 2.0 UF GPA required

SEMESTER 6

• Complete 2 additional Women's Studies courses at the 3000 or 4000 level; at least one class must be WST 3015 if not taken yet (recommendations: at least one Category A, B, or C class if not taken yet). At least three of the five courses taken to date for the major must be at the 3000-level or higher.
• 2.0 UF GPA required

SEMESTER 7

• Complete 3 additional Women's Studies courses at the 3000 or 4000 level (recommendations: at least one Category A, B, or C class if not taken yet, WST 4935 this semester or next). At least six of the eight courses taken to date for the major must be at the 3000-level or higher.
• 2.0 UF GPA required

SEMESTER 8

• Complete 2 additional Women's Studies courses at the 3000 level at least one Category A, B, or C class if not taken yet, WST 4935 if not taken yet. At least eight of the ten courses taken to date for the major must be at the 3000-level or higher.
• 2.0 UF GPA required

Students are expected to complete the Writing, Civic Literacy, summer enrollment, and Quest requirements while in the process of taking the courses below. Students are also expected to complete the general education international (GE-N) requirements concurrently with another general education requirement (typically, GE-C, H, or S) as part of the CLAS Basic Distribution requirements. One of the two general education mathematics courses must be a pure math course.

College of Liberal Arts and Sciences allows students additional flexibility in its Distribution Requirements. Students may count a maximum of 6 credits TOTAL from the CLAS Distribution course lists towards Humanities, Social and Behavioral Sciences, or Biological and Physical Sciences, with no more than 3 credits of Humanities, 3 credits of Social and Behavioral Sciences, or 6 credits of Biological or Physical Sciences.

The full list of major-specific requirements for this major can be found on the Overview tab. College of Liberal Arts and Sciences degree requirements can be found on the College’s degree requirements page.

Women's Studies and gender-related courses that count towards major requirements may not count towards the 3000-level or above electives outside of the major.

To remain on track, students must complete the appropriate critical-tracking courses, which appear in bold. These courses must be completed by the terms as listed above in the Critical Tracking criteria.

This semester plan represents an example progression through the major. Actual courses and course order may be different depending on the student's academic record and scheduling availability of courses. Prerequisites still apply.

Plan of Study Grid

Semester One		Credits
Quest 1		3
State Core Gen Ed Composition; Writing Requirement		3
State Core Gen Ed Mathematics		3
CLAS Foreign Language Proficiency Requirement 1		4-5
	Credits	13-14
Semester Two
State Core Gen Ed Biological or Physical Sciences		3
State Core Ged Ed Social and Behavioral Sciences		3
CLAS Foreign Language Proficiency Requirement		3-5
Electives		6
	Credits	15-17
Semester Three
WST-approved course (*Critical Tracking; 1000-level or above)		3
Quest 2		3
State Core Gen Ed Humanities		3
Gen Ed Biological or Physical Sciences (area NOT taken in semester two)		3
Natural Science Laboratory 1		1
Elective (or CLAS Foreign Language Proficiency Requirement if 4-3-3 option) 1		3
	Credits	16
Semester Four
WST 3015 is recommended; or Category A, B, or C course; or other approved WST elective (Critical Tracking)		3
Gen Ed Mathematics		3
Gen Ed Social and Behavioral Sciences		3
Gen Ed Humanities		3
Elective		3
	Credits	15
Semester Five
WST 3015 (Critical Tracking; if not taken previously) or Category A, B, or C course; or other approved WST elective		3
Gen Ed Humanities		3
Gen Ed Physical Sciences		3
Gen Ed Social and Behavioral Sciences		3
Elective		3
Reminder: only 6 credits of 2000-level courses or below can be applied to the major
	Credits	15
Semester Six
WST courses (Critical Tracking;Category A, B, or C course; or other approved WST elective)		6
Gen Ed Biological Sciences		3
Gen Ed Composition; Writing Requirement		3
Elective (3000 level or above, not in major)		3
Reminder: only 6 credits of 2000-level courses or below can be applied to the major.
	Credits	15
Semester Seven
WST-approved courses Critical Tracking; one course can be WST 4935)		9
Electives (3000 level or above, not in major)		6
Electives		1
Reminder: only 6 credits of 2000-level courses or below can be applied to the major.
	Credits	16
Semester Eight
WST-approved courses (Critical Tracking; one course must be WST 4935 if not yet taken)		6
Electives (3000 level or above, not in major)		9
Reminder: only 6 credits of 2000-level courses or below can be applied to the major.
	Credits	15
	Total Credits	120

¹

https://catalog.ufl.edu/UGRD/colleges-schools/UGLAS/#degreerequirementstext

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The Bachelor of Arts in Women and Gender Studies provides knowledge of the core concepts of the interdisciplinary fields of gender and women's studies. It offers insights into gender's role in shaping human experience in US and international contexts. Students will learn the theories behind gender and women's studies and how to interpret texts in light of those theories. They will also learn the field's research methods and they will demonstrate the ability to communicate critical perspectives in the field.

Before Graduating Students Must

• Satisfactorily complete an internship with an outside agency, a service learning course or a research-based project submitted for evaluation to core or affiliated women's studies faculty. Assessment will be based on SLOs 1-3.
• Complete requirements for the baccalaureate degree, as determined by faculty.

Students in the Major Will Learn to

Student Learning Outcomes | SLOs

Content

1. Identify the terminology and concepts central to the interdisciplinary field of gender and women’s students.

Critical Thinking

2. Examine and interpret material using the theory and research methods of gender and women’s studies and apply these ideas to current social issues.

Communication

3. Present ideas concerning gender and women’s studies in spoken and written form.

Curriculum Map

I = Introduced; R = Reinforced; A = Assessed

Academic Learning Compact 3

Courses	SLO 1	SLO 2	SLO 3
WST 3015	I	I	I
WST 3415	R	R	R
WST 4935	R	R	R
WST 4940	R	R	R
Internship, Service Learning, or Research Project	A	A	A

Assessment Types

• Entering and final essays
• Internship, service learning, or research project

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