The B.A. in women’s studies offers undergraduates an opportunity to explore the way gender works in the lives of people (men as well as women) from a variety of academic perspectives. The major gives a solid Liberal Arts education but also takes advantage of resources outside the college: students take courses offered through the Center for Gender, Sexualities, and Women’s Studies Research as well as approved courses offered in departments across the university.

Students may elect to follow the general concentration in the major, or choose one of the more specialized concentrations: International Perspectives on Gender, or Theories and Politics of Sexuality. Minors are available in women's studies, theories and politics of sexuality, and health disparities in society. All of the courses of study offer a rigorous academic curriculum, along with exciting experiential learning opportunities, including service-learning courses, internships and study abroad; the major culminates in an independent capstone project.

Women’s studies majors complete their degrees ready to make competitive applications to graduate and professional school, or to pursue careers in a wide variety of fields, including education, journalism, community activism, arts and entertainment, international relations, and the helping professions. Students should refer to the department website and contact the women's studies undergraduate coordinator for a complete course listing.
More Info

Coursework for the Major

The major requires 30 credits of coursework in women's studies core and elective courses, at least 27 credits of which must be at the 3000/4000 level. All 30 credits must be completed with minimum grades of C. To ensure a good grasp of the content, theories and methods of women's studies scholarship, students will take courses from a variety of disciplines in addition to those 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 content. Because the major is so flexible, students should use the approved plan of study worksheets to plan and track their progress through the degree. Many courses offered in other departments are approved for women's studies credit.

A minimum of 18 credits for the major must be taken at UF.

Combination Degree Programs

Women's studies is an interdisciplinary field, and at the undergraduate and masters level provides general training in critical thinking, written and oral communication, and specific training in gender analysis. The combination B.A./M.A. degree offers a useful program for well-qualified students who may want careers in social service, law, business, education, policy planning, government and nongovernment organizations and international development. Some MA recipients also choose to pursue the Ph.D. in women's studies (not currently available at UF).

For those students interested in using the MA to develop job qualifications, this accelerated program provides quicker access to advanced training in research and analytic skills. Students who have a Ph.D. as their goal will be able to abbreviate the length of time engaged in coursework. Undergraduates enrolled in graduate courses also will benefit from the more intense level of intellectual engagement involved in graduate training.
More info

Concentrations

General Concentration

Students in the general concentration tailor their coursework for maximum exposure to the various issues covered by women's studies scholarship. In addition to the core requirements, students take nine credits of approved electives focused on humanities, nine credits of approved electives focused on social science, and three credits of a gender and science-focused course or an internship (WST 4940).

International Perspectives on Gender

This concentration emphasizes the experiences of women and men around the globe, with an eye to achieving a cross-cultural perspective on gender, power, sexuality, and the way social and cultural changes impact gender relations. In addition to the core requirements, students must take at least 21 credits from an approved list of IPG electives.

Theories and Politics of Sexuality

This concentration introduces students to new ways of theorizing sex, sexual identities, and the significance of sexualities in social organization. In addition to taking the three core requirements, students take a required three-credit sexualities course, ENG 4844 Queer Theory, or WST 3603 Sexualities Studies. The remaining 18 credits are drawn from an approved list of TPS electives.

Course Details

The core courses in women’s studies give coherence to the plan of study that individual students devise.

• WST 3015 Interdisciplinary Perspectives in Women’s Studies draws on various materials and methodologies to explore the diverse experiences of women, both in past eras and in the present, focusing on the U.S.
• WST 3415 Transnational Feminism introduces theories of gender and social change engendered by women in diverse national and international contexts. Contemporary economic development, reproductive politics, women’s health, and migration are among the examined topics.
• WST 4935 Capstone Seminar 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.
• Students in the Theories and Politics of Sexualities concentration take an additional core course (WST 3603 or ENG 4844) that introduces them to key issues in contemporary Sexualities Studies.

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 upper-division courses. In addition to maintaining a 2.0 overall UF GPA and a 2.5 critical-tracking GPA, students should have four women’s studies courses (three at the 3000 level) completed by the fifth semester. It is required that one of these 3000-level courses be WST 3015 or WST 3415, and it is highly recommended that students take WST 3015 or WST 3415 in semester 4. Additionally, it is highly recommend that students complete both WST 3015 and WST 3415 by semester 5.

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 at the 3000 level (WST 3015 or WST 3415 recommended) with a 2.5 critical-tracking GPA
• 2.0 UF GPA required

Semester 5

• Complete 2 additional women's studies courses at the 3000 level, including WST 3015 or WST 3415, with a 2.5 critical-tracking GPA. At least three of the four courses taken 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 (recommendations: remaining 3000-level core course if not taken yet, WST 4940 or Gender and Science designated course). At least five of the six courses taken must be at the 3000-level or higher.
• 2.0 UF GPA required

Semester 7

• Complete 2 additional women's studies courses at the 3000 or 4000 level (recommendations: remaining 3000-level core course if not taken yet, WST 4940 or Gender and Science designated course). At least seven of the eight courses taken 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, (this must include any remaining core courses: WST 3015, WST 3415, WST 4940 or alternate, WST 4935, and any remaining Women’s Studies humanities or social science electives). At least nine of the ten courses taken must be at the 3000-level or higher.
• 2.0 UF GPA required

Students are expected to complete the writing requirement while in the process of taking the courses below. Students are also expected to complete the general education international (GE-N) and diversity (GE-D) requirements concurrently with another general education requirement (typically GE-C, H, or S).

Approved Women's Studies and gender-related courses 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.

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 U.S. 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

Assessment Types

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