Women's Studies, B.S.

Program Description

This interdisciplinary major is designed to develop a broad understanding of the study of women and women's perspectives in all areas of academic scholarship. The focus is on feminist analyses of women's lives, of women's social, cultural, and scientific contributions, and of the structure of sex/gender systems. The interdisciplinary and inclusive nature of the field is reflected in a curricular structure that includes courses cross-listed with a wide variety of departments, courses that deal with aspects of women's lives throughout history, and courses that recognize the diversities of culture, race, religion, ethnicity, age, disability, and sexual orientation.

Students may choose either a Bachelor of Arts or a Bachelor of Science Program. The B.A. degree in Women’s Studies is a traditional Women’s Studies degree. The B.S. degree is intended for students with strong interest in quantitative skills, women’s health and sexuality, and/or women and science, or who wish to pursue a multiple major program with other B.S. degree programs.

What is Women's Studies?

Women’s Studies explores the intersection of identity, social power, and privilege. Concerned with how societies “construct” inequality and social bias, Women’s Studies analyzes every aspect of our lives through a critical lens, without filtering out impacts of socio-political inequalities, and lived experiences of women and their families. With cross-listed courses in Anthropology, Communications, Government, History, Psychology, Sociology, Women’s Health and more fields, students can approach Women’s Studies from almost any direction. Alongside the U.S. history of women and feminist movement, “transnational” feminism offers a wider comparative study of: constructions of gender across cultures; the legal and political standing of women and marginalized populations; the nature and impacts of gender-based violence, mass migration, militarization, climate change, food insecurity and other contemporary challenges on the physical, social and political wellbeing of women around the globe.

You Might Like This Program If...

• You want to translate your curiosities, experiences, passions and interests into actionable and meaningful work.
• You seek out inclusive environments, with persons of different backgrounds, cultures, and races to understand their points of view.
• You are passionate about gender equity, human rights, and social justice.
• You want to explore how gender and sexuality play a role in culture, the arts, literature, health, politics, the sciences, law, and education.
• You see yourself as a change agent in this world!

Entrance to Major

In order to be eligible for entrance to this major, a student must:

1. attain at least a C (2.00) cumulative grade-point average for all courses taken at the University; and
2. have third-semester classification.

READ SENATE POLICY 37-30: ENTRANCE TO AND CHANGES IN MAJOR PROGRAMS OF STUDY

Degree Requirements

For the Bachelor of Science degree in Women's Studies, a minimum of 120 credits is required:

3-12 of the 45 credits for General Education are included in the Requirements for the Major. This includes: 3-6 credits of GQ courses, 0-3 credits of GH courses, and 0-3 credits of GS courses.

Per Senate Policy 83-80.5, the college dean or campus chancellor and program faculty may require up to 24 credits of course work in the major to be taken at the location or in the college or program where the degree is earned. For more information, check the Recommended Academic Plan for your intended program.

General Education

Connecting career and curiosity, the General Education curriculum provides the opportunity for students to acquire transferable skills necessary to be successful in the future and to thrive while living in interconnected contexts. General Education aids students in developing intellectual curiosity, a strengthened ability to think, and a deeper sense of aesthetic appreciation. These are requirements for all baccalaureate students and are often partially incorporated into the requirements of a program. For additional information, see the General Education Requirements section of the Bulletin and consult your academic adviser.

The keystone symbol  appears next to the title of any course that is designated as a General Education course. Program requirements may also satisfy General Education requirements and vary for each program.

Foundations (grade of C or better is required.)

• Quantification (GQ): 6 credits
• Writing and Speaking (GWS): 9 credits

Knowledge Domains

• Arts (GA): 6 credits
• Health and Wellness (GHW): 3 credits
• Humanities (GH): 6 credits
• Social and Behavioral Sciences (GS): 6 credits
• Natural Sciences (GN): 9 credits

Integrative Studies (may also complete a Knowledge Domain requirement)

• Inter-Domain or Approved Linked Courses: 6 credits

University Degree Requirements

First Year Engagement

All students enrolled in a college or the Division of Undergraduate Studies at University Park, and the World Campus are required to take 1 to 3 credits of the First-Year Seminar, as specified by their college First-Year Engagement Plan.

Other Penn State colleges and campuses may require the First-Year Seminar; colleges and campuses that do not require a First-Year Seminar provide students with a first-year engagement experience.

First-year baccalaureate students entering Penn State should consult their academic adviser for these requirements.

Cultures Requirement    

6 credits are required and may satisfy other requirements

• United States Cultures: 3 credits
• International Cultures: 3 credits

Writing Across the Curriculum

3 credits required from the college of graduation and likely prescribed as part of major requirements.

Total Minimum Credits

A minimum of 120 degree credits must be earned for a baccalaureate degree. The requirements for some programs may exceed 120 credits. Students should consult with their college or department adviser for information on specific credit requirements.

Quality of Work

Candidates must complete the degree requirements for their major and earn at least a 2.00 grade-point average for all courses completed within their degree program.

Limitations on Source and Time for Credit Acquisition

The college dean or campus chancellor and program faculty may require up to 24 credits of course work in the major to be taken at the location or in the college or program where the degree is earned. Credit used toward degree programs may need to be earned from a particular source or within time constraints (see Senate Policy 83-80). For more information, check the Suggested Academic Plan for your intended program.

Requirements for the Major

Course List

Code	Title	Credits
Prescribed Courses
Prescribed Courses: Require a grade of C or better
WMNST 301	Sexualities, Gender and Power: Feminist Thought and Politics	3
WMNST 492	Contemporary Feminist Analysis: The Capstone Senior Seminar	3
Additional Courses
Additional Courses: Require a grade of C or better
WMNST 100	Introduction to Women's and Gender Studies	3
or WMNST 106N	Representing Women and Gender in Literature, Art and Popular Cultures
WMNST 400N	Debates in Contemporary Feminism	3
or WMNST 401	Doing Feminism: Theory and Practice
Select 3 credits from the following:		3
WMNST 494	Research Project
WMNST 495	Internship
WMNST 496	Independent Studies
Select 27 credits (at least 9 credits at the 400 level) in Women's Studies from the program-approved lists, including: 1		27
6 credits of arts and humanities courses from the following:
WMNST 83N	First-Year Seminar in Women's Studies
WMNST 101	The African American Woman
WMNST 102	Women of Color: Cross-Cultural Perspective
WMNST 104	Women and the American Experience
WMNST 106N	Representing Women and Gender in Literature, Art and Popular Cultures
WMNST 117	Women in Modern History
WMNST 137	Women and Religion
WMNST 194	Women Writers
WMNST 407W	Women and Theatre
WMNST 438	Feminist Philosophy
WMNST 462	Reading Black, Reading Feminist
WMNST 466	Lesbian and Gay History
WMNST 490	Women Writers and Their Worlds
9 credits of natural or social sciences courses from the following:
WMNST 100	Introduction to Women's and Gender Studies
WMNST 103	Racism and Sexism
WMNST 110	Sociology of Gender
WMNST 116	Family and Sex Roles in Modern History
WMNST 136	Race, Gender, and Employment
WMNST 157	Science, Technology, and Gender
WMNST 202N	Women, Gender, and Feminisms in Africa
WMNST 205	Gender, Diversity and the Media
WMNST 412	Education and the Status of Women
WMNST 426Y	Gender Geographies
WMNST 420	Women in Developing Countries
WMNST 423	Sexual and Domestic Violence
WMNST 424	Women and Sport
WMNST 428	Gender and Politics
WMNST 452	Women's Health Issues
WMNST 453	Women and the Criminal Justice System
WMNST 455	Gender Roles in Communication
WMNST 456	Gender, Occupations, and Professions
WMNST 458	Critical Issues in Reproduction
WMNST 471	The Psychology of Gender
WMNST 476	Anthropology of Gender
6 credits that focus on women’s health and sexuality or women in science and technology from the following:
WMNST 157	Science, Technology, and Gender
WMNST 205	Gender, Diversity and the Media
WMNST 452	Women's Health Issues
WMNST 458	Critical Issues in Reproduction
3 credits that focus on non-Western women from the following:
WMNST 102	Women of Color: Cross-Cultural Perspective
WMNST 202N	Women, Gender, and Feminisms in Africa
WMNST 420	Women in Developing Countries
WMNST 476	Anthropology of Gender
3 credits that focus on women of color in the United States from the following:
WMNST 101	The African American Woman
WMNST 103	Racism and Sexism
WMNST 136	Race, Gender, and Employment
WMNST 205	Gender, Diversity and the Media
Supporting Courses and Related Areas
Supporting Courses and Related Areas: Require a grade of C or better
Select 15 credits total from the following groups with at least 3 credits from each group:		15
Quantification (GQ) and Research Methods
Values, Ethics, and Scientific Inquiry
Social and behavioral sciences, health sciences, or natural sciences

Academic Advising

The objectives of the university’s academic advising program are to help advisees identify and achieve their academic goals, to promote their intellectual discovery, and to encourage students to take advantage of both in-and out-of class educational opportunities in order that they become self-directed learners and decision makers.

Both advisers and advisees share responsibility for making the advising relationship succeed. By encouraging their advisees to become engaged in their education, to meet their educational goals, and to develop the habit of learning, advisers assume a significant educational role. The advisee’s unit of enrollment will provide each advisee with a primary academic adviser, the information needed to plan the chosen program of study, and referrals to other specialized resources.

READ SENATE POLICY 32-00: ADVISING POLICY

University Park

Liberal Arts Academic Advising
814-865-2545
http://starfish.psu.edu
http://www.la.psu.edu/current-students/undergraduate-students/education/majors-and-minors

Suggested Academic Plan

The course series listed below provides only one of the many possible ways to move through this curriculum. The University may make changes in policies, procedures, educational offerings, and requirements at any time. This plan should be used in conjunction with your degree audit (accessible in LionPATH as either an Academic Requirements or What If report). Please consult with a Penn State academic adviser on a regular basis to develop and refine an academic plan that is appropriate for you.

* Course requires a grade of C or better for the major

‡ Course requires a grade of C or better for General Education

# Course is an Entrance to Major requirement

† Course satisfies General Education and degree requirement

University Requirements and General Education Notes:

US and IL are abbreviations used to designate courses that satisfy University Requirements (United States and International Cultures).

W, M, X, and Y are the suffixes at the end of a course number used to designate courses that satisfy University Writing Across the Curriculum requirement.

GWS, GQ, GHW, GN, GA, GH, and GS are abbreviations used to identify General Education program courses. General Education includes Foundations (GWS and GQ) and Knowledge Domains (GHW, GN, GA, GH, GS, and Integrative Studies). Foundations courses (GWS and GQ) require a grade of ‘C’ or better. 

Integrative Studies courses are required for the General Education program. N is the suffix at the end of a course number used to designate an Inter-Domain course and Z is the suffix at the end of a course number used to designate a Linked course.

All incoming Schreyer Honors College first-year students at University Park will take ENGL/CAS 137 in the fall semester and ENGL/CAS 138 in the spring semester. These courses carry the GWS designation and replace both ENGL 30 and CAS 100. Each course is 3 credits.

Advising Note:

All incoming freshmen must take a First-Year Seminar (FYS) during Fall or Spring of their first year. Academic advisers can provide a list of FYS being offered and help the student enroll. Most FYS in the College of the Liberal Arts are worth 3 cr. and count as a General Humanities (GH) or General Social Sciences (GS) course. For this reason, the FYS is not listed separately on this eight-semester plan; most students will be able to fulfill the FYS requirement while also fulfilling a GH or GS requirement.

WMNST majors must take 3 credits that focus on non-Western women and 3 credits that focus on women of color in the United States. Please see adviser for current list.

Career Paths

Employers today value effective communication, analytical thinking, and teamwork. With its emphasis on how gender, sexuality, race and other forms of diversity impact the experiences of every individual, the Women’s Studies curriculum trains its majors to recognize the impacts of bias and unequal social power in the social, cultural and political arenas. Graduates enter their post-graduate world sensitive to diverse perspectives that can either facilitate or impede team building, problem solving, and negotiation. Women’s Studies graduates—no matter where their career paths lead—are committed to the kind of institutional and social change that values all voices, and supports social justice.

Careers

Women’s Studies graduates from Penn State work in a wide variety of professions and industries. You will find us in the legal profession (one alumna runs her own legal firm, serving lower-income clients and gender-based discrimination cases). Others work in communications, marketing and advertising, business, banking and human resources. Activist students find their way into non-profits, advocacy groups, government, human development, journalism and communications. Women’s health is a dynamic field—medical care, nursing and research positions are out there, as well as health administration. Teaching attracts many of our graduates.

Opportunities for Graduate Studies

The scholarly field of Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies prepares students to study some of the most complex challenges in a world where gender, race, class, sexuality, and power are always intertwined. As an interdisciplinary field, WGSS spans the arts and sciences, the humanities, and policy fields and provides applicable training for students seeking to continue their studies. Our scholars gain experience as researchers and teachers with the innovative tools to prepare them as leaders across the public, private, and educational sectors.

MORE INFORMATION ABOUT OPPORTUNITIES FOR GRADUATE STUDIES

Professional Resources

• National Women’s Studies Association
• National Organization for Women

Contact

University Park

DEPARTMENT OF WOMEN’S, GENDER, AND SEXUALITY STUDIES
133 Willard Building
University Park, PA 16802
814-863-4025
jle1@psu.edu

http://www.womenstudies.la.psu.edu