Courses in Women's Studies

Women's Studies courses are open to all students regardless of their major and can be taken as electives. The introductory course, Women's Studies 50, serves as an excellent overview for those taking only one course, and fulfills the College of Arts and Sciences social science perspectives requirement. Some students may want to consider a core of Women's Studies courses to support their career focus in another department or school; both a major and minor in Women's S tudies courses are available.

Requirements for a Major

In order to receive the B.A. degree in Women's Studies, the student must select courses from the categories below, completing a total of 24 credits:

  • I. Interdisciplinary Perspectives (12 credits)
  • Courses should be distributed among at least two of the following:
  • a. Historical Studies
  • b. Humanities
  • c. Natural Sciences and Health Sciences
  • d. Social Sciences
  • II. Intellectual and Theoretical Foundations of Women's Studies (9 credits)
  • a. 3 credit course, Introduction to Women's Studies (WMST 50)
  • b. 3 credit course on Feminist Theory
  • c. 3 credit course on Minority/Third World/Non-Western Women
  • III. Theory and Practice of Women's Studies (3 credits)
  • Choose from:
  • a. WMST 169 - Women and Public Policy
  • b. WMST 190 - Supervised Internship experience in organizations concerned with women's issues
  • c. WMST 199 - Independent Reading and Research

    Honors

    An Honors degree in Women's Studies is available to majors who meet the university guidelines for honors and who successfully complete a thesis based upon original and independent research.

    Requirements for a Minor

    A minor consists of 15 credits (5 courses) in Women's Studies. The credits must include:

  • a. Women's Studies 50
  • b. Four additional courses, drawn from at least two of the four divisions of the College of Arts and Sciences

    Women's Studies courses include courses exclusively in Women's Studies and courses in other departments which are cross-listed with Women's Studies. Supervised internships can be counted toward three (3) of these credits as well.

    Internships in Women's Studies

    Supervised internships in organizations concerned with women's issues offer both 2 - 4 hours of academic credit and work experience. Past internship sites have included the Orange County Rape Crisis Center, Planned Parenthood of Orange and Durham Countie s, the Southern Oral History Project, and Pornography Awareness. The prerequisite for the internship is either WMST 50 or WMST 169; interested students should contact the Curriculum in Women's Studies the semester before they wish to begin the internship .