The Women's Studies Major at The George Washington University is a coordinated interdisciplinary program that incorporates women's standpoints across the curriculum.  The major brings together scholarship on women from the humanities, natural sciences, and social sciences. Students in Women's Studies courses are encouraged to explore women's relationships to each other and to men, to voice varying points of view, and to challenge inequalities. The Women's Studies curriculum offers courses that describe the world from diverse vantage points of women:  color, age, class, sexuality, religion, and ethnicity. 

WHAT CAN YOU DO WITH A WOMEN'S STUDIES MAJOR?

Many Women's Studies graduates go on to professional and graduate schools in law, humanities, social sciences, and other fields. They get jobs in both private and public sectors, in business, law, government, public interest and social service organizations, the arts, and elsewhere. Expertise in women's issues, along with other academic and professional skills, is valued by many organizations.

DETAILED LISTING AND EXPLANATION OF THE REQUIREMENTS

Prerequisite for admission to the major (3 credits)
WSTU 001 Women in Western Civilization or an approved equivalent

The Major Requires a total of 30 credits in 100+ level courses, distributed as follows:

Required 100-level courses (12 credits):

• WSTU 120 Introduction to Women's Studies. 3 credits.   This course provides an introduction to interdisciplinary approaches in Women's Studies.
• WSTU 125 Varieties of Feminist Theory. 3 credits.  (Spring) This is the required theory course.
• WSTU 199 Capstone senior seminar.  3 credits.  (Fall) The capstone senior seminar will integrate theoretical and methodological questions as well as disciplinary and interdisciplinary perspectives raised throughout the curriculum.  It will require a major research paper. The course is required for majors and open to minors.

Electives -- 100-level courses (21 credits):
A total of 7 additional 100 (or higher) level courses (21 credits) approved by an advisor in Women's Studies.  To ensure breadth of disciplinary and interdisciplinary perspectives, the electives are selected from the following categories.  The Women's Studies Program may approve additional courses for each category.

• Diversity/cross-cultural:  At least 3 credits selected from courses such as WSTU (ANTH) 121 Anthropology of Gender: Cross-cultural Perspectives, ENG 173 African American Literature, HIST/WSTU 185 Black Women in American History, SPAN 140 Latin American Women Writers, WSTU (CHIN) 136 Chinese Women in Myth, Literature and Film, PHIL 125 Philosophy of Race and Gender (or approved alternative).
• Humanities:  At least 3 credits (1 course) in the humanities selected from courses such as CHIN 136, CLAS 170, ENG 162, 174, 175, HIST 101 (selected topics: Black Women in American History), 125,139, 140, PHIL 125, REL 150, 181, SPAN 140, AMST 130.
• Social Sciences:  At least 3 credits (1 course) in the social sciences selected from courses such as ANTH 150, 154, 157, PSYCH 150, 152, SOC 166, 175.
• Women's Studies:  At least 3 credits (1 course) chosen from Women's Studies Program course offerings such as WSTU 170 (special topics -- more than one 170 may count toward the major, see examples below), WSTU 183 (Practicum in Women's Studies -- usually restricted to seniors), WSTU 195 (Independent Study), or with special permission (for seniors), a WSTU 200-level (graduate) course.  Examples of WSTU 170 courses offered in recent years have included: Women and Violence, Women and War, Athletics and Gender, Women and Law.

Examples of Electives for the Women's Studies Major
The Women's Studies Major requires 6 electives (18 credits) with at least one elective from each of the three categories below--Humanities, Social Sciences, and Women's Studes.

The Women's Studies Program may approve additional courses not on this list.

Humanities:

CHIN/WSTU 136          Chinese Women in Myth, Literature and Film
CLAS 170                    Issues of Gender in Classical Antiquity
ENG 162                     American Realism
ENG 174                     African American Literature
ENG 175                     Gender and Literature
HIST/WSTU/AMST 139  Women in the U.S. Pre-1865
HIST/WSTU/AMST 140  Women in the U.S. 1865-present
HIST/WSTU 185           Black Women in American History
HIST 125                    Women in European History
PHIL 125                     Philosophy of Race and Gender
REL/WSTU 181             Women in Western Religion
REL/WSTU 150             Women in Judaism
SPAN 140                    Latin American Women Writers
AMST/WSTU 130          Sexuality in U.S. History

Social Sciences:

PSYC 150                    Psychology of Sex Differences
PSYC 152                    Women and Psychology
SOC 166                     Comparative Family Systems
SOC 175                     Sociology of Sex and Gender
ANTH 150                    Human Rights and Ethics
ANTH 154                    Illness, Healing, and Culture
ANTH 157                    Kinship, Family and Community
 

Women's Studies Program Courses:

WSTU 170                    Selected Topics.
More than one WSTU 170 may be taken for credit.  Examples of courses offered in recent years have included:  Women and Violence, Women and War, Athletics and Gender, Women and Law, Women and Language and Women and Judaism.

WSTU 183                    Practicum in women's Studies
Usually for seniors; offered in the Spring but an internship placement must be approved before the end of the Fall semester.

WSTU 195                     Independent Study (by permission and 
                                   individual arrangement)

 Downloadable checklist for major requirements (pdf file)