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Women’s Studies Major Requirements (30 hours)
Approved 2003, Updated 03/03/05

1. WS 201 Women's Studies: An Interdisciplinary Introduction (3)

2. One Core Social Science Course

  • WS 389/ANTH 389 Anthropology of Gender: Female, Male and Beyond (3) (Int)
  • WS 468/PSYC 468 Psychology of Women (3) S.
  • WS 562/POLS 562 Women and Politics (3) S (Int)
  • WS 653/POLS 653 Gender, War, and Peace (3) S. (Int)
  • WS 660/ANTH 660 Human Reproduction: Culture, Power, and Politics (3) S. (Int)

3. One Core Humanities Course

  • WS 310/AAAS 310 Women of Africa Today (3) (Int)
  • WS 320/HIST 320 From Goddesses to Witches: Women in Premodern Europe (3) (Int)
  • WS 321/HIST 321 From Mystics to Feminists: Women’s History in Europe, 1600 to the Present (3) (Int)
  • WS 330/AAAS 340 Women in Contemporary African Literature (3) (Int)
  • WS 510/AMS 510/HIST 530 History of American Women: Colonial Times to 1870 (3)
  • WS 511/AMS 511/HIST 531 History of American Women: 1870 to Present (3)


4. One Theory Course Selected from the Following:

  • WS 381/Phil 381 Feminism and Philosophy (3)
  • WS 549/Hist 649 History of Feminist Theory (3)
  • WS 560/AAAS 560 Race, Gender, and Post-Colonial Discourse (3) (Int)
  • WS 580/ANTH 580 Feminism and Anthropology
  • WS 600/POLS 600 Contemporary Feminist Political Theory (3)
  • Soc 601 Introduction to Feminist Social Theory (3)

5. One Core Course with International Content, any course above designated with “Int” not already used.

6. WS 601 Seminar in Women's Studies (3) to be taken in the spring of the senior year.

7. One Social Science Elective (3), any of the core social science courses not already used, or any of the following:

  • WS 333 The Politics of Physical Appearance (3)
  • WS 520 Women and Violence (3)
  • WS 580/ANTH 580 Feminism and Anthropology (3) (if not already used for theory requirement)
  • WS 600/POLS 600 Contemporary Feminist Political Theory (3)(if not already used for theory requirement)
  • WS 665/ANTH 665/LAA 665 Women, Health and Healing in Latin America (3) (Int)
  • WS 789/ANTH 789 Anthropology of Gender: Advanced Seminar in the Four Fields (3)
  • WS 651/POLS 651 Women and Politics in Latin America (3) (Int)
  • AAAS 315 Women and Islam in Africa (3)
  • AAAS 388 The Black Woman (3)
  • COMS 440 Communication and Gender (3)
  • COMS 552 Rhetoric of Women’s Rights (3)
  • HSCA 620/SOC 617 Women and Health Care (3)
  • PSYC 465 Stereotyping and Prejudice Across Cultures (3)
  • SOC 273 Women in Society (3)
  • SOC 352 Sociology of Sex Roles (3)
  • SOC 601 Introduction to Feminist Social Theory (3) (if not already used for theory requirement)
  • SOC 617 Women and Health Care (3)
  • SOC 780 Women and Work (3)

8. One Humanities Elective (3), any of the core humanities courses not already used, or any of the following:

  • WS 512/AMS 512/HIST 532 History of Women and Work in Comparative Perspective (3)
  • WS 513 Modern American Women in Film and Literature (3)
  • WS 549/HIST 649 History of Feminist Theory (3) (if not already used for theory requirement)
  • WS 560/AAAS 560 Race, Gender, and Post-Colonial Discourse (3) (Int) (if not already used for theory requirement)
  • WS 646 Witches in European History and Historiography (3)
  • AAAS 434 African Women Writers (3)
  • CLSX 315 Women in Ancient Art and Society (3)
  • EALC 575 Love, Sexuality and Gender in Japanese Literature (3)
  • ENGL 572 Women and Literature (3)
  • HIST 533 The History of Women and the Family in Europe, from 1500 to the Present (3)
  • PHIL 381 Feminism and Philosophy (3) (if not already used for theory requirement)
  • REL 477 Women and Religion (3)
  • REL 672 Mother as Religious Metaphor (3)
  • REL 677 Women in Christianity (3)

9. WS Elective (6), the remaining 6 credit hours may be taken in any women’s studies (WS numbered or cross-referenced) course. No more than three credits may be taken in any course, including the following:

  • * WS 498 Independent Study
  • * WS 650 Service Learning in Women’s Studies
  • * WS 797 Directed Reading

Courses designated with an * may be used as Social Science or Humanities Electives, by petition.

  • *WS 396 Studies in _____ (3)
  • WS 498 Independent Study (3)
  • WS 499 Honors in Women’s Studies (3)
  • *WS 696 Studies in _____ (3)
  • *WS 701 Seminar in _____ (3)

Any of the following if relevant or by petition.

  • ENGL 203 Literature of Love and Marriage (3)
  • ENGL 203 Women’s Writing and Autobiography (3)
  • ENGL 203 Major Women Writers (3)
  • ENGL 570 Topics in American Literature (3)
  • HA 505 Special Study: Women/Modern Art
  • HIST 319 History, Women, and Diversity in the U.S. (3)
  • HIST 606 Childhood and Youth in America (3)
  • HIST 607 The Family in History: Comparative Perspectives (3)
  • PSYC 502 Human Sexuality (3)
  • REL 374 Religious Perspectives on Selfhood and Sexuality (3)
  • SOC 220 Sociology of Families (3)
  • SOC 628 Sociology of Family (3)
  • SOC 808 Feminist Theories (3)