Women’s Studies advances the understanding of people, culture, and society in context. As a field, Women’s Studies began with a focus on gender and women’s experiences, but today it includes thinking critically about how all people are shaped by and shape culture and society. This includes analyzing how gender and sexuality operate in culture, society, and people’s lives and how they connect with other factors such as ability, age, class, ethnicity, nation, and race. The program deepens students’ critical thinking, analytical skills, and practice.
Women’s Studies majors pursue fulfilling courses, research projects, and internships that serve communities in Florida and beyond. They build skills and networks that make them competitive for graduate study and meaningful careers in many fields. They are campus leaders who go on to diverse careers in industry, public service, policy, arts, education, health, law, technology, and more. Women’s Studies majors enjoy a strong post-graduation employment rate and graduate school acceptance rate.
Women’s Studies majors have the option to designate a general specialization, or choose a specialization in health, international perspectives, race, or sexuality.
Double majoring in Women’s Studies is a great option for many students. Adding the Women’s Studies major to another major is simple and up to 15 credits can count toward both majors. More information on double majoring is available here.
Honors designations are possible within the Women’s Studies major. To graduate cum laude, a student must have an overall junior-/senior- level grade point average of 3.5 or higher. To graduate magna cum laude or summa cum laude, students must enroll in WST4970 and complete an Honors Thesis under the supervision of a committee consisting of an advisor and a second reader. To be enrolled in WST4970, students must first complete the Application to Pursue an Honors Thesis (PDF) and submit it to the Undergraduate Coordinator no later than the first week of classes in the term in which the plan to graduate. Complete information on choosing a topic, setting up a committee, completing and turning in the thesis, and on evaluation standards is available here (PDF). Students will be awarded magna cum laude or summa cum laude based on their committee’s evaluation of the Honors Thesis.
OVERVIEW OF REQUIREMENTS
The major requires 30 credits of coursework in Women’s Studies core and elective courses, at least 24 credits of which must be at the 3000/4000 level. All 30 credits must be completed with minimum grades of C. Students may take elective courses from a variety of departments in addition to those classes offered under the WST prefix designation. Courses in the Department as well as approved courses in other departments are posted each semester on the Department’s website.
Students plan and monitor their progress to degree by using their degree audit or “what-if” audit functions on One.UF. Students should consult the catalog, website, and/or the undergraduate coordinator undergrad@wst.ufl.edu with questions about areas of specialization, degree requirements, and progress towards graduation.
- A summary of major requirements for different specializations for students with a Catalog Year of 2023 or later is available here. Further information for Catalog Year 2023 and later is available here.
- Information for students with a Catalog Year of 2022 and earlier is available here.
GENERAL WOMEN’S STUDIES MAJOR
Are you interested in gaining a breadth of knowledge in Gender, Sexuality, and Women’s Studies scholarship? Students in the major without a specialization tailor their coursework for maximum exposure to the various issues covered by Gender, Sexuality, and Women’s Studies scholarship.
HEALTH EQUITY AND SOCIAL JUSTICE (HESJ) SPECIALIZATION
Are you interested in improving health and health care, women’s health, gender-related and other health disparities? The HESJ concentration emphasizes scholarly ways of theorizing how gender functions with other social systems to influence health and how addressing social inequalities can promote health equity. (If your Catalog Year is 2022 or earlier, you will need to petition to add this specialization. Please contact the undergrad coordinator undergrad@wst.ufl.edu for more information.
INTERNATIONAL PERSPECTIVES ON GENDER (IPG) SPECIALIZATION
Are you interested in gender, sexuality, and women’s experiences in international contexts, policy, and practice? The IPG concentration emphasizes scholarly ways of theorizing experiences of people around the globe, with a transnational perspective on gender, race, nation, sexuality, and power.
RACE, POWER, AND SOCIAL JUSTICE (RPSJ) SPECIALIZATION
Are you interested in how race connects with gender and sexuality in culture and society? This specialization emphasizes scholarly ways of theorizing race and its significance in social organization and culture as it shapes and is shaped by with other social systems. (If your Catalog Year is 2022 or earlier, you will need to petition to add this specialization. Please contact the undergrad coordinator undergrad@wst.ufl.edu for more information.
THEORIES AND POLITICS OF SEXUALITY (TPS) SPECIALIZATION
Are you interested in sexual ethics, sexualities, sexual health and education, or sexual violence prevention? This specialization emphasizes scholarly ways of theorizing sex, sexual identities, and the significance of sexualities in social organization and culture as they intersect with other social systems.