Women's Studies

The Center for Women's Studies and Gender Research administers the women's studies program, which offers students the opportunity to investigate how questions of gender and sexuality shape the human experience in the United States and abroad, from the past to the present.

Overview

By taking a wide range of interdisciplinary courses, students in the major receive excellent preparation for graduate or professional schools as well as for careers in education, human relations, communications and media, politics, law and social services.

Coursework for the Major

The major requires 30 credits of coursework in women's studies core and elective courses, at least 27 hours of which must be at the 3000/4000 level. All 30 hours must be completed with minimum grades of C. To ensure a good grasp of the content, theories and methods of women's studies scholarship, students will take courses from a variety of disciplines in addition to those offered under the WST prefix designation.

Students are encouraged to fulfill some of the requirements with appropriate study-abroad courses and may petition the program to count courses outside of WST toward the major if they have significant (greater than 50 percent) gender content. Because the major is so flexible, students should use the approved plan of study worksheets to plan and track their progress through the degree. Many courses offered in other departments are approved for women's studies credit. Students should refer to the department website and contact the women's studies undergraduate coordinator for a complete course listing.

Required Coursework

• WST 3015 Interdisciplinary Perspectives in Women's Studies
• WST 3415 Transnational Feminisms
• WST 4935 Capstone Seminar in Women's Studies (Prereq: WST 3015)
• An additional 21 hours of approved women’s studies and gender-related courses
• A minimum of 18 hours for the major must be taken at UF.

Combined Degree Programs

Women's studies is an interdisciplinary field, and at the undergraduate and masters levels, provides general training in critical thinking, written and oral communication and specific training in gender analysis. The combined BA/MA degree offers a useful program for well-qualified students who may want careers in social service, law, business, education, policy planning, governmental and nongovernmental organizations, and international development. Some MA recipients also choose to pursue the Ph.D. in Women's Studies (not currently available at UF).

For those students interested in using the MA to develop job qualifications, this accelerated program provides quicker access to advanced training in research and analytic skills. Students who have a Ph.D. as their goal will be able to abbreviate the length of time engaged in coursework. Undergraduates enrolled in graduate courses also will benefit from the more intense level of intellectual engagement involved in graduate training. More information.

Concentrations

• General Concentration: Students in the general concentration tailor their coursework for maximum exposure to the various issues covered by women's studies scholarship. In addition to the core requirements, students take nine credits of WST-electives focused on humanities, nine credits of WST-electives focused on social science and three credits of a gender and science-focused course or an internship (WST 4940).
• International Perspectives on Gender: This concentration emphasizes the experiences of women and men around the globe, with an eye to achieving a cross-cultural perspective on gender, power, sexuality, and the way social and cultural changes impact gender relations. In addition to the core requirements, students must take at least 21 credits from an approved list of IPG electives.
• Theories and Politics of Sexuality: This concentration introduces students to new ways of theorizing sex, sexual identities and the significance of sexualities in social organization. In addition to taking the three core requirements, students take a required three-credit sexualities course, LIT 4844 Queer Theory or WST 3603 Sexualities Studies. The remaining 18 hours are drawn from an approved list of TPS electives.

Course Details

The core courses in women’s studies give coherence to the plan of study that individual students devise.

• WST 3015 Interdisciplinary Perspectives in Women’s Studies draws on various materials and methodologies to explore the diverse experiences of women, both in past eras and in the present, focusing on the US.
• WST 3415 Transnational Feminism introduces theories of gender and social change engendered by women in diverse national and international contexts. Contemporary economic development, reproductive politics, women’s health and migration are among the examined topics.
• WST 4935 the Capstone Seminar is taken in the final year and allows students to reflect on their experience in the major and carry their interests forward through structured independent research tied to their scholarly or career interests. Students in the Theories and Politics of Sexualities concentration take an additional core course (WST 3603 or ENG 4844) that introduces them to key issues in contemporary sexualities studies.

Critical Tracking

To graduate with this major, students must complete all university, college and major requirements. For degree requirements outside of the major, refer to CLAS Degree Requirements — Structure of a CLAS Degree.

Equivalent critical-tracking courses as determined by the State of Florida Common Course Prerequisites may be used for transfer students.

Semester 1:

• 2.0 UF GPA required for semesters 1-5

Semester 2:

• Maintain 2.0 UF GPA

Semester 3:

• Maintain 2.0 UF GPA
• Complete one women's studies course

Semester 4:

• Complete 1 additional women's studies course at the 3000 level (WST 3015 or WST 3415 recommended) with a 2.5 critical-tracking GPA

Semester 5:

• Complete 2 additional women's studies courses at the 3000 level with a 2.5 critical-tracking GPA. WST 3015 or WST 3415 must be one of the three 3000-level courses completed by term 5, and both should be completed by term 5.

Recommended Semester Plan

Students are expected to complete the writing and math requirement while in the process of taking the courses below. Students are required to complete HUM 2305 The Good Life (GE-H) in semester 1 or 2.​ Students are also expected to complete the general education international (GE-N) and diversity (GE-D) requirements concurrently with another general education requirement (typically GE-C, H or S).