Explore Majors & Careers

Women's Studies

Women's studies is an interdisciplinary major that draws its questions and approaches from the humanities, social sciences, natural sciences, and arts. It helps students to develop theoretical, empirical, and methodological perspectives for studying gender as a crucial category for understanding the world. Utilizing transnational and internationalist perspectives, women's studies offers an emphasis on multicultural, multiracial, and Third World feminisms. Likewise, issues in feminist theory, sexuality, literature, anthropology, history, science and technology, and reproductive freedoms inform our curriculum.

Women's studies prepares undergraduates for a variety of careers. A bachelor's degree in women's studies, for example, provides excellent grounding for undergraduates with career aspirations in law, health, public administration, and social services. Students wishing to pursue doctoral work will also find that interdisciplinary training in women's studies equips them with theoretical and methodological strengths in most disciplines and applied research fields. Increasingly, specialists in women's studies are being used as consultants in industry, higher education, insurance companies, and personnel firms. State and federal government agencies employ people who have special training in understanding gender relations. Educational institutions need specialists to develop and administer women's studies programs, women's centers, and other institutional structures designed specifically to study and assist women.

Academic Department

• UConn's Women's Studies Programs

Nature of Work

There are many practical applications for women's studies training on the job. For example, as more women work, business and corporations find the need for more sensitivity to women's issues such as sexual harassment, flex-time, parental leave, pay equity, and equal employment opportunities. The development of women's agencies and organizations is spurring demand for graduates with specializations in women's studies. There is growing demand in the professions of law, medicine, social work, teaching, counseling, and government service for expertise on gender issues. Similarly, women's studies specialists are increasingly being used as consultants in industry, higher education, insurance companies, and personnel firms. Perhaps most importantly, many women's studies graduates say that their education gave them the confidence to pursue careers traditionally held by men.

Sample Job Titles

Potential Employers

Majoring in women's studies prepares individuals for careers in business; federal, state, or local government; the arts: including writing, museum work, and artistic endeavors; teaching; women's advocacy groups such as NARAL, NOW, and Planned Parenthood; women's health centers located throughout the country and the world.

Women's studies majors can work in any number of fields and positions: law firms dedicated to women's issues; lobbying groups; social work from residential facilities for battered women and homeless teenagers to director of rehabilitation programs; education: secondary teacher, librarian, school counselor.

Useful Skills

A degree in women's studies demonstrates to a potential employer that you have the confidence, skills, and maturity to earn a college degree; that you are well-rounded, having studied a wide variety of topics rather than one narrow skill area; that you likely are able to think more globally than many other job applicants.

Getting Experience

The University of Connecticut's Department of Women's Studies offers an internship program designed to give students a chance to explore career opportunities with a focus on women's issues. This undergraduate internship program has been designed to provide students with supervised work experience in a field they hope to enter. Internships are available in a wide range of fields and are tailored to match each student's abilities and interests with the needs of a particular placement. Interns work 9-18 hours per week to receive 3-9 credits. Through this program students have the chance to develop skills and confidence with the support of a field supervisor and an academic coordinator.

Students from a broad range of backgrounds participate in this program, including those who are changing fields or are returning to work after a period of varied experience without pay. Through their placements students are able to expand their resumes, clarify their career goals, and make contacts with potential employers.

Employment Opportunities

A recent national study uncovered more than 38 distinct occupations pursued by women's studies graduates. These categories include graduate and post-graduate education leading to professional careers in the arts, business and law. Women's studies allows individuals to better understand the differences in managerial styles between men and women so that they may excel in these fields.

This major also makes one aware of sexist, racist and other biases that have historically affected education and media and as such these two fields also cater to women's studies majors. Women's studies can prepare one for a career in any area that affects women specifically: healthcare: obstetrics and gynecology; social work: battered women's shelters, lobbying groups for women, rape assistance and awareness programs; politics: police work, affirmative action programs.

Internet Links