Women’s Studies, BA

Marieke Van Willigen, Director, Brewster B103

The women’s studies major is an interdisciplinary degree program that includes courses on women and gender offered by the women’s studies program as well as through traditional disciplines and departments. The purpose of women’s studies is to offer a contemporary as well as a historical perspective on women’s contributions to selfhood, family, and society; identify, critically examine, and evaluate the assumptions made about women by tradition; and discover, acquire, and accumulate knowledge about women in order to empower understanding of their lives, their roles, and their humanity. Women’s studies balances traditional Western cultural assumptions with international women’s perspectives, including those of minorities, the disabled, and the economically deprived. The requirements for the major include an introductory women’s studies course; electives chosen from the arts, humanities, natural and social sciences, and professional schools; and a core of women’s studies courses, including a capstone experience of a senior seminar and internship or directed readings. Women’s studies majors are encouraged to combine women’s studies with another major. Minimum degree requirement is 126 s.h. of credit as follows: