Majoring & Minoring

Feminist Studies Major

The Feminist Studies major is for students excited by feminist methods and theories and whose academic and professional career interests would best be served by an interdisciplinary approach. Students in Feminist Studies can double major in any discipline. Paired majors with Communication Studies, English, History, Philosophy, Religion, Sociology and Theatre are also available.

Students who want to bring feminist methodologies, theories, practices, and questions to one of the disciplines, but aren’t able to double- or paired major, may select Feminist Studies as a minor. Students can combine a Feminist Studies minor with any major.

The Feminist Studies major is a flexible 31-hour (ten-course) program, 19 semester hours (six courses) of which must be above the introductory level. All majors must take Introduction to Feminist Studies 04-103 as early as possible, Intellectual Histories of Feminism 04-203, and the Senior Seminar 04-934 as their capstone experience. For the remaining 21 semester hours (seven courses) students must complete one course in each of the five Areas of Concentration listed below (15 hours) plus two additional courses in one of these Areas of Concentration (six hours). By taking three courses in a single Area of Concentration, majors achieve more depth in the area of Feminist Studies that interests them most.

Areas of Concentration

• Theory and Method: 04-213, 253, 283, 363, 533, 723. Courses in this area will introduce students to different feminist methodologies and theoretical frameworks.
• Historical Perspectives: 04-223, 233, 243, 343, 393, 423, 473, 503, 543. These courses provide students with FST approaches to different historical periods and cultural contexts, as well as with analyses of how concepts of gender, sex, and race, among others, have shifted over time.
• Representation and Aesthetics: 04-173, 223, 263, 313, 373, 413, 443, 453, 533, 573, 633, 663, 693, 713, 723. Students in these courses will examine specific representations of categories such as gender, race, class, religion, and sexuality; feminist practices of representation; and theoretical analyses of representation.
• Difference, Power and Resistance in the U.S.: 04-233, 253, 273, 294, 363, 403, 423, 503, 513, 523, 563, 583. Courses under this rubric focus explicitly on questions of social justice in the U.S. context, highlighting systems of privilege and oppression as well as histories and strategies of activist practice.
• Transnational Perspectives: 04-323, 353, 384, 393, 433, 473, 494. Students in these courses will analyze histories and patterns of the movement of bodies, ideas, capital, and resistance between and across borders.

Some courses are listed in more than one Area of Concentration. A major who enrolls in one of these courses may only count it toward one Area of Concentration on his or her degree plan. Other courses will be considered for the Feminist Studies major, subject to approval by the Feminist Studies Committee. Also available for the Feminist Studies major are Feminist Studies Internship 04- 943, Feminist Studies Independent Study 04-953 and Honors in Feminist Studies 04-984.

Students planning to pursue graduate degrees in Feminist Studies should consider taking Mathematics 52-113 as their required mathematics course, and at least one of the following methods courses in addition to the 31 hours of the major: Anthropology 35-214, Economics 31-314, History 16-854, Philosophy 18-402, Political Science 32-794, Psychology 33-204 and 33-214, Religion 19-314 and Sociology 34-203/201.

Major in Feminist Studies: 31 semester hours, including Feminist Studies 04-103, 203, 934 (Capstone); one Theory and Method course from Feminist Studies 04-213, 253, 283, 363, 533, 723; one Historical Perspectives course from Feminist Studies 04-223, 233, 243, 343, 393, 423, 473, 503, 543; one Representation and Aesthetics course from Feminist Studies 04-173, 223, 263, 313, 373, 413, 443, 453, 533, 573, 633, 663, 693, 713, 723; one Difference, Power and Resistance in the U.S. course from Feminist Studies 04-233, 253, 273, 294, 363, 403, 423, 503, 513, 523, 563, 583; one Transnational Perspectives course from Feminist Studies 04-323, 353, 384, 393, 433, 473, 494; two additional courses from ONE of the above areas of concentration. At least 19 hours in the major must be above the introductory level.

Minor in Feminist Studies: 18 semester hours (six courses), including Feminist Studies 04-103, 203; 12 additional hours of Feminist Studies, nine hours of which must be above the introductory level.

Paired Major in Feminist Studies Program:

The Feminist Studies Program has a "paired" major option for interested students. Paired majoring allows students to count up to six hours of specified courses in both majors (i.e., two courses can double-count), while double majoring means that courses cannot be applied to both majors (i.e., no courses can double-count).

The approved paired majors with Feminist Studies are as follows:

• Feminist Studies / Communication
• Feminist Studies / English
• Feminist Studies / History
• Feminist Studies / Philosophy
• Feminist Studies / Religion
• Feminist Studies / Sociology
• Feminist Studies / Theatre

 

For more information about the paired major, contact the chair of the Feminist Studies Program.