Programs and Requirements

Bachelor of Arts in Women's Studies

The minimum number of credits (exclusive of the university Core curriculum) required for the Women's Studies major is 42.

The Women's Studies major consists of 24 hours of required courses and 18 hours of Women's Studies related courses as follows:

Required Courses (all of the following 18 hours)
WST 130I Introduction to Women's Studies
WST 280 Women, Knowledge & Power
WST 380 Politics of Difference
WST 390 Contemporary Feminist Theories
WST 490 Capstone Experience in Women's Studies

Either of the following: (3 hours)
WST 485 Internship
WST 486 Thesis

One Topics Course from TWO of the Following Technology Areas: (6 hours)
WST 235/335/435 Topics in Gender & Science, Tech & Health I/II/III
WST 245/345/445 Topics in Women, Culture & the Arts I/II/III
WST 255/355/455 Topics in Women, History & Resistance I/III/III
WST 265/365/465 Topics in Women, Gender & Institutions I/II/III

Women's Studies Electives and Related Courses:
Students must take one course focusing on periods before 1800, and one course dealing with other cultures not in the Western mainstream. Students may take no more than three electives from one department or program. Any WST course may be used for elective credit; courses eligible for elective credit are listed at the end.

Minor in Women's Studies

The minimum number of credits (exclusive of the university Core curriculum) required for the self designed minor is 18.

The Women's Studies minor consists of a minimum of 9 hours of required courses and 9 hours of Women's Studies related courses as follows:

Both of the following: (6 hours)
WST 130I Introduction to Women's Studies
WST 280 Women, Knowledge & Power

Either of the following: (3 hours)
WST 380 Politics of Difference
WST 390 Contemporary Feminist Theories

Women's Studies Related Courses: (at least 9 hours)
Two of the courses must be at the 300-level or above

Pre-Requisites and Grade Policy

There are prerequisites for many of the Women's Studies courses. See departmental course listing for more information.

A minimum grade requirement in all major courses (except WST BOI) is B- (2.67 GPA); a grade of B or better must be attained in six hours of major courses. Courses taken pass/fail are not acceptable.

Curriculum Summary and Guide

The Women's Studies curriculum is built upon a shared commitment to the principles of educational excellence and educational opportunity. It is structured to ensure that students are exposed to the sophisticated body of knowledge that now defines Women's Studies as a discipline, even while allowing students the opportunity to develop skills in research, writing, and analysis. Consequently, there are prerequisites for upper-division courses.

The first-year student is encouraged to complete Core curriculum requirements, including Introduction to Women's Studies (WST 130I) and College Writing (ENG 100C). In the second year, students should take Women, Knowledge, and Power (WST 280), followed by Contemporary Feminist Theories (WST 390) and Politics of Difference (WST 380). Students who minor in another discipline should also begin the selected sequence in that year. Third-year schedules should include at least two Women's Studies-sponsored topics courses, drawn from two of our four subject areas. Thus a student might take WST 335 Topics in Gender & Science, Technology, & Health I, in the fall, and WST 465 Topics in Women, Gender, & Institutions III, in the spring. Fourth-year students should take the Capstone Experience in Women's Studies (WST 490) and select either the internship or thesis course option. These courses offer advanced experience in feminist theories, research, and practice, while allowing students to pursue their own interests under careful guidance. Students should be aware that while any course offered under these "topics" categories will address the general goal outlined in the catalog, the specific content of the topic courses will change from semester to semester. Course descriptions will therefore be published and distributed during the pre-registration period.

To declare a major in Women's Studies, the student must have:

• completed a minimum of 30 approved university credit hours of which at least 15 credit hours must be completed at USM;
  
• completed WST 130 or equivalent and ENG 100C or equivalent, with a grade of C or better;
  
• achieved a GPA of 2.5 or better in USM courses; and
  
• completed USM's minimum proficiency requirements.

To graduate from this program, the student:

• must have completed 42 hours of required coursework, as described above;
  
• must have attained a grade of B- (2.67 GPA) or higher in all major courses (except WST 130I) and a grade of B or better in six hours of major courses.

Students who wish to graduate with honors in this major must:

• maintain a GPA of 3.33 or better in major courses;
  
• have demonstrated superior work in the thesis or internship;
  
• be recommended by a faculty member who teaches courses within the program; and
  
• be approved by the Women's Studies Council.

Women's Studies Courses

WST 130I Introduction to Women's Studies
WST 220 Topics in Women's Studies
WST 230 Psycho-Social Development of Women
WST 235/335/435 Topics in Gender & Science, Tech & Health I/II/III
WST 245/345/445 Topics in Women, Culture & the Arts I/II/III
WST 255/355/455 Topics in Women, History & Resistance I/III/III
WST 265/365/465 Topics in Women, Gender & Institutions I/II/III
WST 280 Women, Knowledge & Power
WST 320 Advanced Topics in Women's Studies
WST 380 Politics of Difference
WST 390 Contemporary Feminist Theories
WST 470 Independent Study
WST 485 Internship
WST 486 Thesis
WST 490 Capstone Experience in Women's Studies

Women's Studies related courses*

ANT 232I Anthropology of Sex & Gender
ARH 211G Gender Identity and Modern Art
ARH 218 Women in Art
BUS 349 Women in Management
COM 486 Women in Film
CRM 317 Gender and Crime
ECO 322 Economics of Gender and Discrimination
ENG 379 Earlier Women Writers
ENG 387 Contemporary Women Writers
ENG 399 Special Topics (approved depending content)
ENG 451 Medieval Women Writers
GEO 302 Gender, Space and Work
HTY 339 European Women Writers
HTY 364 History of Women in the United States
HTY 394 Black Women in America
PHI 110E Introduction to Philosophy: Feminist Perspectives
PHI 265 Feminist Philosophy
PHI 290 Women Philosophers of Africa and the Diaspora
POS 201 Women and Politics
PSY 235 Psychology of Women
RUS 281H Russian Literature in Translation: Women Writers
SOC 316 Sociology of Gender
SOC 330 Sociology of the Family
SOC 358 Sociology of Women's Work
SOC 380 Sociology of Sexuality
SOC 380 Sociology of the Body
SWO 456 Women, Welfare, & the State
THE 451 Special Topics in Dramatic Literature & History
ANES 650 Women in Public
ANES 665 Sex, Gender, & Regional Difference

*Students should review status of these on a regular basis as they change each semester