Women’s Studies is an interdisciplinary program focused on the study of women and gender. Students may minor in Women’s Studies and participate in a variety of co-curricular events held each semester. Students may also self-design a special major in Women’s Studies. Students in this program explore and analyze questions such as myriad gendered phenomena including gender-based violence, the intersection of gendered poverty and migration, the complex issues surrounding the changing nature of gender roles, the persistence of gender based discrimination in the workplace and in education, the complex issues of child care, and more. Students interested in global issues will also benefit from the way in which the Women’s Studies Program highlights transnational issues and encourages an appreciation of the challenges and accomplishments of women worldwide.
Additionally a Women’s Studies minor prepares students for work in a wide variety of settings, such as women’s health clinics, educational think-tanks, and social service agencies.
The minor program requires students to take the introductory course, Images of Women in America (CLT/HIS PSY/WMS 285) and five further courses, three of which must be taken beyond the student’s major requirements as specified in Assumption’s policy on the double counting of courses. Women of the World (CLT/ENG/HIS/PSY/SOC/WMS 385), focuses on global gender issues and the experiences and challenges of women worldwide. Students may also pursue internships focused on women’s issues in a variety of placements, including within educational or social service agencies. This minor is important for all students, but especially for those who intend to work in areas of policy making, urban planning, business, social service and counseling, or the law.
Students interested in Women’s Studies have the option of self-designing a special major with the approval of the Associate Vice President of Academic Affairs for Undergraduate Studies. This generally encompasses WMS 285, WMS 385, eight Women’s Studies electives, and an internship in a placement related to women and/or girls. In addition to the introductory Images course, students following the Women’s Studies minor select from an array of courses approved as Women’s Studies electives. These courses change from semester to semester, but often include many of the following.
Required Courses (2 Courses)
Elective Courses (Choose 4-8 Courses)
Note
Field-based courses in Human Services, Psychology, Sociology, and other disciplines count for the Women’s Studies minor if the field placement focuses on women and/or girls. An Independent Study with a focus on women and/or issues of significance to women may also count for the minor, as do courses with a focus on women offered in Continuing and Career Education, through the Worcester Consortium, or in Study Abroad. For further information, contact the Women’s Studies Director Prof. Soraya Betancourt-Calle, sv.betancourtcalle@assumption.edu or at 508 767-7436.