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Office of the University Registrar

2005-06 Undergraduate Catalog

Majors

Women's Studies
College: Liberal Arts and Sciences
Degree: Bachelor of Arts
Hours for the Degree: 120
Concentrations: General Concentration, Theories and Politics of Sexuality, Gender and International Development
Minor: Yes
Combined-Degree Program: Yes
Website: www.wst.ufl.edu

The Center for Women's Studies and Gender Research administers the women's studies program. The center is an interdisciplinary forum for the study of gender, its function in cultures and societies and its intersection with race and class. The program has a faculty of internationally recognized scholars in a variety of disciplines. It employs feminist and other theoretical approaches and methodologies.

The center cooperates with faculty groups concerned with women's issues such as the Association for Academic Women and GEAP (Gender, Environment and Agriculture Program). It also has contact with student groups such as Campus NOW and the Women's Leadership Council. The center houses archives, a library, an art gallery, offices and meeting spaces.

Women's Studies prepares students for a broad range of employment and graduate or professional study. It gives high priority to helping students make informed choices about careers. The Women's Studies Graduate Certificate (12 credits), Gender and Development (GAD) Certificate, a Master of Women's Studies and a Ph.D. concentration are available for additional career preparation. Graduates find employment as counselors, therapists, social workers, attorneys, journalists, market-analysts, political analysts, college professors, television producers, union organizers for women workers and fundraisers for women's organizations.

Requirements for the Major
  • Majors must complete a minimum of 30 credit hours in women's studies core and elective courses with grades of C or better. Of these, at least 24 hours must be at the 3000-4000 level.
  • The three required courses for all majors are WST 3015 Interdisciplinary Perspectives on Women, WST 3415 Transnational Feminisms, and WST 4935 Seminar in Feminist Studies. WST 4935 should be taken in the senior year.
  • Students are required to have a minimum 2.0 GPA in courses taken for credit in the major by the time of graduation.
  • Transfer students must take a minimum of 30 hours of women's studies courses at the University of Florida, or petition the program for up to 6 transfer credits.

To ensure a good grasp of the content, theories, and methods of women's studies scholarship, students will take courses from a variety of disciplines in addition to those offered under the WST designator.

Course Offerings: Many courses offered in other departments are approved for Women's Studies credit. Students should check www.wst.ufl.edu/Underprog.htm and the WST undergraduate adviser for a more complete listing. Students may petition the WST undergraduate adviser to add a course that does not appear on the list. All WST approved courses must include at least 50 percent gender-related content in the syllabus.

Community College Articulation: All community college students are required to complete their Associate of Arts degree. Transfer students may incorporate at least six credit hours in approved course work dealing with women's issues in the humanities, social sciences, or sciences.

Overseas Study: The program is building courses for study abroad, which provides credits at the 3000 level, meets UF summer residency requirements, and applies to the writing and math requirement. The courses generally focus on gender and development in the host country.

General Concentration

The general concentration allows students to tailor their course work for maximum exposure to the various issues covered by women's studies scholarship.

In addition to the core requirements, students in the general concentration must take at least nine credit hours in Women's Studies-approved humanities courses, nine credit hours in approved social science courses, and three credit hours in internship (WST 4940) and/or approved three credit hours in gender and science courses.

Concentration in Theories and Politics of Sexuality

A concentration in Theories and Politics of Sexuality emphasizes the history, politics, social structures, and biological explanations for sexualities.

In addition to the core requirements, students take a 3-credit core course, either SYD/WST 4930 (Lesbian and Gay Studies) or LIT 4930 (Queer Theory and Cultural Politics), and an additional 18 hours drawn from a Women's Studies list of approved electives.

Concentration in Gender and International Development

This concentration emphasizes the history, politics, social structures, economic and environmental aspects of women's and men's experience of international economic development and globalization.

In addition to the core requirements, students must take at least 21 credit hours in Women's Studies-approved International/Diversity focus courses.

Students are encouraged to fulfill some of the requirements for all three concentrations with appropriate study-abroad courses.

To remain on track for this major, students must meet the following critical-tracking criteria.

Semester 1:

  • 2.0 UF GPA required for semesters 1-5

Semester 2:

  • Maintain 2.0 UF GPA

Semester 3:

  • Complete 1 women's studies course

Semester 4:

  • Complete 1 additional women's studies course with a 2.5 GPA on all critical-tracking course work

Semester 5:

  • Complete 2 additional women's studies courses with a 2.5 GPA in all critical-tracking course work.

Suggested semester-by-semester plan

Semester 1Credits
Composition3
Foreign language4-5
Mathematics (GE)3
Elective3
Total 13-14
Semester 2Credits
Foreign language3-5
Social and Behavioral Sciences (GE) or Humanities (GE)3
Physical or Biological Science (GE)3
Physical or Biological Science Lab (GE)1
Elective6-3
Total 16-15
Semester 3Credits
One approved WS course3
Social and Behavioral Sciences (GE) or Humanities (GE)9
Elective (or foreign language if 4-3-3 option)3
Total 15
Semester 4Credits
One approved WS course3
Social and Behavioral Sciences (GE) or Humanities (GE)3
Mathematics (GE)3
Physical and Biological Science (GE)3
Elective3
Total 15
Semester 5Credits
WST 3015 Interdisciplinary Perspectives of Women or
WST 3XXX Transnational Feminisms
3
One additional WS course3
Social and Behavioral Sciences (GE) or Humanities (GE)3
Physical or Biological Science (GE)3
Elective3
Total 15
Semester 6Credits
WST 3015 Interdisciplinary Perspectives of Women or
WST 3XXX Transnational Feminisms
3
One additional WS course (3000+ level)3
Physical or Biological Science (GE)3
Composition3
Elective (3000 level or above)3
Total 15
Semester 7Credits
Two WST approved courses (3000+ level)6
Elective4
Electives (3000 level or higher)6
Total 16
Semester 8Credits
WST 4935 Seminar in Feminist Studies3
One WST approved course (3000 level or higher)3
Electives (3000 level or higher)9
Total 15