Women and Gender Studies Major (BA)

The Women and Gender Studies program offers a range of interdisciplinary courses as well as an extensive list of associated courses, offered by various departments and programs, which meet the criteria for Women and Gender Studies in both its local and global contexts. The Women and Gender Studies major imparts an interdisciplinary foundation for investigating issues related to women and gender. In addition to an interdisciplinary grounding, the courses for the major employ multicultural and/or international approaches. This major’s purpose is to include gender as it intersects with class, sexual orientation, and race, as a fundamental type of social and cultural investigation. Courses focusing on women and/or gender are already offered in the areas of literature, history, religion, philosophy, politics, art history, social/cultural studies, and psychology, as well as Women and Gender Studies. Dominican University’s students enrolled in Women and Gender Studies courses from the above disciplines will not only gain wisdom, but also change their outlook on life, from the personal level to the global. Graduates from similar programs exhibit both an increased self-esteem and greater entry into various and specialized professions.

Service learning is an important component of the junior year along with the junior seminar.

In the senior year, Women and Gender Studies majors undertake research projects in which they develop a topic, evaluate and interpret sources and materials, and write a senior thesis.

Women and Gender Studies offers an excellent preparation for graduate study and career examples include administration, affirmative action official, career counselor, community organizer, consultant, social services counselor, director of women’s center, editor/writer for women/gender publications, lobbyist for women/gender issues, media analyst, human resources professional, union organizer, women/gender research specialist, and medical/health specialists.