Women’s Studies is an interdisciplinary field of inquiry analyzing structures of power, especially as they are grounded in gender, race, sexuality, ethnicity, nationality, ability, and other inequalities, and as they configure historical and contemporary struggles for social change. The women and men who enroll in our classes each semester gain the opportunity to understand how social, historical, and psychological forces, organized by the central concept of gender, shape them as individuals; attain a fuller understanding of human behavior, culture, and society made possible by investigating women's lives; acquaint themselves with the experience of women of different economic classes, sexual orientations, and cultural and racial backgrounds; and transfer the critical and analytical skills they acquire in the study of gender and society to other classes, beyond the campus to other activities, and eventually to their professional careers.
There is no limit to what can be done with a degree in Women’s Studies. The A.A. in Women’s Studies prepares students for positions in a wide range of fields, for example, in government and in policy, research and service organizations that focus on women’s issues. Majors learn writing, critical thinking, research, public presentation and leadership skills that are valued by many employers. Employers today are increasingly aware of gender and diversity issues and recognize that Women’s Studies majors are trained to deal with them. Many graduates work in social change and nonprofit helping organizations, where they apply what they have learned to real-life problems. The Women’s Studies major also provides excellent preparation for transfer into a variety of programs in such areas as Women’s Studies, history, sociology, anthropology, psychology and English, as well as professional training in law, medicine and social work.