Undergraduates

The Women's & Gender Studies Program offers students an opportunity to learn about the past and present achievements and experiences of women and to understand more clearly the decisive role that gender has played and continues to play in human societies.

The Program is administered by a committee of faculty members and students appointed by the Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences. The Program is interdisciplinary, and courses are taught in many areas of study: Anthropology, Architecture, Arts & Administration, Education, English, History, International Studies, Journalism, Literature, Philosophy, Planning & Public Policy, Political Science, Psychology, and Sociology, among others.

Any student may take Women's & Gender Studies courses. Some students take a few courses to complement the curriculum in another major. Others choose to fulfill the requirements for a major or minor in Women's and Gender Studies.

Many Women's & Gender Studies courses satisfy group and multicultural requirements. For more information, see Group Requirements and Multicultural Requirement in the Registration and Academic Policies section of this catalog.

Preparation

No specific high school preparation is necessary. Students who transfer to the University from other colleges may apply up to 8 credits of Women's & Gender Studies courses to the major or minor program.

Careers

Since women comprise more than half of the world's population, an understanding of their experiences, abilities, and needs is an asset to careers in such fields as education, social service, government, business, law, medicine, the ministry, journalism, counseling, and childcare. In addition, a Women's & Gender Studies background can be used as a basis for entering a growing number of graduate programs that emphasize the study of women or gender.

Majors & Honors

Women's & Gender Studies offers an undergraduate major in Women's & Gender Studies leading to a Bachelor of Arts (BA) or Bachelor of Science (BS) degree. Students may major in Women's & Gender Studies alone or as one of two or more majors. Majors must construct their programs in consultation with Women's & Gender Studies advisers.

Double Major Requirements		48 SCH*
Specific Courses		20
WGS 101	Women, Difference, and Power	4
WGS 315	History and Development of Feminist Theory	4
WGS 415	Advanced Feminist Theory	4
WGS 321	Feminist Perspectives: Identity, Race, and Culture	4
Seminars	WGS 411 Feminist Praxis	4
Electives		28
Approved courses with the WGS subject code		8
Approved courses that deal with the history of women		8
Approved upper-division courses with subject codes other than WGS or WGS subject code		12

Major Requirements	68 SCH
Requirements outlined above	48
Courses that make up a coherent course of study, either by fulfilling the requirements of an existing minor program or by pursuing a disciplinary emphasis if there is no minor in that field of study. Courses proposed for the emphasis must have the written approval of a Women's and Gender Studies adviser from the designated department or program.	20
All courses counting toward the major must be taken for letter grades except for: WGS 399 - Special Studies: Self-Defense for Women WGS 403 - Thesis WGS 405 - Reading and Conference WGS 409 - Practicum WGS 413 - Feminist Pedagogy No more than 13 credits taken pass/no pass in these generic courses may be counted toward the major. At least 32 credits must be in upper-division courses. At least 24 upper-division credits must be taken at the University of Oregon. Women's & Gender Studies majors must attain a grade point average of 2.50 or higher in courses applied to the major; all graded courses in the major must be completed with grades of C- or higher.

* These 48 SCH in WGS are in addition to the requirements of the second major.

Honors in Women's & Gender Studies

To graduate with honors in Women's & Gender Studies, a student must:

(1) have an overall grade point average for UO and transfer credits of at least 3.50 through the winter term prior to graduation;

(2) gain approval for a research proposal from the program director during fall term of the academic year in which the thesis is completed;

(3) successfully complete Reading and Conference (WGS 405) for thesis research during the academic year in which it is completed; and

(4) register for a minimum of 4 credits in Thesis (WGS 403) during the quarter in which the student intends to graduate.

The thesis must be completed and approved by the advisor and a second reader, chosen from the Women's & Gender Studies' faculty by the student, by Monday of the fifth week of the term in which the student intends to graduate with honors. The student's performance on the thesis and on courses taken during the senior year will be reviewed before the honors distinction is granted. Obtain complete instructions and required forms from the Women's & Gender Studies office (315 Hendricks Hall).

Minors

Minor Requirements		24 SCH
WGS 101	Women, Difference, and Power	4
WGS Elective Courses		8
Either WGS or approved upper division courses by others		12

• Minor candidates are strongly urged to take at least one term of History and Development of Feminist Theory (WGS 315, 415).
• No more than 6 credits of Reading and Conference (WGS 405) and Practicum (WGS 409) may be counted toward the minor.
• No more than 8 credits may be taken pass/no pass. All graded courses in the major must be completed with grades of C- or higher.
• Courses applied to any major may not count for the Women's & Gender Studies minor.
• At least 16 credits applied to the Women's & Gender Studies minor must be taken at the University of Oregon.

Students must apply for the minor in the Women's & Gender Studies office well in advance of graduation for transcript evaluation. In order to be eligible for the minor, students must complete all degree requirements and a major in another academic department.