Undergraduate Programs
Women’s Studies Concentration and Minors
Opportunities for Activism, Study Abroad, Local and International Service Learning
What Undergraduate Students Say About Women’s Studies
Where Women’s Studies Undergraduate Concentrators Work After Graduation
Contact Us
The main purpose of an undergraduate education is to sharpen communication,
writing, analytical and teamwork skills. The U-M Women’s Studies Program
uses an interesting, relevant, feminist focus to achieve all these goals in
exciting ways.
The interdisciplinary nature of Women’s Studies at Michigan is reflected in the areas of our undergraduate curriculum:
- Feminist Theory
- Feminist Practice and Activism
- Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer and Sexuality Studies
- Gender and Health
- Gender, Race and Ethnicity in the U.S.
- Gender, Culture and Representation
- Gender in a Global Context
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Women’s Studies Concentration and Minors
In 2006, 26 students graduated with concentrations in Women’s Studies
(a medium-sized major in the College of LSA), along with 11 students who completed
academic minors in the Program: Four minored in Lesbian/Gay/Bisexual/Transgender/Queer
Studies and seven minored in the study of Gender, Race, and Ethnicity. A minor in Gender and Health was established in
2006 and 70 students are now enrolled as minors. All together these students
concentrated or minored in 17 other departments or programs. And while Psychology
is the most popular field for our concentrators and minors, the range of student
interests is truly extraordinary:
- most of the social sciences, from Anthropology through Political Science and Sociology
- many of the Humanities, from Art History, Philosophy, and English through Asian Languages & Cultures, German, and Spanish
- interdisciplinary programs like African & African-American Studies and Latin American & Caribbean Studies, as well as the Program on the Environment and an individualized concentration in International Relations
- biological sciences are represented by two concentrators in Cellular and Molecular Biology
For more information on the Women’s Studies concentration and minors,
please see Women’s
Studies Concentration and Women’s Studies
Minors.
The Women’s Studies Honors Program provides an opportunity for concentrators to do a comprehensive, original independent project under the guidance of a faculty mentor, as the culmination to their undergraduate studies. The topic of the Honors thesis will be a topic on which the student has already done some academic study. The thesis is researched and written in the two terms of the student’s senior year. Students interested in pursuing Honors should schedule a meeting with the WS Honors concentration advisor and take WS 389, Junior Honors Seminar in winter term of their junior year. Applications for honors are due December 1st of the student's junior year. Students who have maintained an overall GPA of at least 3.4 and a 3.5 GPA in Women’s Studies through the first term of their junior year are eligible for the Honors concentration.
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Opportunities for Activism, Study Abroad, Local and International Service Learning
Women’s Studies students consistently rate their feminist practice and service learning experiences as among the most beneficial components of their undergraduate educations. They point out the numerous ways in which their experience has contributed to their growth as feminist practitioners of change, their personal maturity, and their success in the post-graduate job market.
They cite expanded knowledge, enhanced interpersonal competencies, and an increased sense of agency as students and as citizens of the world. In addition to the LSA Student Government, our students are leaders in such organizations as the V-Day Campaign, SAPAC (Sexual Assault Prevention and Awareness Center), Domestic Violence Project/SAFE House, Students for Choice and Michigan Abortion Rights Action League, Project Serve’s Alternative Spring Break, It’s Great to be a Girl Feminist Mentorship Program, Ozone House, Anti-War Action, Students Organizing for Economic Equality, and Artemesia, an annual conference on women’s empowerment.
Study Abroad and other service
learning opportunities can be a valuable and integral part of your undergraduate
education at Michigan. Women’s Studies encourages students to study abroad
in order to enhance their education and gain international perspectives on
gender issues and feminism. Students routinely look back on their time spent
abroad as a valuable aspect of their undergraduate career. There are many excellent
study-abroad opportunities offering students a variety of possible experiences:
among them cultural immersion, summer field work, intensive language learning,
independent study, and participation in another educational system.
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What Undergraduate Students Say About Women’s Studies
Women’s Studies is not only about women; it’s about theory, analysis, objectivity, and alternative ways of thinking.
I learned a great deal about how Women’s Studies intersects
with other fields such as science and technology, political science, psychology.
Its community service orientation not only contributed to my personal growth,
but also was a useful tool in the job search.
Women in traditionally male dominated fields need to develop survival skills. They need to know how to support themselves and be advocates for themselves. A Women’s Studies education teaches this.
The Women’s Studies Program was one of the best experiences I had at Michigan. I was able to study issues that I truly care about.
The Women’s Studies Program offers an entirely different U-M experience with small classes, a sense of community, outstanding faculty and a broad view of the world.
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Where Women’s Studies Undergraduate Concentrators Work After Graduation
In a recent survey, we asked Women’s Studies graduates what they’re doing now. Please see the wide-ranging list by clicking on the pop-up links below.
Click here to link to an article in Ms. Magazine Spring 2007, "Transform the World: What you can do with a degree in women's studies."
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The Women’s Studies Department is located at 1122 Lane Hall, 204 S. State St. (at the corner of E. Washington St.), Ann Arbor, MI 48109-1290.
The Director of Undergraduate Studies is Prof. Rosario Ceballo. The Undergraduate Program Coordinator is Donna
Ainsworth. If you have questions about the undergraduate program please contact Donna Ainsworth, donnasa@umich.edu, 734.647.0774.
To schedule an advising appointment please e-mail wsp.advising@umich.edu or
call 734.763.2047.
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