Women’s Studies
Careers and Resources
Women’s Studies prepares undergraduates for a variety of careers. The B.A. degree in Women’s Studies, for example, provides excellent grounding for undergraduates with career aspirations in law, health, public administration, and social services. Students wishing to pursue doctoral work will also find that inter-disciplinary training in women’s studies equips them with theoretical and methodological strengths in most disciplines and applied research fields. Increasingly, specialists in women’s studies are being used as consultants in industry, higher education, insurance companies and personnel firms. State and federal government agencies require people who have special training in understanding gender relations. Finally, educational institutions need specialists to develop and administer women’s studies programs, women’s centers, and other institutional structures designed specifically to study and assist women.
Women’s Studies Core, Associate, and Affiliated Faculty
Women’s Studies faculty are an invaluable resource when considering career plans and graduate school. They are familiar with women’s studies scholarship in their fields and can often recommend universities or programs most suited to a student's interests and needs. If you plan to attend graduate school, but not immediately after graduation, it is advisable to request letters of recommendation from faculty while you are still enrolled at SOU. Graduate schools generally require three letters of recommendation. Letters can be kept on file at Career Services for a nominal fee.
Career and Internship Services Center
The Career Services office is located in the Involvement Center (SU 312) and provides many services: community based learning, Britt Ball, and Student Activies and Leadership.
Teacher Education and Credentialing
See the Education Department for more information.
Professional Organizations/Printed Resources
The National Women’s Studies Association, formed in 1977, is a professional organization designed to further the social, political, and professional development of women’s studies throughout the country and the world, at every educational level and in every educational setting. To this end, the organization is committed to being a forum conducive to dialogue and collective action among women dedicated to feminist education and change.
NWSA activities include NWSA Journal, NWSAction newsletter, a national network of Women’s Centers, the Women’s Studies Archival Project, graduate scholarships in women’s studies, conference scholarships, a $1,000 manuscript award, and a Women’s Studies Graduate Directory.
Student Membership in NWSA is available for $25 per year.
For more information:
National Women’s Studies Association (NWSA)
7100 Baltimore Blvd., Suite 501
University of Maryland
College Park, MD 20740
(301) 403-0525
email: nwsa@umail.umd.edu
website: http://www.nwsa.org/
