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St. Cloud State University

St. Cloud State University

Undergraduate Bulletin Table of Contents

Women's Studies (WS) Undergraduate Programs

365 STEWART HALL/(320) 308-3947
www.stcloudstate.edu/ws

Programs at a Glance

Degree programs

  • BA – Women’s Studies
  • BES – Women’s Studies
  • Minor – Women’s Studies
  • Minor (BES) – Women’s Studies

Program admission and performance requirements

Admission – Department

  • completion of WS 201 with grade of “C” or better
  • completion of 15 credits
  • meeting with a WS advisor

Graduation – University

  • BA in Women’s Studies – minor  or one  year of  a foreign language

University minimum requirements for bachelor’s degrees

  • 120 credits
  • 40 credits in General Education
  • 1 credit in PESS 122
  • 45 credits in upper-division (300-400) courses
  • 30 credits in residence at SCSU
  • 2.00 GPA overall, in major, and in minor (departments may set higher standards)

(See this section and the section on the College of Social Sciences for more information.)

Director: Beth Berila
Faculty: Berila, Mwangi
Advisory committee: Berila, C. Johnson, Foster, Fox, Gill, Greenberg, Hakim, Kanengeiter-Wildeson, Kishimoto, Lacourt, Mikolchak, Mutua-Kombo, Mwangi, Olsen, Ore, Scheel-Keita, Schultz, Splittgerber, Spry, St. Clair, Tademe, Villanueva, Zerbib.
Office Manager: Tritz

Women's Studies is a multidisciplinary program designed to enhance the student's understanding of women as a diverse group with a variety of histories, experiences, needs and achievements. The Women's Studies curriculum will develop and enhance an understanding of gender as it is shaped by race, class, sexuality, and nation. It also emphasizes critical thinking skills and applied learning. The courses are of value to students interested in broadening their knowledge of society and awareness of institutionalized forms of discrimination against women. The program also offers an opportunity for increased self-understanding. A wide variety of electives, independent study and internship opportunities allows students to develop programs of study corresponding to their own interests and career goals. Students in the liberal arts, education, social work, public service, business, or in pre-professional programs such as law or medicine find Women's Studies of particular value.

Courses in WS encompass three major areas:

  • Courses focusing on women's contributions in the arts, to family life and human development, to social justice and the betterment of society, and to the development of new knowledge.
  • Courses analyzing the interplay between women's lives and social factors. These courses explore how public policy, institutional practices, cultural norms and social psychology influence the opportunities, lifestyles, and value systems of individual women and how women's own actions impact society.
  • Courses emphasizing advocacy and the development of professional skills.

A WS major is useful for students preparing to work with women in many different contexts: social welfare, therapy, advocacy, and marketing. Those with a grounding in WS will be better prepared to understand and develop pro-active strategies for dealing with intersections of race, class, gender, sexuality and nation, in the workplace, family life, and interpersonal relationships. Graduates of WS programs have put their knowledge and skills to use in a variety of settings ranging from battered women's shelters to legal practice to the business arena. Other students pursue WS to enhance their personal development, to better prepare themselves for careers in male dominated fields, or to satisfy a thirst for knowledge.

WS majors are encouraged to pursue a second major or minors in related or complementary fields of study.

Admission to the major requires:

  • completion of WS 201 with a grade of 2.0 or better.
  • completion of 15 credits of college work.
  • meeting with a WS adviser.

Note: BA Women's Studies majors must elect a second major or a minor program of study.

Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Elective Studies

Major (36)
Required (18 credits): WS 201, 315, 415, 445, 485, ETHS/WS 405
Electives (18 credits): At least 3 credits must be taken from each of the following groups. At least 9 credits of electives must be from upper division courses:

  1. Women's Culture and Contributions: WS 330, 340; AVIT 107; ART 438; CMTY 475; ENGL 493; ETHS 312; HIST 356, 357.
  2. Women-Social Structures: WS 325, 493; ANTH 364; BIOL 107; GERO 415; HURL 201, 411; PHIL 211; PSY 225, 427; SOC 273, 355.
  3. Women's Resistance: WS 345, 444, 445; WS/HURL 406; HLTH 255; HURL 491, 492.

With approval of the women's studies adviser, electives may include new courses with a women's studies focus offered under departmental seminar numbers, or as experimental courses, or as workshops.

Four credits of an internship in women's studies may be counted toward the minor.

The Women's Studies major also requires a second major or a minor (or use an estimate of 20 credits).

Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Science and Bachelor of Elective Studies

Minor (18)
Required (9 credits): WS 201, 415, ETHS/WS 405
Electives (9 credits): No more than six credits or two courses (whichever is greater) from any of the following groups. At least 5 credits of electives must be from upper division courses.

  1. Women's Culture & Contributions: WS 315, 330, 340, AVIT 107; ART 438; CMTY 475; ENGL 493; ETHS 312; HIST 356, 357.
  2. Women-Social Structures: WS 325, 493; ANTH 364; BIOL 107; GERO 415; HURL 201,411, PHIL 211; PSY 225, 427; SOC 273, 355.
  3. Women's Resistance: WS 345, 444, 445, 485, WS/HURL 406; HLTH 255, HURL 491, 492.

With approval of the women's studies adviser, electives may include new courses with a women's studies focus offered under departmental seminar numbers, experimental courses, or workshops.

Four credits of an internship in women's studies may be counted toward the minor.