About The Center for Women's Studies

The Center for Women's Studies at Wichita State University serves a dual purpose: it offers the major and minor in women's studies through an abundance of courses and acts as a campus and community resource / research center for scholarship concerning women. Unique in Kansas, the Center for Women's Studies at Wichita State is one of the longest-standing, degree-granting, and autonomous women's studies centers in the country.

As a discipline, women's studies focuses on the analysis of gender as a force in social institutions - including family, work, and education - and the cultural images of gender in art, literature and popular media. Students and faculty investigate changing gender role expectations, United States and cross cultural experiences and issues, and the professional and domestic contributions of women to the arts and society.

Women's Studies provides a balanced and comprehensive view of the history of women and their contributions to present day society. It offers a vision of future possibilities for women as they reach their full human potential, both in traditional occupations and in newly-achieved positions of responsibility throughout the world.

Within the major, a student may focus on women's studies courses which are either humanities - or social science oriented, within a context of core interdisciplinary courses.

In addition to Women's Studies courses, you may select appropriate cross-listed course from such fields as Philosophy, Sociology, Social work, History, English, Anthropology, Religion, Ethnic Studies, Political Science, Administration of Justice, Psychology and Communication.

If you are considering this major, you should be advised by a women's studies faculty member regarding your academic program, vocational goals and selection of a humanities or social science focus. Women's studies may also be pursued as part of a dualmajor or as a minor if your intellectual or vocational interests are best served by a concentration with another academic field.

If you establish a specialty in women's studies, you'll enhance your preparation to work in areas such as social work, education, business, medicine, politics, law, psychology, administration of justice and others which concentrate on human behavior and services.

Admission

When you choose to study women's studies, you'll be admitted to Fairmount College of Liberal Arts and Sciences in general education studies. You will be assigned a faculty advisor in the women's studies department who will help you develop your program of study.

Related Opportunities

As a women's studies major, you may be employed - through the University's cooperative education program - in work related to women's studies and earn credit hours for the experience. You may participate in Women's Studies Scholars and Allies, a student organization that sponsors the Susan M. Kraft Scholarships. You will have direct interaction with nationally known visiting speakers in the Kay Closson Words By WomenSeries, Women's History Month events and other extra-curricular women's studies programming. Also, you'll be encouraged to attend and take part in regional and national Women's Studies Association conferences.

Scholarships are available for women's studies students. Inquire in the Women's Studies office.

Why pursue a women's studies degree?

A Women's Studies major or double major is ideal for students who are:

• interested in a focused interdisciplinary degree that crosses departmental boundaries
• interested in pursuing scholarly work on women, ranging from literary criticism to clinical psychology
• planning careers which can be enhanced by a focus on women's concerns, such as medical practice law, administration, counseling and guidance, psychology, social work, personnel, labor and industrial relations, communications and advertising, health care, teaching and business
• pursuing leadership positions in the community, interested in graduate school in women's studies or related fields

The Women's Studies minor is ideal for students who:

• wish to supplement their major with information and experience related to women and gender issues
• desire formal recognition of their course work in women's studies.
• seek formal contact with faculty members who share a scholarly interest in women's experiences and lives