Gender and Women’s Studies

Department of Gender and Women’s Studies

Distorted media images... Income inequality... Bigotry against lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people... Insurance coverage for Viagra but not birth control pills... Rape and domestic violence... Science and engineering fields that remain virtually all male... Why, in the 21st century, does so much harm and injustice persist? Western �鶹��ýӦ�� University's gender and women’s studies looks to the past for insights as we examine the present and envision a future that is more equitable and just. Our program offers analysis and action in the service of social transformation.

Gender and women’s studies is an interdisciplinary field that adds value to an undergraduate degree. It expands students’ knowledge of how cultures construct, express and maintain gender. According to our majors, pursuing this degree reveals questions and possibilities not previously considered. Although gender and women’s studies is an academic pursuit, it grows out of a movement committed to social justice.

Classes offer diverse perspectives about our multifaceted identities, including gender, sexuality, class, race, ethnicity, nationality and more. Students find our discussion-based classes deeply engaging and personally relevant. You learn about yourself and the world simultaneously.

Beyond the classroom

We all begin our education about gender outside the classroom. The family, childcare, education, the workplace, the marketplace, the health care system, politics, entertainment and places of worship—these are all sites where gender is in evidence. With insights that come from taking gender and women’s studies courses, students say that they view the world through a new lens. Billboards, magazines, parenting advice, political debates, consumer goods and militarization don’t look the same. Conversations from our classes are continued over coffee in the student center or over dinner with family and friends.

Some gender and women’s studies students join campus organizations and take leadership in groups such as the Gender and Women’s Studies Honor Society, Students for Sexual Awareness, Womyn’s Equality or OutSpoken. Others pursue an internship on campus, in the greater Kalamazoo area or in their hometown. While working at the YWCA, Planned Parenthood or the Kalamazoo Gay and Lesbian Resource Center, for example, students learn from mentors and contribute to causes they value.

After you graduate

Choosing a degree in gender and women’s studies prepares you to make a difference in the world. Jobs that involve community organizing, education and social services are a great fit for gender and women’s studies graduates.

Recent WMU graduates with degrees in gender and women's studies are serving many communities, including:

Women
Survivors of sexual assault and domestic violence
Immigrants
Low-income mothers
LGBT community

They are working as:

Administrators
Artists and writers
Case workers
Community organizers
Consultants
Counselors
Event planners
Lawyers
Policy analysts
Social workers
Teachers
Victim/survivor advocates
Volunteer coordinators

Among the organizations they work for are:

Consulting firms
Domestic abuse shelters
Government agencies
Health care organizations
Nonprofits and NGOs
Political campaigns
Private corporations
Public and private corporations
Schools and universities

WMU's gender and women's studies program offers excellent preparation for pursuing a professional or graduate degree in such areas as social work, counseling or law. The number of masters and Ph.D. programs in women’s and gender studies is growing, and they open up additional opportunities in areas such as higher education and public policy.

Where is the program offered?

Kalamazoo

Other programs of interest

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Academics

Gender and Women’s Studies