BA Interdisciplinary Studies-Women’s and Gender Studies

A student pursuing an emphasis in Women's and Gender Studies is required to fulfill the foundation (basic skills) and general education requirements for a Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree in the College of Arts and Science, with 30 hours of coursework in Women's and Gender Studies. The 30 hours of Women's and Gender Studies courses must include:

• 2020 Feminist Theory
• 3450 Feminist Methodologies (WI)
• 4990 Seminar/4940 Internship

plus 12 credits of WGST core courses (taught by WGST faculty) and an additional 9 hours of approved elective Women's and Gender Studies courses. At least 9 credits are required to come from 3000 level or higher.

When students graduate with a degree in Women's and Gender Studies, they should be able to:

• Apply cross-cultural and global awareness to "big questions" about women and gender
• Have a comprehensive grasp of intersectionality and matrices of power
• Think critically: i.e. consider an issue from multiple perspectives; locate, evaluate and interpret diverse sources; engage in critical self-reflection
• Construct arguments with evidence obtained from research
• Work collaboratively
• Connect knowledge and experience, theory and activism
• Communicate effectively in writing and speech
• Apply knowledge for social transformation, citizenship
• Use gender (and other identity categories) as a category/ies for analysis

Double Majors and Dual Degrees

Because of the diversity of Women's and Gender Studies, a WGST major can be combined with other programs to create a double major or a dual degree. Within the College of Arts and Science, students can pair a WGST major with a BA in English, Sociology, Psychology or History, for example, without taking courses beyond the required 120 credits. Students seeking a Bachelor Degree in Journalism or a Public Health degree can earn a second degree, a BA in Women’s and Gender Studies. Required WGST courses for many dual degrees also fit within the 120 credit graduation plan, although 132 total credits are generally required for a dual degree.

Experiential Learning

The WGST department encourages students to pursue internships and study abroad opportunities. Students pursuing an undergraduate emphasis in Women's and Gender Studies may be interested in the joint program in Women's and Gender Studies and Leadership and Public Service. This program is offered in cooperation with the Office of Service Learning, and provides students with an opportunity to participate in professional leadership and public service venues to complement their academic coursework.

A Women's and Gender Studies minor can be a component of any undergraduate degree granted at MU.

A student minoring in Women's and Gender Studies is required to fulfill all requirements for their major degree program and in addition complete at least 15 hours of Women's and Gender Studies courses.

While there are no required courses for the minor, a minimum of 9 credits must come from WGST core courses (those taught by WGST faculty and instructors). In addition, 6 credits are required to come from 3000+ level courses.

To officially declare your minor in Women’s & Gender Studies, please fill out the declaration form. Once you have received confirmation of your minor declaration, you can access your progress towards your minor or certificate by running a degree audit. If you have questions about the minor after you view your degree audit, you can contact the Director of Undergraduate Studies; Dr. Julie Elman (elmanj@missouri.edu). More information about declaring a minor is available here.