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, 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. You'll investigate changing gender role expectations, United States and cross cultural issues, and the professional and domestic contributions of women to the arts and society.

Within the major, you 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 my select appropriate cross-listed course from such fields as philosophy, sociology, social work, history, English, Anthropology, religion, minority 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 dual major 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 preprogram studies. You will be assigned a faculty advisor in the women's studies department who will help you develop your program of study and who will outline specific requirements for full admission to Liberal Arts and Sciences.

If you are still deciding on a major when you start Wichita State, you'll be admitted to University College and will be assigned an academic advisor who will help you explore career options.

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 Friends of Women's Studies, a student organization which sponsors the Susan M. Craft Scholarships. You will have direct interaction with nationally known visiting speakers in the Kay Closson Women Writing Series, 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.

If eligible, you may be selected for University academic honor societies such as Omicron Delta Kappa, Phi Kappa Phi and Mortar Board.

Related Programs
The pursuit of studies related to women is relevant in any discipline. In that sense, every University program is related to this field of study.