Women's Studies
The Women's Studies Major
Resources, Strengths, Career Paths, Skills
Transferable Skills:Students of Women's Studies end their education with superior communication skills, a rare and highly valued commodity in today's job market. Women's Studies Majors also possess:
- Analytical and Critical abilities
- Rhetorical Skill
- Extensive Argumentative Writing Experience
- Didactic Skill
Career Paths:The Major in Women's Studies provides students with an optimal platform for entering a variety of fields. Students with a strong background in Women's Studies are viewed favorably by varying fields such as medicine and law. Here are some fields a Women's Studies major may pursue:
- Journalism, Publishing, and Technical Writing
- Law
- Education (Elementary, Secondary, and Higher ed.)
- Advertising
- Public Relations
- Business / Industry
Resources & Professional Associations of Interest: Check out the following websites and consider joining at least one of the professional associations in your field of interest to boost your career and give you a competitive edge on the job market. These are just a few so don' t hesitate to do some research on your own!
- Idealist - tons of opportunities for idealistic people
- mediabistro - a great site for media minded professionals
- Ed2010 - get your foot in the door of the editing world
- Chronicle of Higher Education , Inside Higher Education - great sites for academics
- Law School Admission Council - a necessary hit for all law school applicants
Sample Job Titles:The following are some sample job titles that would be appropriate for a student who has majored in Women's Studies. This is in no way a complete list. If you're surprised at some of these titles, you shouldn't forget that a student who majors in Women's Studies gains skills that can be used in almost any industry!
| Editor | Literary Agent | Actor/Actress |
| Lobbyist | Novelist | Paralegal |
| Lawyer | Media Planner | Public Relations Specialist |
| Teacher | Poet / Playwright | Scientific Writer |
| Human Resource Specialist | Copywriter | Financial Advisor |
| Speech Writer | Technical Writer | ESL Teacher |
| Journalist | Critic | Professor |
A Note on the Major in Women's Studies
Because it emphasizes transposable skills of reading, writing, analysis, and expression Women's Studies provides an excellent preparation for graduate or professional school or employment. Graduates have gone on to law, medicine, social work, psychology, teaching, and business, among other fields. Double majors, combining women's studies with another field, are not uncommon.
