Program Description

The Women's Studies major offers both male and female students opportunities to study the experiences, history, contributions, and cultural images of women domestically and internationally, with a strong emphasis on global understanding and multicultural contributions. Courses from a variety of traditional disciplines, including sociology, history, psychology, communication, and art, are included within the major.

Learn more about the program from the Women's Studies website.

Program Learning Outcomes

• The student will be able to identify connections between specific people, groups, events, and ideas, and larger sociological, psychological, historical, and gender studies specific themes, developments, and topics.
• The student will be able to critically analyze a variety of primary and secondary sources and draw valid sociological, psychological, historical, and gender studies interpretations from them.

Career Opportunities

A major in women's studies provides students with a unique contextual validation for today's woman, and prepares students who wish to enter fields such as law, medicine, and business. The major also allows students to pursue careers in health, teaching, government, counseling, and community work. Through the women's studies major, students will gain knowledge regarding women's issues and will therefore be better prepared to work with both the general and the female population in a variety of areas.

Award Type(s)

• AA = Associate in Arts Degree

Units Required

• Major: 32

Additional Information

Note: Students having difficulty attaining an associate degree because of timing or availability of classes should consult with a counselor to submit a petition for course substitution.

Associate Degree Requirements

A minimum of 90 units is required¹ to complete the associate degree, including:

• Core and support courses for the major (32 units total)
• Completion of one of the following general education patterns:
  • Foothill College General Education
  • Summer Session 2025 only–CSU General Education Breadth (CSU GE Breadth)²
  • Summer Session 2025 only–Intersegmental General Education Transfer Curriculum (IGETC)²
  • Beginning Fall Quarter 2025–California General Education Transfer Curriculum (Cal-GETC)³

¹

Additional elective course work may be necessary to meet the 90-unit minimum requirement for the associate degree.

²

Summer Session 2025 is the final term during which CSU GE Breadth and IGETC may be used. Please see a counselor for more information.

³

Cal-GETC begins in Fall Quarter 2025. Please see a counselor for more information.

Note: A grade of "C" (or "P") or better is required for all core and support courses used for the degree. In addition, the student must obtain a minimum GPA of 2.0.

Refer to the Associate in Arts & Associate in Science Degree Requirements page for complete information about graduation requirements and catalog rights.

Core and Support Courses

Course List

Code	Title	Units
Core Courses
SOC 28	SOCIOLOGY OF GENDER	4
WMN 5	INTRODUCTION TO WOMEN'S STUDIES	4
WMN 11	WOMEN IN GLOBAL PERSPECTIVE	4
WMN 21	PSYCHOLOGY OF WOMEN: SEX & GENDER DIFFERENCES	4
or PSYC 21	PSYCHOLOGY OF WOMEN: SEX & GENDER DIFFERENCES
Support Courses
Select 16 units from the following:		16
COMM 10	GENDER, COMMUNICATION & CULTURE
KINS 10	WOMEN IN SPORTS
MDIA 8B	WOMEN IN FILM
PSYC 14	CHILD & ADOLESCENT DEVELOPMENT
PSYC 22	PSYCHOLOGY OF PREJUDICE & DISCRIMINATION
SOC 30	SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY
or PSYC 30	SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY
SOC 40	ASPECTS OF MARRIAGE & FAMILY
SOSC 20	CROSS-CULTURAL PERSPECTIVES FOR A MULTICULTURAL SOCIETY
WMN 70R	INDEPENDENT STUDY IN WOMEN'S STUDIES
WMN 71R	INDEPENDENT STUDY IN WOMEN'S STUDIES
WMN 72R	INDEPENDENT STUDY IN WOMEN'S STUDIES
WMN 73R	INDEPENDENT STUDY IN WOMEN'S STUDIES
Total Units		32