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Women's Studies Frequently Asked Questions

  1. What is Women's Studies?
  2. What topics do Women's Studies subjects cover?
  3. What undergraduate degree would I enrol in to study Women's Studies?
  4. How is the undergraduate Women's Studies program structured?
  5. How do I complete a major in Women's Studies?
  6. How do I complete a minor in Women's Studies?
  7. How do I choose additional units?
  8. Can I just take individual subjects that interest me?
  9. Which careers does Women's Studies prepare me for?

  1. What is Women's Studies?

    Women's Studies is a comparatively new branch of university study. Not long ago, issues such as gender, sexuality, and the relationship between the sexes were not systematically theorized, researched or taught. Today, however, there is such a large body of feminist knowledge and theory on these topics that it cannot be adequately covered within traditional disciplines. Instead, it forms part of a specialised interdisciplinary study program called Women's Studies that brings innovative theory and research techniques to the study of women's lives, their status in society, and the dilemmas and contradictions in gender relations and sexualities. The interdisciplinary nature of Women's Studies scholarship is an important feature of its success and promise. Women's Studies today has its own texts, journals and methodologies and some of the most innovative, scholarly work in feminist theory and gender research is being done by Women's Studies scholars internationally.

  2. What topics do Women's Studies subjects cover?

    Beyond general considerations of the changing status of women and where dominant ideas and assumptions about gender and sexuality come from, Womenís Studies units also cover specific issues such as how women are represented in film, literature, advertising and the media, how different cultures shape womenís identities and sexualities, shifting cultural and historical modes of femininity and masculinity, how questions of sex or gender relate to questions of class and race, the relationship between gender and technology, and the role of women and gender in important political, economic, sociological and philosophical debates.

  3. What undergraduate degree would I enrol in to study Women's Studies?

    Students studying Women's Studies can enrol in a variety of degree programmes. Most enrol in the Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) degree, while others enrol in combined Arts degrees such as Arts-Law (B.A./LLB) or Arts-Science (B.A./BSc). Students enrolled in other degrees are eligible to take individual Women's Studies units in accordance with Faculty regulations for the relevant degree.

  4. How is the undergraduate Women's Studies program structured?

    Women's Studies units begin at first year with the second semester unit WMN1010 Sex, Gender, Knowledge: Introduction to Womenís Studies. You can choose to study individual Women's Studies units that interest you, or you can choose to specialise in the area by taking a "major" or "minor" sequence in Women's Studies in your degree. Those with a strong interest in the field and excellent marks in their first three years of study can proceed to an Honours year in Womenís Studies.

  5. How do I complete a major in Women's Studies?

    A major comprises of 48 points. At first year, those taking a major in Women's Studies complete Sex, Gender, Knowledge: Introduction to Womenís Studies (WMN1010) plus any other first year unit. They will then enrol in the three compulsory "core" units taught from within the Centre: either Women, Media, Consumption: Feminist Cultural Studies(WMN2030/3030);Introduction to Contemporary Feminist Theory(WMN2240/3240); and Issues in Feminist Research (WMN 3020). Major students complete their program of study by enrolling in an additional two Women's Studies units. These can be selected either from the Centreís offerings, or from cross-listed units taught throughout the Arts Faculty. While major students can complete particular Womenís Studies units at either 2nd or 3rd year level, they should normally complete two of their units at level 2 (12 points) and three at level 3 (18 points).

  6. How do I complete a minor in Women's Studies?

    Students wishing to complete a minor in Women's Studies take 24 points of Women's Studies units. They can do this in two ways. A minor from 1st to 2nd year is completed by taking a first yr sequence of 12 pts comprising WMN1010 (6pts) and any other 6pt 1st year unit. At 2nd year they take units to the value of 12 pts: WMN2030 (6pts) and WMN2240 (6pts) or any other 2nd yr Women's Studies unit. A minor from 2nd to 3rd year comprises two 6pt units at 2nd year (e.g. WMN2030 and WMN2240), and either one 12 point unit (WMN3020) or two 6pt units (e.g. WMN3080 and WMN3150) at 3rd year.

  7. How do I choose additional units?

    The Centre teaches a range of additional units which are available in different years. These include Feminism and Popular Culture: Reading Mainstream Cinema (WMN2080/3080), Women, Media and Consumption(WMN2030/3030) and Gender and Crime (WMN2140/3140). There is also a long list of electives to choose from. These are units taught in other programs outside the Centre for Women's Studies but which are counted towards your Women's Studies minor or major. You will be able to choose individual units from diverse areas like Sociology, Anthropology, History, Literature, and Politics. You are free to choose from among those units that interest or intrigue you, those that will be directly helpful to your career prospects, or those that you could experiment with as a new experience. All the units will have value for your degree and for your future. However, you may wish to choose units which complement other areas of study in your degree.

  8. Can I just take individual subjects that interest me?

    Yes, if you don't wish to do a minor or major in Women's Studies, you are free to enrol in any individual Women's Studies unit that interests you or which you think will fit with your chosen course of study. Most units do not have any prerequisites.

  9. Which careers does Women's Studies prepare me for?

    Staff of the Centre for Womenís Studies and Gender Research take a particular interest in this issue. Available research indicates that graduates of Womenís Studies programs see both direct and indirect benefits arising from their studies once they enter the labour market. For example, many attribute their skills in communication, critical analysis, and team-work to their experience in Womenís Studies classrooms. Graduates also talk about the ways in which studying Womenís Studies enhanced their self-confidence, a characteristic employers frequently highlight as crucial to success in early career development. Beyond these transferable personal and professional skills, the knowledge that students acquire in Womenís Studies can be applied in a variety of areas. Professionals in the areas of education, economics, policy research, counselling, human resource management, industrial and advocacy work, and the law recognise the benefits of a critical awareness of gender and equity issues in their chosen fields. By promoting an understanding of the many practical problems faced by women and marginalised groups, Women's Studies can also form an important preparation for careers in government, non-government and community social services for family, health and welfare. The enhanced skills in conceptual thinking and critical analysis that students in Women's Studies acquire continue to find applications in a wide variety of public and private sector research, administration and management settings.

    See what some of our recent graduates are doing .

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