Overview
A degree in Women's & Gender Studies has a lot to offer. We investigate the lives of women as writers and scholars, artists and activists, public figures and private citizens, in the past and the present. We also study gender more broadly, which means we look at feminine, masculine, and queer identities across time and cultures in order to understand how gender signifies relationships of power.
Many of our students combine this major with another field, such as Criminal Justice, English, Global Studies, History, Journalism, Political Science, Pre-Law, Pre-Med, Psychology, or Sociology, earning valuable interdisciplinary training, appealing to employers and higher education programs alike.
Careers
Graduates of our program hold positions as counselors, social workers, health care professionals, editors, and teachers. Others are pursuing MAs and PhDs in a variety of disciplines or are obtaining law and medical degrees.
Financial Aid
Women’s and Gender Studies majors may apply for the Melba Cope Scholarship and the K. Tannehill and G. Evans Scholarship. See the Undergraduate Scholarships page for more information.
The Degree
There are 2 ways to obtain a major degree in Women's and Gender Studies:
Option A requires 36 hours from required courses and courses in History, Literature/Rhetoric and Humaities, and Social Sciences.
Option B requires 30 hours from from required courses and courses in History, Literature/Rhetoric and Humaities, and Social Sciences, and 18 hours from a related minor.
Courses required for the major are:
- Introduction to Women's and Gender Studies
- Feminist Theories, Feminists' Perspectives
- Senior Seminar
A minor requires 18 hours of Women's and Gender Studies classes, including Introduction to Women's and Gender Studies as well as courses in History, Literature/Rhetoric and Humaities, and Social Sciences.
Major and minor requirements and a complete list of courses can be found on the Major and Minor Requirements page.
Students act out scenes from fellow student Lindsay Kerns' play during one of our colloquium talks in Spring 2010.
Why Study At UNL?
If you are interested in women, gender, and sexuality and like flexibility in your college career and taking classes from a wide range of disciplines, then UNL's Women's & Gender Studies Program is for you. With course offerings from more than fifteen academic fields, Women's and Gender Studies introduces students to exciting ideas, dynamic professors and classmates, and feminist thought and perspectives in small, collaborative communities of learning.
Get Involved
We encourage learning beyond the classroom through internships and service learning programs as well as through our annual colloquium series and student research conference called "No Limits."
Student Groups
Students Advocating Gender Equity (SAGE) seeks to provide a place of action, discussion, and academic development for students interested in feminist and gender concerns on the UNL campus and the Lincoln community.
Students for Choice (SFC) exists to educate the university community about reproductive health and rights, promote pro-choice activism on campus, and serve as a coalition partner to state, national, and international reproductive rights and efforts.
Spectrum UNL is dedicated to the promotion and wellness of all gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, queer, and allied students and staff.
Research
Our award-winning faculty regularly work with students through the UCARE and McNair Programs. The UCARE program creates intellectual partnerships between UNL faculty and undergraduates by providing funds for research. UNL's McNair Scholars Program encourages students to pursue graduate studies by providing opportunities to define goals, engage in research, and develop the skills and student/faculty mentor relationships critical to success at the doctoral level.
Internship
In the Women’s and Gender Studies Program, we strongly encourage students to do an internship at some point during their academic career. Previous students have found them an excellent way to discover what kind of work they might want to do after graduation and to make connections with people in the community. See the Undergraduate Internship page for more information.
Adviser
Rose Holz
317A Seaton Hall
Lincoln, NE 68588
402-472-9380
rholz2@unl.edu
Check This Out
Women's and Gender Studies faculty member Sarah Gervais' work on the objectifiying gaze, which shows how the brain sees men as people and women as body parts, has received widespread media attention.
WGS student Rihannon Root's article discussing fictional female characters was published as a Women's Media Center feature.
Cross-Cultural Mentoring, a Women's and Gender Studies cross listed course, was highlighted by UNL Today and the Lincoln Journal Star.