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Degree Title

Bachelor of Arts

Summer A 2024 Start Date:

May 6, 2024

Summer B 2024 Start Date:

June 17, 2024

Overview

The fully online Bachelor of Arts in Women's and Gender Studies (WGS) is an interdisciplinary study of women and gender in cross-cultural and historical perspectives. You'll explore how women's lives have been shaped by history, culture, nationality, class and other elements of diversity. The courses in the program are coordinated through FIU's Center for Women's and Gender Studies, founded in 1982, and one of the oldest such scholarly centers in the country. Students have the opportunity to conduct research with faculty on issues related to women and gender.

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  • Why Apply?

    The Women's and Gender Studies major explores gender inequalities and oppression throughout society—in the workplace, in your community, and at home. You'll hone your analytical, critical thinking and writing skills and become engaged with issues of social change, activism and citizenship. The program is interdisciplinary, and students may select courses from a variety of disciplines, giving you the flexibility to create a program that best reflects your interest and goals.

    Career Opportunities

    A Women's and Gender Studies major develops skills that are highly valued by employers, including critical thinking, research, analysis and presentation skills. But beyond that, graduates gain a unique perspective about the layers of identify, and how racism, sexism, classism and ableism are interconnected—and how to strive for a more just, equal and vibrant society. The demand for expertise in gender and social justice issues is growing across the professions, including law, medicine, social services, teaching, community development, counseling, public policy and research. Additional career paths include advocacy for international women's health and human rights issues. Many graduates go to graduate or professional schools.

    The demand for social and community service managers is expected to grow by 21% between 2012 and 2022. Social and community service managers may focus on a specific demographic or challenges, such as domestic violence, hunger or homelessness, and work in variety of settings, including nonprofits, hospitals, social service agencies and government agencies. The media annual wage for social and community service managers was $59,970 in May 2012, with those working in state and local government earning a median annual wage of $69,490 (Occupational Handbook, Bureau of Labor Statistics).

  • Courses

    Program Completion Requirements

    A total of 120 credits are required for the Bachelor of Arts in Women’s and Gender Studies.

    To qualify for admission to the B.A. program, FIU undergraduates must have met all the university's lower division requirements, including the CLAS requirement or its equivalent, and have completed 60 semester hours.

    The B.A. Program in Women's and Gender Studies requires 30 credit hours (10 courses) of interdisciplinary upper-division course work.

    I Introductory Courses (Select one from this list. May also be used as electives)
    WST 3015 Intro to Global Gender & Women's Studies
    WST 3641 LGBT and Beyond: Non-Normative Sexualities in Global Perspectives
    ECS 3021 Women Culture and Economic Development
    REL 3145 Women and Religion
    SOP 3742 Psychology of Women
    SYD 3804 Sociology of Gender

    II Depth Courses (select one course)
    WST4115 Gender Violence and the Law: Global Perspectives
    WST 4930 Special Topics (*Online availability depends on the topic)
    WST 4931 Women in Leadership
    SOP 4774 Female Sexuality

    III Breadth Courses (Social Science and Humanities Courses)
    The rest of the courses should be selected from the list of approved electives. For a complete list of electives for each semester, please contact your academic advisor. Electives must be chosen from at least 3 different disciplines (i.e., History, Anthropology, Art and Art History, Economics, English, Humanities, International Relations, Labor Studies, Modern Languages, Music, Philosophy, Political Science, Geography, Psychology, Religion, Sociology, Architecture, Business, Criminal Justice, and Social Work).

    IV Capstone
    WST 4905 Independent Study (1)
    WST 4940 Internship (Must be approved by the director)
    (1)Off campus, local, national and international options will be considered.

  • Requirements

    To ensure every student’s success, we have certain admissions requirements for each of our programs. To help you through the application process, our enrollment advisors are here to answer your questions and guide you every step of the way.


    FIU Admission Requirements

    Applications are accepted for Spring, Fall and Summer terms.


    Steps to Apply

    First Year Students

     Please submit the following:

    • Online application

    • $30 application fee.

    • Official SAT, ACT and/or CLT scores.

    • Official high school transcripts.


    Transfer Students

     Please submit the following:

    • Online application

    • $30 application fee.

    • Official college transcripts.

    • If you have less than 60 transferable college credits, you must also submit official high school transcripts and SAT, ACT and/or CLT scores in addition to any transcripts from postsecondary schools to the Office of Undergraduate Admissions.


    International Students

     In addition to the above requirements, international applicants should submit:

    • Official English Language Proficiency exam scores (TOEFL or IELTS).

    • Official translations of any transcripts, if not in English.

    • If you have less than 60 transferrable college credits, you must also submit official high school transcripts with translation.

     

    Returning Students

    Returning students must meet the current university and degree-specific requirements to be admitted.

    FIU has policies for students who left FIU, please click here for more details.

    Please submit the following:

    • Online application $30 application fee.

    • Updated official transcripts

     

    Program Admission Requirements

    • Candidates must first be accepted into the university. Students admitted to Florida International University are admitted directly to their chosen major.

    • Program Completion Requirements

    A total of 120 credits are required to complete the fully online undergraduate degree.  Students must complete the University Core Curriculum, University requirements and Steven J. Green School of International and Public Affairs requirements while satisfying requirements toward their Spanish major and are expected to make good progress based on critical indicators, such as GPA in specific courses or credits earned. In cases where students are not making good progress, a change of major may be required. The Steven J. Green School of International and Public Affairs advisors work to redirect students to more appropriate majors when critical indicators are not met.  For specific course requirements, visit the Courses tab on this program page.


    Admission Documents

    To complete the online undergraduate programs admissions form, select your program from the application form. You may complete the online application and submit it, even before taking any entrance exams. All supporting admission documents may be sent to:

    
Florida International University
    
Office of Undergraduate Admissions

    P.O. Box 659003

    Miami, FL 33265-9003

    USA



    FIU also accepts transcripts electronically via:

    • Faster (All FL public institutions)

    • Naviance (Typically used by private high schools)

    • SMART/Joint Service Transcript – Military records

    *Meeting the university minimum requirements does not guarantee admission

  • Tuition

    We’re thrilled that you’re considering online education and want you to know exactly what to expect for tuition and fees. Education is an investment in your future. Use the following student tuition and fees calculator to determine your costs.

  • Top Faculty

    Alexandra Cornelius
    Dr. Cornelius is the Director of the Center for Women’s and Gender Studies (CWGS) and Associate Teaching Professor at Florida International University (FIU). She leads CWGS in promoting women’s and gender studies research and programming, curricular development, and Miami based community partnerships with feminist organizations. Dr. Cornelius earned her Ph.D. in American History from Washington University, St. Louis, after completing an M.A. in American History at Purdue University and a B.A. in History at Hunter College, City University of New York. In 2006, Dr. Cornelius joined the Department of History and the African and African Diaspora Studies (AADS) Program and in 2020 was appointed as the Director of CWGS. Committed to promoting interdisciplinary approaches to the study of health and wellness as they intersect with women’s and gender studies, Cornelius recently designed and established the Health Humanities Certificate program at FIU. More recently, in 2021, The Children’s Trust awarded CWGS a five-year, $1.37 million grant for a project titled “The “Black Mothers Care Plan: Reducing Racial Bias and Supporting Maternal and Infant Health” (BMCP). The BMCP is an interdisciplinary community-research partnership using community-based participatory frameworks to impact racial bias against African American women in obstetric patient care.

    Victoria Burns
    Victoria Burns is an Instructor in Women’s and Gender Studies. Her research interests revolve around sexual assault prevention, specifically looking at the ways in which bystander intervention can prevent sexual assault. Dr. Burns also explores how demographic correlates (e.g. gender, race/ethnicity) are related to bystander attitudes and behaviors.

    Michaela Moura-Koçoglu
    Michaela Moura-Koçoglu is an Instructor in Women’s and Gender Studies. Her research interests focus on Indigenous Feminism; Anglophone and Lusophone African Women Writers; Gender Dynamics of Globalization in Postcolonial Literatures; Trauma Studies; and Trans-Indigenous Literary Studies.

fiuonline.fiu.edu

120 Credits Required

fiuonline.fiu.edu

235.57 Per Credit Hour (In-State) + Fees

fiuonline.fiu.edu

648.87 Per Credit Hour (Out-of-State) + Fees

* Total tuition and fees are subject to change.

Highlights

  • Undergraduate Student Application Deadlines

  • Fully online degree
  • Also available as a second major
  • Every online undergraduate student is paired with a success coach
  • Program Starts: Fall, Spring and Summer
  • Become part of an exceptional community and make the most of your education. Join the Honors College.
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