What Can I Do with a Minor in Women's Studies?

A curriculum in Women's Studies is not as occupationally focused as some other programs, but a Women's Studies minor uniquely allows a student to explore and gain valuable experience in several disciplines: Anthropology, History, Psychology, English, Sociology, Business and more. An education in Women's Studies also prepares a student to recognize, analyze and confront social and political issues. Women's Studies graduates learn to think critically and create change.

Still, the question is often posed, what kind of job can one get with a degree in Women's Studies? Amber E. Kinser, a professor at East Tennessee State University, conducted a study to answer this question. The results were published in the 2006 National Women's Studies Association Program Administrators' Handbook. Here is listed only twenty-five out of the over two hundred positions she found were held by recent Women's Studies graduates at the time of the study:

• Acupuncturist
• AIDS Project worker
• Assistant Features Editor at Elle magazine
• Author
• Battered Women's Center Administrator
• Breast Cancer Support Group Facilitator
• Corporate Event Planning
• Democratic Counsel to the U.S. House Committee on the Judiciary
• Director of YWCA
• English Teacher at an International School in Thailand
• Fiscal Analyst
• Food Safety Coalition
• Graphic Designer
• Hospital Administrator
• Journalist
• Knitting Instructor
• Legal Assistant
• Maritime Management
• Organizer with the American Civil Liberties Union
• Policy Analyst
• Research Assistant for urban designer
• Singer/Songwriter
• Small-business owner
• Social Worker
• Yoga Teacher

For the full list and more information about the value of a Women's Studies education, click here (pdf file).