Undergraduate

Women's Studies

Women’s Studies is an interdisciplinary program focused on the study of women and gender. Students in this program explore important questions about gendered identities, gendered systems of discrimination, and how we may work towards gender equity and social justice.

Women's Studies Program

Program Tracks Available

Minor, Special Major

Admission Deadline

Early Decision: November 15

Early Action: November 15

Early Action II: December 15

Regular Decision: March 15 (Preferred status deadline)

Apply Now

Degrees Offered

B.A.

School

D'Amour College of Liberal Arts and Sciences

Department

Interdisciplinary Studies

Program Overview
The Women Studies minor is ideal for students interested in learning about issues such as gender-based violence (GBV), the intersection of gendered poverty and migration, the complex issues surrounding the changing nature of gender roles, the persistence of gender-based discrimination in the workplace and in education, and the complex issues of unpaid care and work, among other important topics.

Learn By Doing

A valuable aspect of the Women’s Studies Program is the opportunity to participate in internships focused on girls and women in our community.

For example, for human services or psychology majors, an internship at the YWCA’s Young Parents Program allows students to explore in great depth the impact of single parenthood on the psychological health of young mothers. At Abby’s House, a shelter for homeless women, sociology majors might gain a firsthand view of the feminization of poverty. A history major might obtain valuable research skills by serving as a member of seminars conducted at the American Antiquarian Society, while a Spanish major might participate in the collection and translation of oral histories from Worcester’s Spanish-speaking population in conjunction with the Worcester Women’s Oral History Project.

Research Opportunities

Working with a faculty mentor, students have conducted research on:
- Women and Poverty
- Women in STEM
- Studies Evaluating Sexual Assault Prevention Programs
- Collegiate Female Athletes
Students who complete the course, HRS/SOC/CRM 301 Victim Advocacy: Working with Survivors of Violence will be eligible, at minimum, for the NACP Provisional Credential, but potentially at a higher level of Credentialing based upon their verifiable field experience. For more information, please visit https://www.thenacp.org/.

Program Contact

Cinzia Pica, Ed.D.

Chair, Department of Human Services and Rehabilitation Studies, Director of the Women’s Studies Program, Professor, Human Services & Rehabilitation Studies

508-767-7306 cpicasmith@assumption.edu Switzer Building - Room 109

An Ideal Place To Learn

100%

All classes taught by professors, none by teaching assistants

Students from 33 states and 11 countries

13:1

Student/Faculty ratio

Program Curriculum

Students interested in women’s studies have the option of constructing a special major within the discipline with the approval of the Dean of Undergraduate Studies. This generally encompasses WMS 285, WMS 385, eight women’s studies electives, and an internship in a placement related to women and/or girls.

Course Descriptions
- Academic Catalog & Advising Guide

Minor

Students take six courses, including the Women’s Studies I: Images “gateway course” from an array of Women’s Studies connected options.

The minor program requires students to take the introductory course along with five other courses, three of which must be taken beyond the student’s major requirements as specified in Assumption’s policy on the “double counting” of courses. Women of the World (CLT/ENG/HIS/PSY/SOC/WMS 385), was added by Women’s Studies to expand the scope of our program by including the experiences and challenges of women worldwide. Students may also pursue internships focused on women’s issues in a variety of placements, including within educational or social service agencies. This minor is important for all students, but especially for those who intend to work in areas of policymaking, urban planning, business, social service, and counseling, or the law.

In addition to the introductory Images course, students following the women’s studies minor select from an array of courses approved as Women’s Studies electives. These courses change from semester to semester, but often include many of the following:

ANT 131	Cultural Anthropology
ARD 217	Typography
BIO 380	Biology of Cancer
CLT 210	Classical Mythology
CRM 325	Victimology
CRM 335	Family Violence
ECO 210	Economics of Women, Men, and Work
ECO 264	Comparative Economic Systems
EDU 101	Schools in American Society
ENG 219	Approaches to Media Analysis
ENG228	Voices of Multitudes
ENG 263	Children’s Literature
ENG/PHI 265	Introduction to Peace Studies
ENG 281	Women in Literature
ENG 287	Literature of American Women of Color
ENG 353/ENG 363	Novels of Jane Austen/Nineteenth-Century British Novel
ENG 371	The 1920s
ENG 396	American Film
ENG 387	Survey of Afro-American Literature
FRE 401	French Popular Culture Today
GEO/SOC 108	World Population Issues
HIS 313	Women and the American Experience
HIS 338	Classics of Spiritual Direction
HIS 359	Revolutionary America
HRS 420	Family Aspects of Disability
HRS 421	Loss and Bereavement Across the Lifespan
IDS 250	Community Tax Assistance
LAS 200	Introduction to Latin American Studies
MGT 301	Business and Society
MGT 311	Diversity in the Work Force
MGT 330	Global Social Entrepreneurship
POL 376	Terrorism and the Modern World
PSY 217	Psychology of Women
PSY 220	Interpersonal Communication
PSY 310	Stereotypes and Prejudice
SOC 122	Social Problems
SOC 223	Family in Society
SOC 224	Gender Issues in Society
SPA 255	Sports in the Hispanic World
SOC 315	Masculinities
SPA 316	Emerging Modernities in the Hispanic World
SPA 317	Border Identities in Spain
SPA 318	Rebellion and Reinvention in Mexico
SPA 370	Women Writers in Contemporary Spain
SPA 381	Contemporary Spanish American Drama
WMS 385	Women of the World

Field-based courses in psychology, sociology, and human services and other disciplines count for the women’s studies minor if the field placement focuses on women and/or girls. An independent study with a focus on women and/or issues of significance to women may also count for the minor, as do courses with a focus on women offered in Continuing and Career Education, through the Worcester Consortium, or in study abroad.

Course Descriptions

Experiential Learning

Learn the Skills Employers Seek

Faculty/Student Research

The Assumption curriculum encourages scholarly and real-world experience. With hands-on research conducted alongside faculty mentors, students gain a depth of knowledge and skills that lead to professional success and personal fulfillment.

Study Abroad

At Assumption University, the world is your classroom. Students can study and explore abroad in over 50 places from Vienna to England, South Africa, and even our own campus in historic, yet modern, Rome, Italy. Assumption’s study abroad program offers culture, history, and a living classroom for all.

Internships

Assumption starts planning for your future the day you arrive on campus. Our Career Development and Internship Center helps students secure exciting and fulfilling internships where you’ll apply knowledge obtained in the classroom in a professional setting, preparing for a future career or additional study. Assumption connects students to internship opportunities in corporations, government agencies, research hospitals, non-profit organizations, and more.

Assumption's Rome Campus

At Assumption's campus in Rome, Italy, the city and the country become your classroom through daily and weekend-long excursions throughout "the eternal city" and the Italian countryside. This unique study abroad experience will enrich your academic and cultural pursuits as you walk in the footsteps of emperors and gladiators then enjoy delectable Italian cuisine or perhaps a cappuccino after class in a local cafe. (Did you know that your financial aid follows you to Rome?)

Explore the Rome Campus

Mia Hoyos Murray

Women's Studies 2022
Psychology and Music Double Major

The diverse variety of classes allowed me to tailor my experience to my field and related issues.

Women’s Studies gave me knowledge and awareness of social justice that facilitates a better understanding of the communities I will serve. Consistent focus on intersectional oppression and interlocking identities made me re-evaluate my beliefs and relationship to the world.

Antonia Kosnoski

Women's Studies 2022
Sociology & Criminology Major with a Minor in Women’s Studies, WMS Student Representative

I am a better woman for minoring in women's studies.

The women's studies minor at Assumption University has opened my eyes to the many issues that women face, and continue to fight, in our society. I am a better woman for minoring in women's studies and I will continue to fight for other women in times of need.

Caitlin Mathers

Women's Studies 2022
Minor in Women’s Studies

The Women's Studies Minor has allowed me to take my knowledge of social justice to a deeper level.

I hope to become a social worker in the future and this program has given me insight into various issues on the macro and micro level that affect women globally. I love that this minor offers a wide variety of classes that you can tailor to your preferences.

Kaelin Lozier

Women's Studies 2021
Double Major in Women’s Studies and Psychology; Graduate Student at Southern Connecticut State University

The Women’s Studies Program and its advisors invested in the expansion of my feminist worldview.

I began to comprehend my own unique being and understand the impact of societal norms on the performance of gender. The program cultivated my desire to continue my education and attend Graduate school to receive my Master's in Social Work and Women and Gender Studies.

Shining Their Light

Mia Hoyos Murray

Women's Studies 2022
Psychology and Music Double Major

The diverse variety of classes allowed me to tailor my experience to my field and related issues.

Women’s Studies gave me knowledge and awareness of social justice that facilitates a better understanding of the communities I will serve. Consistent focus on intersectional oppression and interlocking identities made me re-evaluate my beliefs and relationship to the world.

Antonia Kosnoski

Women's Studies 2022
Sociology & Criminology Major with a Minor in Women’s Studies, WMS Student Representative

I am a better woman for minoring in women's studies.

The women's studies minor at Assumption University has opened my eyes to the many issues that women face, and continue to fight, in our society. I am a better woman for minoring in women's studies and I will continue to fight for other women in times of need.

Caitlin Mathers

Women's Studies 2022
Minor in Women’s Studies

The Women's Studies Minor has allowed me to take my knowledge of social justice to a deeper level.

I hope to become a social worker in the future and this program has given me insight into various issues on the macro and micro level that affect women globally. I love that this minor offers a wide variety of classes that you can tailor to your preferences.

Kaelin Lozier

Women's Studies 2021
Double Major in Women’s Studies and Psychology; Graduate Student at Southern Connecticut State University

The Women’s Studies Program and its advisors invested in the expansion of my feminist worldview.

I began to comprehend my own unique being and understand the impact of societal norms on the performance of gender. The program cultivated my desire to continue my education and attend Graduate school to receive my Master's in Social Work and Women and Gender Studies.

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Women's Studies

Women’s Studies is an interdisciplinary program focused on the study of women and gender. Students in this program explore important questions about gendered identities, gendered systems of discrimination, and how we may work towards gender equity and social justice.

Women's Studies Program

An Ideal Place To Learn

All classes taught by professors, none by teaching assistants

Students from 33 states and 11 countries

Student/Faculty ratio

Program Curriculum

Experiential Learning

Learn the Skills Employers Seek

Faculty/Student Research

Study Abroad

Internships

Assumption's Rome Campus

The diverse variety of classes allowed me to tailor my experience to my field and related issues.

Women’s Studies gave me knowledge and awareness of social justice that facilitates a better understanding of the communities I will serve. Consistent focus on intersectional oppression and interlocking identities made me re-evaluate my beliefs and relationship to the world.

I am a better woman for minoring in women's studies.

The women's studies minor at Assumption University has opened my eyes to the many issues that women face, and continue to fight, in our society. I am a better woman for minoring in women's studies and I will continue to fight for other women in times of need.

The Women's Studies Minor has allowed me to take my knowledge of social justice to a deeper level.

I hope to become a social worker in the future and this program has given me insight into various issues on the macro and micro level that affect women globally. I love that this minor offers a wide variety of classes that you can tailor to your preferences.

The Women’s Studies Program and its advisors invested in the expansion of my feminist worldview.

I began to comprehend my own unique being and understand the impact of societal norms on the performance of gender. The program cultivated my desire to continue my education and attend Graduate school to receive my Master's in Social Work and Women and Gender Studies.

Shining Their Light

The diverse variety of classes allowed me to tailor my experience to my field and related issues.

Women’s Studies gave me knowledge and awareness of social justice that facilitates a better understanding of the communities I will serve. Consistent focus on intersectional oppression and interlocking identities made me re-evaluate my beliefs and relationship to the world.

I am a better woman for minoring in women's studies.

The women's studies minor at Assumption University has opened my eyes to the many issues that women face, and continue to fight, in our society. I am a better woman for minoring in women's studies and I will continue to fight for other women in times of need.

The Women's Studies Minor has allowed me to take my knowledge of social justice to a deeper level.

I hope to become a social worker in the future and this program has given me insight into various issues on the macro and micro level that affect women globally. I love that this minor offers a wide variety of classes that you can tailor to your preferences.

The Women’s Studies Program and its advisors invested in the expansion of my feminist worldview.

I began to comprehend my own unique being and understand the impact of societal norms on the performance of gender. The program cultivated my desire to continue my education and attend Graduate school to receive my Master's in Social Work and Women and Gender Studies.

First-rate Academics in a Catholic University Setting

Assumption is dedicated to providing a clear understanding of what your education will cost

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