Jobs & Career Resources

Three students in class session

Degrees in Gender & Women's Studies prepare undergraduate and graduate students for a wide variety of careers. The B.A. or B.S. degree in Gender & Women's Studies, for example, provides excellent grounding for careers in law, health, public administration, and social services. Students pursuing doctoral work will find that interdisciplinary training in Gender & Women's Studies gives them with theoretical and methodological strengths in many disciplines and applied research fields. Specialists in Gender & Women's Studies work as consultants in industry, higher education, insurance companies and personnel firms. State and federal government agencies require people with special training for understanding gender relations and social inequality in general. Finally, educational institutions need specialists to develop and administer Gender & women's studies programs, women's centers, and other institutional structures for studying and assisting women.

Job Resources

Graduate and Advanced Degrees

Gender & Women's Studies faculty are an invaluable resource when considering career plans and graduate school. They are familiar with Gender & Women's Studies scholarship in their fields and can often recommend universities or programs most suited to a student's interests and needs. If you plan to attend graduate school, but not immediately after graduation, it is advisable to request letters of recommendation from faculty while you are still enrolled. Graduate schools generally require three letters of recommendation.

Teacher Education and Credentialing

See the Education departments for more information.

Professional Organizations/Printed Resources

The National Women's Studies Association, formed in 1977, is a professional organization dedicated to the social, political, and professional development of Women's Studies throughout the country and the world. To this end, the organization is committed to being a forum conducive to dialogue and collective action among women dedicated to feminist education and change.

NWSA activities include publication of the NWSA Journal, and NWSAction newsletter, organizing a national network of Women's Centers, providing graduate scholarships in Women's Studies, and many other awards and information resources for students.

Student Membership in NWSA is available for $17 per year.

For more information:

National Women's Studies Association (NWSA)
7100 Baltimore Blvd., Suite 500
University of Maryland
College Park, MD 20740
301-403-0525301-403-0525
Email: nwsa@umail.umd.edu