Career Possibilities

Students who receive a B.A. in Interdisciplinary Studies with a major option in Women's Studies have completed a liberal arts degree. Students who graduate from our program leave with skills of critical thinking and analysis, clear oral and written communication skills, organizational ability, and the ability to work with others. These general skills are applicable in a wide variety of employment settings, including the business world. There are also jobs in Women's Centers, Rape Crisis and Domestic Violence centers, government programs concerning violence against women, community organizing jobs, and social advocacy jobs for which our majors are specifically qualified.

In order to make sure our graduates are positioned well for the job market, we institute several links between their academic coursework and the work world. The first and most important link is the completion of an Internship (required for the major) which provides students with practical work experience. Our students regularly intern at Humboldt Women for Shelter, Planned Parenthood, North Coast Rape Crisis Center, and the Women's Center on Campus. There are numerous additional internship opportunities available locally as well as nationally or internationally. Advisors work with students to determine internships which will help them develop skills related to their future employment goals. Furthermore, our senior seminar has an applied research component through which students explore opportunities for work and/or graduate study. They research existing organizations, make contact with individuals in these organizations, and make connections which can help them in their job search or applications to graduate school.

Our graduates are prepared to pursue graduate study in Women's Studies, or in a variety of other disciplines and professional programs. In addition, our students are prepared to think critically about issues of diversity, and in this way can be seen as diversity specialists. Our recent graduates have said that this skill contributed to their success in their job searches.

Career Possibilities for our Majors:
(some of these occupations may require additional or specialized coursework)

administrator of nonprofit women's organization
affirmative action officer
attorney
community organizer
computer software designer
coordinator of women's programs in government and business
counselor
editor
environmental activist
international development worker
journalist, legal assistant
lobbyist for women's issues
political advocate
psychologist
rape crisis specialist
researcher on women's projects
social worker
teacher
union organizer
urban planner
women's center director
women's health care specialist
writer