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This archived information is dated to the 2011-12 academic year only and may no longer be current.

For currently applicable policies and information, see the current Stanford Bulletin.

Bachelor of Arts in Feminist Studies

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Feminist Studies

The major in Feminist Studies requires 63 units and may be taken as a single major, as one of multiple majors, or as a secondary major. If taken as one of multiple majors, none of the 63 units counted toward the major in Feminist Studies may overlap with units counted toward the major in another department or program. If taken as a secondary major, up to 30 of the units counted toward the Feminist Studies major may also be counted as fulfilling the major requirements in another department or program if that department or program consents. A maximum of 10 of the 63 units for the major may be taken on a credit/no credit or satisfactory/no credit basis; a maximum of 10 units may be taken as independent study or directed reading. FEMST core courses must be taken for a letter grade.

The major should be declared before the beginning of the junior year. Students declare the major by developing a proposal with the help of the program mentor and a faculty adviser from the list of resource faculty. The proposal describes the student's thematic focus and outlines a course of study. The proposal must be approved by the student's adviser and the Program Director.

CURRICULUM

The major in Feminist Studies includes a total of at least 12 courses at the 100 level or above for 63 units. The courses are divided among the core, the focus, and electives to reach the total course requirement.

THE CORE
  1. FEMST 101. Introduction to Feminist Studies. This course must be taken before FEMST 103.
  2. Designated feminist theory course. The Feminist Studies web site lists courses that fulfill the theory requirement this year.
  3. FEMST 103. Feminist Theories and Methods Across the Disciplines. Prerequisite: FEMST 101.
  4. FEMST 104A,B. Practicum.
  5. One Feminist Studies or cognate course in the social sciences. (e.g. Anthropology, Communication, Education, History, Human Biology, Law, Medicine, Political Science, Psychology, or Sociology).
  6. One Feminist Studies or cognate course in the humanities (e.g. English, Linguistics, Philosophy, Religious Studies, the arts, and languages).
PRACTICUM

The practicum (FEMST 104A, B) brings together theory and practical experience. The practicum should involve field research, community service, or other relevant experience such as a public service internship. Students plan their practicum during Winter Quarter of the junior year in FEMST 104A, Junior Seminar and Practicum (1 unit). The practicum is normally done over the summer between junior and senior year, and may be taken for additional units. It is followed by FEMST 104B, Senior Seminar and Practicum (2 units), in Autumn Quarter of the senior year.

THE FOCUS

Every student designs a thematic focus consisting of at least five courses in addition to the core. The thematic focus isnot declared on Axess; it does not appear on the transcript or diploma.

  1. The focus should be designed in consultation with the student's advisers. The following are examples, and students are encouraged to develop new ones:
    • Chicana Feminisms
    • Crosscultural Perspectives on Gender
    • Feminist Perspectives on Science and Technologies
    • Gender and Education
    • Gender, Race, and Nation/Transnational Feminisms
    • Gender Justice and Human Rights
    • Masculinities
    • Queer/LGBT Studies
    • Race, Class and Gender
    • Women, Creativity, and the Arts
    • Gender, Health and Medicine
    • Gender, Spirituality and Religion
  2. At least three of the focus courses should be Feminist Studies or cognate courses.
  3. At least one course should be a major survey, methodology, or theory course offered by a department or interdepartmental program as an initiation into the practice of study in the field.
  4. At least one course within the thematic focus should address race/ethnicity and/or global perspectives.
ELECTIVES

Students are encouraged to take electives that provide intellectual breadth and contribute to the 63-unit requirement..

WRITING IN THE MAJOR (WIM)

Majors in Feminist Studies may satisfy the Writing in the Major (WIM) requirement by taking FEMST 153, Women and the Creative Imagination, or one of the approved WIM cognate courses. Honors students satisfy the WIM requirement through their honors work.

HONORS CERTIFICATION

FEMINIST STUDIES MAJORS/MINORS

Admission—The honors program offers an opportunity to do independent research for a senior thesis. It is open to students with a grade point average (GPA) of 3.3 or better in course work in Feminist Studies. Students must begin the application process for honors certification by meeting with the program mentor by May 1 of their junior year, but are encouraged to apply earlier. During the application process, students will design a project in consultation with their proposed thesis adviser and the Feminist Studies staff. A proposal describing the project and the number of units to be taken toward the honors directed project must be submitted to the director of the program for final approval. All projects must have a primary focus on gender or sexuality. See the Feminist Studies web site for details.

Requirements—

  1. In addition to the normal requirements for the major, students enroll in FEMST 105 with their honors thesis adviser for 10-15 units towards the preparation of the honors thesis. These units may be distributed throughout the academic year.
  2. Throughout the senior year, students work with faculty advisers and meet quarterly as a group. The final thesis must be submitted by the last day of classes in the Spring of their senior year. The completed thesis must carry the adviser's signature of approval. Creative projects must include a section of critical analysis. For guidelines, see http//feminist.stanford.edu.
MAJORS IN OTHER DEPARTMENTS

Honors certification in Feminist Studies for majors in other departments or programs, as distinguished from honors for students pursuing a major in Feminist Studies, is intended to complement study in any major.

Admission—Honors certification is open to students majoring in any field with a GPA of 3.3 or better.

As a prerequisite, students must complete the following courses with a grade of (B+) or better:

  1. FEMST 101 and a designated feminist theory course
  2. or three Feminist Studies courses and/or cognate courses related to the topic of their proposed honors research.

Students must begin the application process for honors by meeting with the program staff by May 1st of their junior year, but are encouraged to begin earlier. During the application process, students outline a plan for course work and design an honors project in consultation with their proposed thesis adviser. The final proposal describing the project and the number of units to be taken toward the honors directed project must be submitted to the Director of the program for final approval. See the Feminist Studies web site for more details.

Requirements—

  1. Students enroll in FEMST 105 with their honors thesis adviser for 10-15 units towards the preparation of the honors thesis. These units may be distributed throughout the academic year.
  2. Throughout the senior year, students work with faculty advisers and meet quarterly as a group. The final thesis must be submitted by the last day of classes in the Spring of their senior year. The completed thesis must carry the adviser's signature of approval. Creative projects must include a section of critical analysis. For more information, see http//feminist.stanford.edu.

COGNATE COURSES

The following is a partial list of cognate courses for Feminist Studies. Please refer to the program web site for updated lists throughout the year. See department listings for course descriptions and General Education Requirements (GER) information. See degree requirements above or the program mentor for applicability of these courses to a major or minor program.

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