Online Women’s Studies Degrees

General Information About Womenís Studies Degree Programs

How you will embark on womenís studies will depend on your particular college or university. Some schools offer a minor in womenís studies as part of a four-year Bachelor of Arts program in another discipline such as sociology or philosophy. Some live and online universities offer two-year or shorter certification programs or Associate of Arts degrees in womenís studies. There are a limited number of graduate programs in womenís studies; many students with a B.A. in womenís studies will choose to pursue a master's degree or doctorate in a related discipline with a focus on womenís studies.

Womenís Studies Degree Study Options

A Bachelor of Arts in Womenís Studies at universities or colleges that offer them will typically take about four years to complete. Many colleges and universities will allow the student to earn a bachelor's degree with a major in a related field and a minor in womenís studies. These programs also can be typically completed in four years and will prepare the student for graduate work or a career in womenís studies.

Advanced Womenís Studies Degrees

Not all schools offer an advanced degree in womenís studies, however, there are definitely some who do, so if you are interested in graduate work in womenís studies specifically, you should do your research. For example, UCLA offers both a Ph.D. in womenís studies, as does the University of Arizona. SUNY Albany and SUNY Buffalo in New York offer womenís studies master's degrees, as does the University of Texas at Austin, which also offers the doctorate. Do your research to find the best graduate school for you as a womenís studies major.

Master's Degrees In Womenís Studies

Programs that offer master's degrees in womenís studies will give the student the opportunity to do more intensive writing and research based on what they learned in their undergraduate womenís studies curriculum. These programs that take around two years to complete, also may ease entry into a competitive doctoral program in womenís studies.

Doctoral Programs In Womenís Studies

Doctoral programs in womenís studies tend to be small, taking 10 or fewer students a year, which means that spots will be very competitive and students will have to work hard to get into one of these programs. Once accepted, the program can take six or more years to complete, as developing, creating and defending the dissertation in womenís studies can be a long and difficult process. Those who successfully complete the doctoral program will be qualified to teach womenís studies at the university level and to do new research in the field of womenís studies.

Choosing A Degree In Womenís Studies

Choosing a womenís studies degree is a great way to get all the benefits of a liberal arts education while focusing on issues particularly relevant to women. Holding a womenís studies degree shows potential employers that you are not only skilled at critical thinking, research and effective writing, but that you are sensitive to cultural differences and how they affect certain groups, in this case, women.

Career Opportunities In Womenís Studies

A bachelor's degree in womenís studies can be a springboard to a number of interesting careers, including social worker, psychologist, health services worker, sociologist, victimís rights advocate, politician and college or university professor.

Earning Potential For Womenís Studies Careers

Earning potential for those with womenís studies degrees vary widely because these students may find themselves on so many different career paths. Social scientists can earn anything from around $50,000 to over $90,000 per year. Counseling psychologists earned on average between $45,300 and $77,750 per year in 2006.

Getting Your Womenís Studies Degrees Online

Womenís studies is a degree not offered by every college or university, meaning a top womenís studies program may not be accessible to all willing students. Fortunately, the Internet provides access to many top quality distance learning programs in womenís studies, be it at the associates, bachelor's or master's level. These programs are also well suited to continuing education students looking to resume their studies on a part-time or off-hours basis.

Getting Your Womenís Studies Degree Offline

Working through a womenís studies curriculum at a brick-and-mortar university is a great way to immerse yourself in the subject matter. You will meet people from a variety of disciplines who are interested in womenís issues and be able to learn a broad spectrum of perspectives. Your coursework can be done under the close watch of your college or universityís womenís studies professors who will help you do the best possible work as you do the necessary research and writing to earn the degree. If your school does not offer graduate work in womenís studies, you can earn a graduate degree in a related discipline or take the time to research womenís studies graduate programs in other parts of the country until you find the one that is best for you.