Information and Policies
Introduction
Feminist studies is an interdisciplinary field of analysis in the humanities that investigates how relations of gender are embedded in social, political, and cultural formations. The undergraduate program in feminist studies provides students with a unique interdisciplinary and transnational perspective. The department emphasizes theories and practices derived from multiracial and multicultural contexts. Some topics you will find in our curriculum include: colonialism/postcolonialism; postsocialism; queer and trans theory; visual culture, legal studies; critical race theory; science and technology studies; and social movements.
Feminist studies prepares undergraduates for a variety of careers. The Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) degree in Feminist Studies provides excellent grounding for undergraduates who have career aspirations in, for example, law, health, non-governmental organizations, museum curation, politics, media and film, research institutes, journalism, community organizations, and social services.
Students wishing to pursue doctoral work will also find that interdisciplinary training in feminist studies equips them with theoretical and methodological strengths in most disciplines and applied research fields including American studies, ethnic studies, science studies, anthropology, communications, and legal studies. Specialists in feminist studies are employed as consultants in industry, higher education, and human resources. State and federal government agencies employ people who have special training in understanding gender and race relations. Educational institutions need specialists to develop and administer feminist studies programs, women’s centers, and other institutional structures designed specifically to study and assist marginalized peoples, including women.
Academic Advising for the Program
Email: fmst@ucsc.edu
Phone: (831) 459-1478
Feminist Studies advising is held in Humanities 1, Room 415A. Drop in hours are posted on the Feminist Studies website. Students can make an appointment by using the Slug Success application found under Resources in their student portal (MyUCSC).
Transfer students should also consult the Transfer Student Information and Policy section for specific requirements.
Program Learning Outcomes
Students who complete the feminist studies major should emerge with the following skills, competencies, and knowledge:
Outcome 1: Writing, Reading, and Critical Thought
- Develop writing skills and proficiency
- Perform close reading of texts
- Develop an ability to formulate and defend arguments in writing and oral presentation
- Develop media literacy with a lens of cross-cultural analysis
- Develop a critical understanding of inequities, ethics, racial and gender formations, and social justice issues
Outcome 2: Feminist Methods
The lower-division classes focus on “understanding” and the upper-division courses, especially the senior seminars, focus on “application.”
- Develop an understanding of feminist interdisciplinary methodologies
- Apply interdisciplinary methodology to research and writing
Major Qualification Policy and Declaration Process
Major Qualification
Undeclared students may declare the feminist studies major at any time. While specific courses are not required in order to declare, students ideally will have completed or be enrolled in FMST 1, Feminist Studies: An Introduction.
How to Declare a Major
For a single major, complete the Petition for Major Declaration form and sign it. For a double major or major/minor complete both the Major Declaration form and also an Academic Planning form. Both of these forms must be signed by you and by each departmental adviser.
Familiarize yourself with the content of the Feminist Studies website. Schedule a meeting with the feminist studies adviser during which you will fill out a Feminist Studies Major Requirements worksheet, develop a curriculum plan, and officially declare the major.
If your proposed program exceeds your expected graduation term (EGT), you must visit your college for review and approval of extension of enrollment.
Transfer Information and Policy
Transfer Admission Screening Policy
Students planning to apply in this major are not required to complete specific major preparation courses for consideration of admission to UC Santa Cruz. However, it is highly recommended to complete the Intersegmental General Education Transfer Curriculum (IGETC).
If you have completed prior college-level coursework in feminist studies, women's studies, or a similar field of study, please contact feminist studies advising as soon as possible and provide a copy of your unofficial transcript and course syllabi so the coursework can be reviewed for potential fulfillment of feminist studies major requirements.
Getting Started at UCSC as a Transfer Student
Transfer students are encouraged to declare the major as soon as possible to be assured entrance into the required core courses. Please see the section 'How to Declare a Major' for more details.
The Feminist Studies Department will consider, upon petition, which UC-transferrable courses from other institutions are acceptable. FMST 1, one feminist studies (FMST) lower-division course, and FMST 100 must be completed before the senior year so that the exit requirement may be completed in the senior year.
Transfer students are strongly encouraged to enroll in FMST 75, Feminist Methodologies, a course designed specifically to aid in the transition to UCSC's feminist studies major for incoming transfer students. FMST 75 is offered every fall. This course will also satisfy the one lower-division core course requirement.
Letter Grade Policy
Letter grades are required for 10 of the 11 courses applied toward the feminist studies major. FMST 100 and the senior comprehensive course(s) (FMST 194 or FMST 195) must be taken for a letter grade.
Course Substitution Policy
Feminist studies is an interdisciplinary major that includes courses taught by affiliated faculty in other departments (see the Courses page of the Feminist Studies website for current year offerings). However, feminist studies majors must take a minimum of five courses at UC Santa Cruz taught directly in the Feminist Studies Department, i.e., courses designated FMST, not including FMST 193, FMST 198, or FMST 199. At most three courses may be transferred to count toward the major, including three Education Abroad Program (EAP) courses or courses from another university.
Double Majors and Major/Minor Combinations Policy
The feminist studies major works very well as a double major with fields of study such as community studies, critical race and ethnic studies, sociology, politics, education, legal studies, literature, psychology, and more.
Study Abroad
As stated in the course substitution policy, a maximum of three courses may be transferred to count toward the major, including courses from an Education Abroad Program (EAP).
Honors
Feminist studies awards honors and highest honors in the major. At the end of each quarter, a faculty committee meets to review graduating students’ files. Students are considered for honors and highest honors based on their cumulative GPA, calculated from grades earned in coursework and the senior exit requirement undertaken for completion of the major. For honors, students must earn a minimum GPA of 3.70 in the relevant courses, while for highest honors, the GPA must be 3.90 or higher. Writing a thesis is not a requirement for receiving honors or highest honors.
Requirements and Planners
Course Requirements
Feminist studies majors must complete 11 courses including a senior comprehensive exit requirement in the feminist studies program. The three core courses--FMST 1, one lower-division eminist studies course, and FMST 100--must be taken at UC Santa Cruz absent a petition. A minimum of five feminist studies courses, not including FMST 193, FMST 198, or FMST 199, must be completed for the major.
Lower-Division Courses
Take the following course:
| FMST1 | Feminist Studies: An Introduction | 5 |
And one of these courses:
| FMST10 | Feminisms of/and the Global South | 5 |
| FMST14 | Popular Culture in South Asia | 5 |
| FMST16 | Media Histories--News and New Media | 5 |
| FMST20 | Feminism and Social Justice | 5 |
| FMST21 | Religion in American Politics and Culture | 5 |
| FMST30 | Feminism and Science | 5 |
| FMST40 | Sexuality and Globalization | 5 |
| FMST41 | Trans Gender Bodies | 5 |
| FMST75 | Feminist Methodologies | 5 |
Upper-Division Courses
Students are required to complete FMST 100, Feminist Theories, at UCSC absent a petition.
Electives
Students are required to complete seven upper-division (100-199), 5-credit electives. One independent study (FMST 199) may count toward the elective requirements. FMST 193 or FMST 198 (internship) may be used to count toward the elective requirements.
Feminist studies is an interdisciplinary major that includes courses taught by affiliated faculty in other departments (see the Courses page of the Feminist Studies website for current year offerings). However, feminist studies majors must take a minimum of five courses at UC Santa Cruz taught directly in the Feminist Studies Department, i.e., courses designated FMST, not including FMST 193, FMST 198, or FMST 199. At most three courses may be transferred to count toward the major, including three Education Abroad Program (EAP) courses or courses from another university.
The Feminist Studies Tentative Curriculum is the definitive list of courses offered during the current academic year that will satisfy major requirements and is comprised of courses offered both from within the Feminist Studies Department but also with approved courses originating from many different departments throughout UCSC.
Please consult feminist studies advising with any questions regarding this requirement.
| FMST102 | Feminist Critical Race Studies | 5 |
| FMST112
/POLI 112
| Women and the Law | 5 |
| FMST115 | Gender, Sexuality, and Transnational Migration Across the Americas | 5 |
| FMST120 | Transnational Feminisms | 5 |
| FMST123 | Feminism and Cultural Production | 5 |
| FMST124 | Technology, Science, and Race Across the Americas | 5 |
| FMST125 | Race, Sex, and Technology | 5 |
| FMST126 | Images, Power, and Politics: Methods in Visual and Textual Analysis | 5 |
| FMST131 | The Politics of Matter and the Matter of Politics | 5 |
| FMST132 | Gender and Postcoloniality | 5 |
| FMST133 | Science and the Body | 5 |
| FMST135 | Topics in Science and Sexuality | 5 |
| FMST139 | African American Women's History | 5 |
| FMST145 | Racial and Gender Formations in the U.S | 5 |
| FMST150 | Mediating Desire | 5 |
| FMST175 | Gender and Sexualities in Latina/o America | 5 |
| FMST188 | Topics in Feminist Studies | 5 |
| FMST189 | Advanced Topics in Feminist Theory | 5 |
| FMST193 | Field Study | 5 |
| FMST198 | Independent Field Study | 5 |
| FMST199 | Tutorial | 5 |
Approved Electives in Affiliated Departments
For a list of approved electives for the current year, see the Feminist Studies Tentative Curriculum list.
Division of the Humanities
| APLX112 | Language and Gender | 5 |
| CRES100 | Comparative Theories of Race and Ethnicity | 5 |
| CRES101 | Research Methods and Writing in Critical Race and Ethnic Studies | 5 |
| HIS106B | Asian and Asian American History, 1941-Present | 5 |
| HIS109A | Race, Gender, and Power in the Antebellum South | 5 |
| HIS110A | Colonial America, 1500-1750 | 5 |
| HIS112 | American Feminist Thought, 1750-1950 | 5 |
| HIS113C | Women and American Religious Culture | 5 |
| HIS121B | African American History: 1877 to the Present | 5 |
| HIS128 | Chicana/Chicano History | 5 |
| HIS131 | Women in Colonial Latin America | 5 |
| HIS140C | Revolutionary China 1895-1960 | 5 |
| HIS140D | Recent Chinese History | 5 |
| HIS140E | Women in China's Long 20th Century | 5 |
| HIS145 | Gender, Colonialism, and Third-World Feminisms | 5 |
| HIS150F | Engendering Empires: Women in Modern Japan and Korea | 5 |
| HIS151A | Medicine and the Body in the Colonial World | 5 |
| HIS159B | Women and Gender in Ancient Egypt | 5 |
| HIS194A
/FMST 194N
| Gender, Class, and Sex in Shanghai | 5 |
| HIS194F | Jewish Shanghai | 5 |
| HIS196H | Sex and the City--The History of Sexuality in Urban Areas Around the Globe | 5 |
| HISC113 | History of Capitalism | 5 |
| HISC125 | Queerness and Race | 5 |
| LIT146G | Queer(y)ing Victorian Literature | 5 |
| LIT156A | The Gothic Imagination in Fiction, Film, and Theory | 5 |
| LIT161B | African American Women Writers | 5 |
| LIT166E | Women's Literature | 5 |
| LIT167E | The Vampire in Literature and Popular Culture | 5 |
| PHIL147
/FMST 168
| Topics in Feminist Philosophy | 5 |
Division of Social Sciences
| ANTH110T | Motherhood in American Culture | 5 |
| ANTH130E | Culture and Politics of Island Southeast Asia | 5 |
| ANTH131 | Gender in Cross-Cultural Context | 5 |
| ANTH134 | Medical Anthropology: An Introduction | 5 |
| ANTH148
/FMST 148
| Gender and Global Development | 5 |
| ANTH158 | Feminist Ethnographies | 5 |
| ANTH160 | Reproductive and Population Politics | 5 |
| ANTH194M | Medical Anthropology | 5 |
| ANTH194X | Women in Politics: A Third World Perspective | 5 |
| CMMU151 | Sex, Race, and Globalization | 5 |
| CMMU161 | Gender Health and Justice | 5 |
| EDUC135 | Gender and Education | 5 |
| ECON183
/LGST 183
| Women in the Economy | 5 |
| LALS144 | Mexicana/Chicana Histories | 5 |
| LALS172 | Visualizing Human Rights | 5 |
| LALS175 | Migration, Gender, and Health | 5 |
| POLI103 | Feminist Interventions | 5 |
| POLI105B
/LGST 105B
| Early Modern Political Thought | 5 |
| PSYC107 | Gender and Development | 5 |
| PSYC140G | Women's Lives in Context | 5 |
| PSYC140H | Sexual Identity and Society | 5 |
| PSYC140L | Women's Bodies and Psychological Well-Being | 5 |
| PSYC140Q | Social Psychology of Gender | 5 |
| PSYC140T | Psychology of Trauma | 5 |
| PSYC153 | The Psychology of Poverty and Social Class | 5 |
| PSYC159A | Sexual Identity | 5 |
| PSYC159D | Psychology of Sexual Aggression | 5 |
| SOCY111 | Family and Society | 5 |
| SOCY120 | Gender, Race/Ethnicity, Sexuality and Cultural Politics | 5 |
| SOCY121 | Sociology of Health and Medicine | 5 |
| SOCY126 | Sex and Sexuality as Social Practice and Representation | 5 |
| SOCY132 | Sociology of Science and Technology | 5 |
| SOCY143 | Conversation Analysis | 5 |
| SOCY144 | Sociology of Women | 5 |
| SOCY145 | Sociology of Masculinities | 5 |
| SOCY149 | Sex and Gender | 5 |
| SOCY150 | Sociology of Death and Dying | 5 |
| SOCY157 | Sexualities and Society | 5 |
| SOCY158 | Politics of Sex Work and Erotic Labor | 5 |
| SOCY172 | Sociology of Social Movements | 5 |
| SOCY176 | Women and Work | 5 |
| SOCY187 | Feminist Theory | 5 |
Division of the Arts
The Colleges
| CLTE135 | Apprenticeship in Community Engaged Research | 5 |
| OAKS150 | Queer History and Theory in the United States | 5 |
Disciplinary Communication (DC) Requirement
Students of every major must satisfy that major’s upper-division Disciplinary Communication (DC) requirement. The DC requirement in feminist studies is satisfied by completing the Comprehensive Requirement.
Comprehensive Requirement
Comprehensive requirement options include a senior seminar taught by core faculty or a senior thesis/project. Completion of the Entry Level Writing and Composition Requirements are prerequisites to FMST 194 and FMST 195.
Planners
Four Year Plan
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Winter |
Spring |
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FMST 1 |
FMST 100
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FMST lower-division core |
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| 3rd (junior) |
FMST elective |
FMST elective |
FMST elective |
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FMST elective |
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| 4th (senior) |
FMST elective |
FMST Senior Exit |
FMST elective |
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The courses shown fulfill the CC general education (GE) requirement. Students have to fulfill all other GE requirements.
Two Year Plan for Transfer Students:
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Fall |
Winter |
Spring |
| 3rd (junior) |
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| FMST 1 |
FMST 100 |
FMST eElective
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| FMST lower-division core |
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FMST elective |
| 4th (senior) |
FMST elective |
FMST elective |
FMST Senior Exit |
| FMST elective |
FMST elective |
FMST elective |