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Students work with the Gender Studies Program Advisor and faculty affiliates to develop a program of study tailored to their interests in Gender Studies. Students meet AOC requirements by completing courses offered by the Gender Studies and cross-listed and Gender Studies-eligible courses (a roster of 20+ courses are offered each semester), as well as tutorials and ISPs.  In what follows, a “course-equivalent” is defined as an activity representing a full term of work (i.e., a semester-long course, tutorial, or IRP, or alternatively, a January-term ISP, which consists of an intensive monthlong single activity).

The Course Schedule identifies two kinds of cross-listed classes: those that are automatically counted towards fulfilling the Gender Studies requirements and those that are designated as Gender Studies-eligible courses, for which the instructor’s permission must be requested and granted early in that term. Additional or specialized coursework in Gender Studies may take the form of group tutorials or Independent Research Projects, January Interterm Projects (ISPs), volunteer work or internships and other practical experiences, and of course, Senior Projects, including theses.

The Senior Project may be sponsored by any member of the faculty, but at least one committee member should be affiliated or core faculty in Gender Studies and agree to be responsible for evaluating the gender component(s) of the project.

Internships and volunteer service-learning opportunities are recommended for students completing the Joint-Disciplinary AOC and required for the full AOC. Faculty and CEO can help students find local or national placements.

We also encourage students to pursue Gender Studies in an international context; students should consider studying a foreign language or undertaking a semester of study abroad to enhance their understanding of gender beyond the U.S. Some cross-cultural or intersectional work is required for both Joint-Disciplinary and full AOCs. 

Students generally apply for the Gender Studies AOC (joint or full) at the start of their fifth contract.  Students should meet with the Program Advisor or any faculty affiliate to discuss program application or requirements. Click below to submit the application.

APPLY FOR THE GENDER STUDIES PROGRAM

Joint Disciplinary AOC Requirements

Requirements may be met by courses offered by the GSP, and cross-listed or Gender Studies-eligible courses; tutorials and ISPS may also be used, with approval of the sponsoring professor and the GS Program Advisor.

Joint-Disciplinary Gender Studies AOC students need to complete at least 5 full-term equivalents, plus the thesis:

  • Two course-equivalents each in the Humanities (including courses listed as Gender Studies) and in the Social Sciences;
  • One course-equivalent in the Natural Sciences;
  • A course-equivalent on theories of gender and/or sexuality, or feminist theory;
  • One course-equivalent that is explicitly cross-cultural or intersectional (addressing gender as it intersects with race, ethnicity, and/or social class).
  • Note: the theory and intersectional courses may be met with one of the Divisional courses listed above.
  • A senior thesis/project that substantially engages gender-related issues, developed in consultation with your Gender Studies faculty committee member(s);

Requirements for a Full AOC in Gender Studies:

Students generally complete the full AOC requirements with between 8-10 courses, plus the thesis. In addition to the courses required for the Joint-disciplinary AOC (listed above), students must meet four additional requirements:   

  • An Introduction to the Gender Studies (NOTE: an introductory course is offered yearly by the Gender Studies; with permission of the Program Advisor, students may substitute an approved introduction from another institution or 2 introductory courses from different disciplines at NCF cross-listed with Gender Studies)
  • One broadly interdisciplinary course-equivalent;
  • A course in Methods, ideally surveying both qualitative and quantitative research methods. NOTE: Regularly offered courses in the Social and Natural Sciences in methods may, at the discretion of the instructor, fulfill this requirement. Courses in interdisciplinary feminist or sexuality studies methods would also be good choices.
  • An internship, volunteer project, service learning, or other ‘from theory to practice’ experience in gender-related areas.
  • NOTE: At least four of the courses listed for a student’s AOC must be at an advanced level, and those courses must include work in at least two disciplines (or one discipline and one interdisciplinary field, other than Gender Studies).

When undertaking courses or projects not cross-listed under Gender Studies, students must ask faculty to indicate on their term evaluation that their work fulfills Gender Studies requirements and alert the Program Advisor of this arrangement. They may then list the course on their Gender Studies Application Form and get it approved.

Examples of regularly offered courses

Humanities:  Religion and Gender, Topics in Feminist Philosophy, Nineteenth-Century British and American Women Writers, Motherhood: Images and Experience.

Social Sciences: Sociology of Gender and the Body, Queer Studies, Women and Gender in China, Stigma and Prejudice, Intersectionality.

Natural Sciences: Current Issues in Human Genetics, Public Health Disparities, Sex, Gender, Mind and Brain.

Internships:

The Gender Studies program values and encourages students to engage in internships and other extra-curricular activities. These opportunities allow students to gain real-world experience and to prepare for graduate school and employment. Internships are required for all students seeking the full Gender Studies Area of Concentration. Some examples of student internships include:

SPARCC (Safe Place and Rape Crisis Center)
Women’s Resource Center of Sarasota County
Family Law Connection
ALSO Youth 
Planned Parenthood of Southwest and Central Florida

ACADEMIC LEARNING COMPACT