Value of a GWSS Degree

Studying Gender, Women’s & Sexuality Studies (GWSS) at EWU offers students a diversity of perspectives on a wide variety of topics, including intersectionality of race, class, gender, disability, religion, and sexuality. GWSS offers a meaningful path for students who care about social change. Along the GWSS path, students will develop a sense of empowerment and community. The GWSS major develops students’ critical thinking skills and teaches about all forms of oppression. Students will learn the ways in which gender and sexuality are central in identity formation and how they influence systems that impact our lives. This major is a great fit with a second major or a supporting minor. We offer choice in your academic plan through many elective options as you work through our major requirements. Our faculty are from a variety of disciplines.

Find out more about the “history, praxis, and implementation” of Gender, Women’s & Sexuality Studies in the open source book, Persistence is Resistance: Celebrating 50 Years of Gender, Women & Sexuality Studies.

Relevant statistics:

  • 69% of executives rate diversity and inclusion as an important issue. That percentage has increased from 59% in 2014. Source
  • 57% of employees think that their company should be doing more to prioritize diversity among its workforce. Source
  • 84% of social science grads were employed 3.5 years after graduation vs. 78% of STEM and 79% of arts and humanities grads. Source
  • 75% of millennials indicated that part of the value of a degree is an opportunity to pursue passions and contribute to society. Source
  • Inclusive companies are 1.7 times more likely to be innovation leaders in their market than non-inclusive companies. Source
  • Inclusive companies have 2.3 times higher cash flow per employee over a three-year period than non-inclusive companies. Source

GWSS and Employment

“Since it covers so many different subjects, you have a broad range of job opportunities; you’re not tied to a specific field like you would be with a marine biology or accounting degree. With whatever job(s) you end up having, you can apply what you’ve learned from Women’s Studies to any situation — it’s not so much a career choice as it is a life choice; you’re adopting a new perspective that you’ll use in every relationship, every job, and every circumstance.” – Hilary Watchler for Thought Catalog

GWSS graduates often work in:

  • Business
  • Government
  • Law
  • Media, public relations, journalism, and communications
  • Social change and social service-oriented non-profit organizations

GWSS graduates also often go on to attend graduate school in:

  • Africana Studies, American Indian Studies, and Chicanx Studies
  • Communications
  • Gender, Women’s & Sexuality Studies
  • Law
  • Philosophy
  • Political Science
  • Psychology
  • Social Work