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On Education Planner BC select the program "Arts - Gender, Sexualities & Women's Studies - Associate Degree"
Gender studies, sexuality studies and women’s studies are important parts of understanding the socio-cultural, economic and psychological inequities that happen around the world. The Associate of Arts degree in Gender, Sexualities and Women’s Studies offers an intersectional, collaborative and intellectually stimulating space where you can explore topics such as the contributions of women throughout history; feminism and social justice; the intersections of gender with sexualities, race, class and more.
What kind of job can you get with a Gender Studies degree?
An Associate Degree in Gender, Sexualities and Women’s Studies enhances your knowledge and allows you to bring a unique skill set to a wide variety of careers and further education including nursing, child and family services, youth justice, therapeutic recreation, social work, rehabilitation sciences, psychiatric nursing, psychology, policing, law, journalism, education and criminology.
What is an Associate degree?
Associate degrees take two years to complete and concentrate on one area of study. If you plan your courses carefully with a university program in mind, you’ll be able to transfer all 60 credits to university. In most cases, an associate degree will allow you to enter the third year of a four-year bachelor's degree program. To ensure your courses transfer, see the B.C. Transfer Guide.
Get paid, full-time work experience during your studies
Put your skills to work by joining the optional Co-operative Education Program, which alternates semesters of study with paid, full-time work in your field. You’ll earn money while gaining experience, building your resumé and getting an employer reference, all before you graduate. To participate in Co-op you need to plan two semesters in advance, so we strongly recommend contacting the Co-op Office at the start of your program.
Applicants must meet the admission requirements listed below:
Calculate your tuition and see the approximate cost of taking your program at Douglas College with the tuition & fee estimator. See costs broken down into categories including tuition fees, textbooks, student activity fees, U-Pass and more.
For more information, refer to the tuition fee charts.
Graduation Requirements:
Course Requirements:
This program will allow students to graduate with a provincially-recognized two-year Associate Degree with a thematic focus in the area of gender, sexualities and women's studies (GSWS). Students must meet the general requirements for an Associate of Arts Degree at Douglas College and the following specific program requirements:
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LIST A |
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Students must complete 2 of the following courses |
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Course Number |
Course Title |
Credits |
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Introduction to Feminisms: Silences, Voices and Experiences |
3.00 |
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Contemporary Issues in Gender, Sexualities, and Women's Studies |
3.00 |
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| Introduction to Contemporary Issues in Sexuality Studies |
3.00 |
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Students must complete the following course |
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| Course Number | Course Title | Credits |
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Gender Today: Exploring Gender in Contemporary Contexts |
3.00 |
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Students must choose at least six courses from List B.
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LIST B |
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Course Number |
Course Title |
Credits |
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The Anthropology of Gender and Sexuality |
3.00 |
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The Female Offender |
3.00 |
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ENGL lit course** |
Designated sections of ENGL literature courses |
3.00 |
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Social Geography |
3.00 |
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Reproductive Justice |
3.00 |
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History of Sexuality |
3.00 |
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Women, Gender, and Sexuality in Canada, 1600 to 1870 |
3.00 |
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Women, Gender, and Sexuality in Canada, 1870 to the present |
3.00 |
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Philosophy and Feminist Thought |
3.00 |
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Psychology of Women |
3.00 |
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Gender Relations |
3.00 |
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Women in Society |
3.00 |
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Families and Social Change |
3.00 |
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| Masculinities and Society | 3.00 | |
*Course may have prerequisites. Please check the Program and Course Catalogue.
**For the relevant sections of English literature courses, please consult the English Department Chair.
Students are free to choose their remaining electives from any area but may want to consider that the following courses have some GSWS-related content:
The following are the general requirements for an Associate of Arts Degree at any BC college:
*English courses can include courses in written Communications (CMNS) and Creative Writing (CRWR) that transfer to one of the BC research universities (SFU, UBCV, UBCO, UVIC or UNBC) as English credit. A maximum of 3 credits can come from such an equivalent; at least 3 credits must be earned in an actual ENGL course, so-named. For purposes of the Associate of Arts degree, English courses cannot be counted as Humanities courses.
** Arts courses are available in the Faculty of Languages, Literature, and Performing Arts, and the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences. To confirm whether a course is designated as "humanities" or "sccial sciences", check the Associate of Arts Degree Graduation Requirement Checklist. Economics courses are Arts courses. Arts courses may also include Mathematics courses.
Definitions:
A course is defined by the subject for which it is granted transfer credit at one of the research universities (SFU, UBCV, UBCO, UNBC, or UVIC).
For detailed information you should meet with a Student Success Advisor.
Co-operative Education Option:
Students enrolled in this program may be eligible for a Co-operative Education designation. Co-operative Education involves alternating full-time academic and work terms. For information contact the Co-operative Education Office.
Program Guidelines for previous years are viewable by selecting the version desired. If you took this program and do not see a listing for the starting semester / year of the program, consider the previous version as the applicable version.
Career opportunities include: