Women’s Studies seeks to deepen the understanding of diverse women’s lives,
cultures, and histories in the United States and around the globe, so the opportunity to study abroad is perfect for our majors and minors. From gender socialization to women’s work to sexual and reproductive policies, every aspect of the field of women’s studies benefits from cross-cultural comparison. Studying
in another country facilitates exploration of such central topics as transnational
feminist movements, the gendered aspects of globalization, and the exchange of
cultural products across national borders. Women’s Studies students can immeasurably enrich their college experience by studying in any of the countries in the UC Education Abroad Program.
Women’s Studies has increasingly moved from a primary focus on the United States to a more global vision of the ways that gender, in interaction with race, class, ethnicity, sexuality, age, nationality, religion, ability, and other differences, shapes the lives of people everywhere. What better way to understand one’s own society than to explore the ways that other cultures organize gender relations differently? Studying abroad offers the potential to open up worlds of understanding.
Living in another country, getting to know a range of people from across
another society, and possibly speaking another language on a daily basis can be a life-changing experience. Whether you choose a university that offers women’s studies courses or one where you might have to look for classes in other departments, you will be exposed to different ways of seeing the world. If you are interested in writing an honors thesis after you return, a term or year abroad could offer the opportunity to do independent research on a topic of your choosing. The experience of studying abroad will serve you well in whatever path you pursue after graduation.
The Women’s Studies program urges you—whether you are a women’s studies
major or minor or a minor in lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer studies—to consider spending part of your undergraduate career at one of the many EAP locations around the world. It is sure to be an unforgettable experience.
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Australia, Barbados, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Costa Rica and France all offer
Women’s Studies programs, but students have the options of taking Women’s Studies related courses in any of our affiliated majors/disciplines (e.g. Soci- ology, Anthropology, Ethnic Studies, Language Studies, Global Studies, etc.)
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Women’s Studies majors typically study abroad their junior or senior year, but can go abroad as early as their sophomore year. It is recommended, but not required, that you complete the preparation for the major prior to studying abroad. It is possible to graduate while abroad, but close consultation with the department undergraduate advisor and with the College of Letters & Science is
essential. Transfer students are eligible to participate as early as their first term at UCSB. For more information, please visit: http://www.eap.ucop.edu/eap /transfer.
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EAP students automatically earn UC credit for the work they complete abroad. However, application for credit to major requirements is subject to the discretion of the student’s major department and approval of the college.
Most universities will offer a range of Women’s/Gender Studies courses, whether within a Women’s Studiesmajor or through one of our affiliated
departments. When looking at courses to take, consider those that you wouldn’t be able to take at UCSB - including Women’s Studies courses that study specific aspects of the host county. While you may find classes that match up to those at UCSB, many of the best are those that are unique to that country.
While abroad, you need to e-mail the course descriptions of the Women’s Studies elective courses you are planning on taking to the undergraduate advisor. The advisor will then tell you how the course would be applicable to the major pending their transfer as upper-division Women’s Studies courses. All courses must be petitioned upon return.
Keep in mind that at least 20 units of upper-division major coursework (or
12 upper-division minor units) must be completed in residence at UCSB
along with other residence requirements. Consult an advisor in the College of Letters & Science for more information.
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Consult the EAP web pages to see what program options are available. An
excellent resource is Course Finder, an online EAP database that lists EAP
courses and allows students to search courses taken by UC students during the last five years by subject, language, and/or location. Find it at http://www.eap. ucop.edu/coursefinder.
More courses may be found by navigation to the host universities’ websites from the Countries page on the system-wide EAP website at http://www.eap.ucop. edu. Click on the flag of the country you wish to explore, then “web links” to get to the website of the host university.
Once you have researched your options, speak to a student peer advisor at the EAP Campus Office, located at 2431 South Hall, to get an application and more information about your future host country. Then make an appointment with an advisor in the College of Letters and Science to discuss general education, residence and other requirements.
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Women’s Studies Program
4631 South Hall
University of California, Santa Barbara
Santa Barbara, CA 93106-7110
Phone: (805) 893-4330
www.womst.ucsb.edu
