Global First Year (3-Semester) - Bachelor of Arts - Women's and Gender Studies

The FIU Global First Year Program combines credit-bearing courses from the first year of a student’s degree with additional support services, instruction tailored to their academic and language level, and cultural experiences to help ensure their future success. Additionally, the Global First Year experience offers more than just academic, language, and cultural growth. With the included Career Accelerator program, students can also gain valuable professional skills that prepare them for a successful career.

The Career Accelerator is specifically designed for international students and includes:

Four semesters of professional development and career guidance

Skills-based training and opportunities for exclusive internships

Unique workshops, real-world experiences, and cross-cultural group work

The Bachelor of Arts in Women’s and Gender Studies (WGS) is an interdisciplinary study of women and gender in cross-cultural and historical perspectives. Students explore how women’s lives have been shaped by history, culture, nationality, class, and other elements of diversity. The program’s courses are coordinated through FIU’s Center for Women’s and Gender Studies, founded in 1982—one of the oldest scholarly centers of its kind in the country. Students also have the opportunity to conduct research with faculty on issues related to women and gender.

A Women’s and Gender Studies major develops skills highly valued by employers, including critical thinking, research, analysis, and presentation skills. Graduates also gain a unique perspective on the layers of identity and how racism, sexism, classism, and ableism are interconnected—and how to strive for a more just, equal, and vibrant society.

The demand for expertise in gender and social justice issues is growing across various professions, including law, medicine, social services, teaching, community development, counseling, public policy, and research. Additional career paths include advocacy for international women’s health and human rights issues. Graduates of the program find success in a variety of fields, such as journalism, law, psychology, medicine, aviation, city management, communications, filmmaking, social work, education, public administration, publishing, writing, nutrition, academia, and labor organizing.