Gender and Women Studies major career options?

Hi Ariella,

First, I'd like to congratulate you on being accepted into one of the top universities in the country! Now, to answer your question. Back in 1995 two researchers, Barbara Luebke and Mary Ellen Reilly, set out to discover what careers graduates of women's & gender studies pursued. Below is what they found:

"Administrator of a human services department
Advocate for victims of domestic violence and hate crimes
Artist
Associate director of a human rights organization
Business owner
Clergy
Communications consultant
Congressional aide
Coordinator of a women’s health clinic
Director of social service agency
Executive director of a foundation
Film production assistant
Flight instructor
Journalist
Law enforcement officer
Librarian
Manager of energy conservation
Musician
Novelist
Nurse practitioner
Physician
Professor
Program director of a rape crisis center
Psychologist
Psychotherapist
Public health educator
Public relations director
Social worker
Teacher
Theater staff
Town manager
Union organizer"

Just a year and a half ago Fast Company published an article about how tech company CEO's want liberal arts majors. The article states that "tech CEOs across the country agree that liberal arts training—with its emphasis on creativity and critical thinking—is vital to the success of their business."
http://www.fastcompany.com/3034947/the-future-of-work/why-top-tech-ceos-want-employees-with-liberal-arts-degrees

It's really no understatement to say that you can quite literally pursue any career you want. It's important to note that selecting a particular major doesn't limit you to one or two career fields. My old boss was a Philosophy major and now works as an Operations Analyst. A friend of mine majored in Journalism and works full-time as an Academic Advisor (he does freelance writing though).

To speak specifically to your interest in helping people in other countries there many options you can consider. Here are a few of them:

Peace Corp: http://www.peacecorps.gov/ (This could be a 2 year volunteer comittment or they also have shorter-term programs)

UNICEF: http://www.unicef.org/

Religious: If you have a religious affiliation there is a strong likelihood that you'll be able to serve/volunteer internationally through existing programs.

Admittedly, this is a small list but it's a starting place to give you an idea of possible options. You may also wish to check out Weslayn's study abroad and volunteer opportunities as well:

http://www.wesleyan.edu/cgs/osa/options/index.html

http://www.wesleyan.edu/ocs/volunteer.html

I hope this helps and please continue to post your questions on this forum. Best of luck!

Like you, I had a deep curiosity about travel / internationalism and multi-culturalism. I have a liberal arts degree and it has allowed me to have a successful career in Marketing/Communications. I studied abroad and wish I had done more volunteer/voluntourism work. With my current job, I travel all over the world - mostly to Asia - and live my passion. I am also able, as Communications Manager, to impact the lives of others through my company's CSR programs, which is important to me.

It sounds like you could have a promising career at a non-profit/NGO etc. I always advise students to study something that interests them, and sculpt your dream career around that.

Good luck!