Bachelor of Arts in Women's and Gender Studies

at Kaplan Group - Simmons University USA

In our media arts program you'll learn to communicate, uplift, educate, and create change through visual storytelling.

You'll explore the art and science of communicating across multiple media — including drawing, video, animation, digital imaging, web, photography, and radio — and gain confidence in your own vision. And you'll do it in Boston, with close proximity to the MFA, the ICA and numerous other world-class art museums and galleries.

Work on projects for local, non-profit clients with a team of your peers in our communications workplace, Studio 5, or tackle creative opportunities like working on Commtracks, our award winning senior magazine. You'll hone your advanced aesthetic abilities and apply them to real-world projects. Our students develop a keen understanding of all communications disciplines, from graphic design to journalism, making them instrumental to any creative workplace.

Boston ranks in the top 5 US media markets. You'll have countless exciting and rigorous internship and career opportunities at your finger tips. Our students go on to jobs in television, multimedia, web and video production.

In the Philosophy program, you'll question life's deepest intricacies.

We like students who ask the tough questions
Our aim isn't to memorize facts, but to explore complex problems and competing perspectives through critical analysis and reflection. Our students gain the ability to express their values and thoughts clearly in both speech and writing.

The extensive talents of our Philosophy students can be applied to any field, including law, journalism, business, social work, medicine, education and writing.

Deepen your understanding (and enjoyment) of literature by examining the intricate threads woven through the works of writers ranging from Shakespeare and Dickens to Toni Morrison and Jhumpa Lahiri.

Studying English nurtures your creative spirit while sharpening your skills
You'll study poetry, drama, novels, children's literature, films, and television—guided by award-winning faculty with expertise in prose, poetry, drama, children's literature, and media studies—and discover your own style and talent as an analytical and creative writer, as well as your own skills as a literary critic.

Our students go on to careers in law, publishing, advertising, business, government service, technology, media, journalism, writing and teaching. As an English major, with the ability to read carefully, analyze complex and sophisticated material, and communicate clearly in written and verbal form, your skills will always be in demand.

The intellectual domain of Africana Studies (AST) consists of four major areas:

• The study of African and European American relationships beginning in the 16th century.
• The study of African/African American community building, i.e., African Americans’ founding and organization of economic, educational, religious, and cultural institutions and related achievements of self-determination.
• Africanity and diaspora studies in the Americas, Africa, and Europe.

Africana women’s studies which seeks to study race, gender, and culture in ways that allow us to understand often interrelated diasporic experiences across the globe.
Each of these areas may be examined further by focusing upon specializations in the humanities (e.g., literature, film, journalism), social sciences (e.g., research, public policy, health care), physical sciences (e.g., environmental studies), interdisciplinary studies (e.g., women’s and gender studies, management, education) or in professional programs (nursing, teacher preparation, social work). An AST major or minor is appropriate for students with strong interests in studies of Americans of color; in the intersectional study of race, gender, and class in the humanities or social sciences; or in one or more subject areas indicated above. The department prepares students for the labor market and continued professional and graduate training by providing a solid foundation of critical, analytical, and technological skills. Pre-graduation internships are available for all interested students. Study abroad and modern language skills are highly recommended. Students interested in dual degree programs or self-designed majors should consult with program faculty to design an individualized program.

The goals of the Program in Women’s and Gender Studies are to educate students in the theoretical, empirical, and methodological perspectives for considering the status and experiences of women; to consider gender in diverse national and international contexts by studying the multiple and contested meanings and roles of gender; and to develop an understanding of how gender is related to other social categories including race, class, age, sexuality, religion, and nationality. Women’s and Gender Studies courses, whether taken as part of the major or to enrich another discipline, invite students to understand past and present experiences in order to prepare for challenges and opportunities in their future personal, work, and social lives. Majoring in Women’s and Gender Studies has led to careers in management, law, academia, counseling, education, library, museum or archival work, health care, social services, public administration, writing, publishing, and the media.

Learning Outcomes:
Upon graduation students with a BA in Women’s and Gender Studies will have gained the following skills, knowledge, and abilities:

• Critical-Historical Awareness – Students will be adept at considering gender in diverse national and international contexts as a result of studying the multiple and contested meanings and roles of gender from an historical, a multidisciplinary, and a trans-national perspective and will have developed an understanding of how gender is related to other social categories such as race, ethnicity, social class, sexuality, religion, and nationality.
• Interdisciplinary Content – Students will have acquired theoretical, methodological, and empirical perspectives for studying and critically analyzing the history, status, and experiences of women from diverse backgrounds.
• Disciplinary Skills – Students will be skilled at integrating theory and practice and will be able to communicate effectively in both writing and speaking.
• Practical Skills – Through independent learning or internships, students will be prepared to enter the workplace, graduate programs, and community-based volunteer work with an understanding of social justice issues informed by interdisciplinary scholarship and feminist perspectives.
• Leadership Skills – Students will continue in leadership roles that they have either begun or further developed while at Simmons.

You'll learn to speak and write articulately in Spanish, and immerse yourself in Spanish culture from history to literature.

The ability to speak Spanish is a critical skill in today's world
Our students are ambitious, compassionate and diligent, broadening their understanding of issues and perspectives in Spanish and Hispanic American cultures.

No matter your career path, fluency in the Spanish language will set you apart from the competition. We encourage our students to develop their global perspective through study abroad opportunities. Our students go on to successful careers in fields such as law, health, business, government and education.

The Accounting major is a gateway to lucrative opportunities in a wide variety of exciting professional careers. Students will master the knowledge and skills needed to pass the CPA, CMA, or CIA exams. Whether your goal is to be an officer in a CPA firm, lead an accounting department in industry, establish a private practice, or any of a host of other possibilities, our accounting program will help you get there.

You will be able to immerse yourself in a subject you love as you prepare yourself for a career that brings you lifelong joy.

At Simmons, we believe in your passion for music
You can focus on music history or performance, or study music as part of arts administration. You'll enjoy Boston's rich music and cultural scene and attend concerts by world-renowned orchestras and performers. You will benefit from the extracurricular groups and partnerships designed just for our students. These include the Simmons Concert Choir, many performing arts opportunities and private lessons at the New England Conservatory. View performances and listen to samples of our students' work.

Our students find success in a wide variety of fields, including teaching, performance, arts management, marketing and development.

You'll critically understand every element of website development — from designing the perfect layout to writing the code behind the scenes — and build innovative, interactive websites.

The World Wide Web has driven a need for web designers and developers. People who understand both the art and the science of web development are particularly valued. Graduates will have a firm understanding of the principles of design as well as an understanding of the technical issues involved in the development of an active website. Students graduating from this major will have an advantage over traditional web designers because they will have both a clear understanding of the elements of web development and deep knowledge of the elements of design.

This major combines existing classes from the Communications and Computer Science programs to create a cohesive major in Web Design & Development. It seeks to draw students who are interested in integrating the two facets of website creation, rather than focusing on either the Graphic Design concentration or the Computer Science major.

A Bachelor of Arts in Writing trains you to write with insight, clarity, and creativity. It prepares you for a variety of career paths or further degree programs.

Students will develop appreciation for the art of writing and hone their own skills as writers. They  will be able to read closely, produce creative and critical written pieces driven by their own insights in conversation with the ideas of others, do research independently, reflect critically on their own writing, and talk intelligently about their insights in discussions or formal presentations.

Our students develop sophisticated understandings of writing through reading and producing essays, short stories, poems, and public humanities writings. Students learn to read with a writers’ eye by analyzing the craft of published authors.  They sharpen their critical skills and their writing technique by participating in peer workshops.  Guided by award-winning faculty who are poets, novelists, literary scholars, and cultural critics, Writing majors discover their own style and talent as thinkers and writers.

Writing majors learn to read with discernment and write with clarity and force. Such abilities enrich students’ personal lives while providing them with practical skills that serve them well in their professional lives. Writing majors discover their own voices, learn to collaborate and revise, develop skills of critical analysis and creative expression, and gain confidence in themselves as independent thinkers.