Feminist Studies Major Requirements

Feminist Studies Major Requirements Effective 2018*

Feminist Studies majors must complete 10 courses and a senior comprehensive exit requirement in the feminist studies program (as noted below).

Requirements for the Feminist Studies Major:

  • Three core courses (must be taken at UCSC)
    • FMST 1, Feminism Studies: An Introduction
    • One FMST 10 - 41 or another lower-division course taught by Feminist Studies Affiliated Faculty (refer to the Department Directory).
    • FMST 100, Feminist Theories
  • Seven additional upper-division courses - Courses may be chosen from within the Feminist Studies Department or from FMST-Affiliated Departments. Refer to the Tentative Course List for approved courses.
  • One senior exit requirement (FMST 194 or FMST 195). Choices include a senior seminar taught by a Feminist Studies core faculty, writing a senior thesis, or producing a senior project. Check the senior exit requirement page for specific guidelines.

Because feminist studies is an interdisciplinary major and lists courses taught by affiliated faculty in other departments, feminist studies majors must take a minimum of five courses at UCSC taught directly in the Feminist Studies Department, i.e., courses designated FMST, not including internships or tutorials (FMST 193/198 or 199).

One five-unit individual study tutorial (FMST 199) can be used to fulfill a FMST major elective requirement, and one five-unit internship (FMST 193 [on campus] or FMST198 [off campus]) can be used to fulfill a FMST major elective requirement. Subsequent individual studies/internships can be used to obtain credit towards graduation, but not towards the major. 

The individual study tutorial (FMST 199) process is initiated by contacting a FMST faculty member for sponsorship.

For internships (FMST 193 or FMST 198) please refer to the internships list and contact the agencies directly to find out if any current positions are available. If you are interested in an internship that does not appear on the internships list, be prepared to submit a full description of the internship for approval. To initiate the internship for credit process, students should email FMST Undergraduate Program Director Professor Madhavi Murty and cc FMST Advisor Anne Eickelberg to discuss this process and fill out this form to get approval and a code to enroll in the FMST 193 or 198. Please note that students must complete a minimum of 50 hours of work at their internship, certified by their internship supervisor, and also must complete an internship end of quarter report in order to receive FMST credit. 

At most three courses may be transferred to count toward the major, including three Education Abroad Program (EAP) courses or courses from another university.

Letter Grade Requirement

Letter grades are required for 10 of the 11 courses applied toward the feminist studies major, including course 100 and the senior comprehensive course (194 or 195).

All Feminist Studies majors are expected to attend occasional meetings during the year, at which matters of general concern to all majors are discussed.


*Please note, the FMST major requirements were revised effective Fall 2018. Students admitted to UCSC prior to Fall 2018 may abide by old catalog rights or adhere to the new requirements. If you are a continuing FMST major admitted prior to Fall 2018 who has already declared a Concentration in FMST, please refer to the FMST Major requirements for 2017-18


Regarding Catalog Rights and FMST Major Requirements: Students may follow the degree requirements from either the UCSC General Catalog published at the time of entering UCSC or subsequent catalog(s). Students need not follow a catalog in its entirety, but may elect to follow different catalog years. Please see your advisor if you have any questions about this.




What are Catalog Rights?