Feminist Studies Major

Students planning to major in Feminist Studies must formally declare before enrolling for their third year (or equivalent). Students admitted to the University of California with upper-division standing must formally declare their major field during their second term of residency. Students who remain undeclared after the aforementioned deadline will not be able to access AIS for enrollment in their courses.

All students are required to complete the Declaration of Major form, whether you enter UCSC as a proposed Feminist Studies major, another major, or undecided. We recommend that you begin the process as soon as possible. The form must be completed within the first four weeks of the quarter to be effective for course enrollment in the following quarter. There are no prerequisite courses that must be satisfied before declaring the Feminist Studies major. 

Transfer Students are encouraged to declare the major as soon as possible, so that they are assured entrance into the required core courses. FMST 1 and FMST 100 must be completed in the junior year so that students will be prepared to enroll in the senior thesis/project independent study (FMST 195) for one or two quarters of their senior year, a requirement for all students writing a senior thesis or doing a project. FMST 1 and 100 are also prerequisite to enrolling in a senior seminar (FMST 194). The Chair of the Feminist Studies Undergraduate Committee can determine which courses from other colleges will successfully transfer to the major.

Letter Grade Requirement
Effective Fall 2013, 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).

Double Majors
Approximately two-thirds of Feminist Studies majors have a double major or minor in another field. The department welcomes this interest in combining and complicating academic disciplines and offers guidance to students attempting to declare a double major or major/minor. Double majors and major/minors necessitate advance planning and coordination between the departments. For transfer students and students who declare their major(s) later in their academic career, a double major or major/minor requires even greater planning, but it is possible.

If a student wishes to use one senior thesis for both majors, s/he must produce a 50-page thesis using the methodologies and topics relevant to both majors, rather than the 35 pages required for a single major. Students and their academic advisors should meet periodically to determine together which courses will be used for each major.Feminist Studies does not offer a combined major or a minor at this time. All students are welcome in Feminist Studies classes, regardless of their major, though some classes are restricted to FMST majors.