Bachelor of Arts in Women and Gender Studies

at Navitas Group - Queens College, City University of New York USA

A knowledge of German is essential for students interested in past and current cultural, political, and economic developments in Europe. As the largest trading partner in Europe, Germany plays a leading role in European and world affairs—as it has historically. Moreover, the German language is fundamental to a liberal arts education. German-speaking writers, artists, and scholars shaped modern arts, literature, and fields of inquiry, including philosophy, theology, and the natural and social sciences. Germany remains a center of avant-garde art, music, film, and thought. Coursework emphasizes both language proficiency and the study of German literature, art, music, philosophy, history, and culture.

The department offers a wide variety of coursework, with an emphasis on cultural, biological, and archaeological anthropology. The curriculum provides foundations in the study of human origins and development, varieties of human culture, and the cultural and social complexities of the human species.

The study of art is at the core of a liberal arts education. Queens College’s varied curriculum, large faculty, and excellent studio facilities support a variety of interests and aspirations. Students may choose from four main concentrations: art history, covering both Western and non-Western art; studio art, in which students are trained to work in several media; art education, combining a major in studio art with courses in secondary education; and graphic design, in which students learn principles of type and image design for print or web.

?The program focuses on normal communication, its impairment, and rehabilitation of children and adults who have disorders of speech, hearing, and language. It introduces basic speech, language, and hearing science in preparation for graduate study in such areas as acoustic phonetics, psychological and physical acoustics, and psycholinguistics. It also includes pre-professional coursework for students who wish to undertake graduate programs leading to careers as speech-language pathologists and audiologists. Students have the opportunity to observe clinical practice in the Queens College Speech-Language-Hearing Center.

?Comparative Literature is an ideal subject for students with a passion for reading and curiosity about the world. It involves the study of world literature, exploring oral and written works across nations, languages, and cultures and in their historical, social, and cultural contexts. The courses—taught by faculty from all the college’s language and literature departments as well as from philosophy and anthropology—teach students to bring cross-cultural perspectives to the work of close reading and critical writing.
Such training helps launch graduates in professions that require well-developed communication skills, complex reasoning, and multicultural sensitivities. Comparatists work in publishing, journalism, the media, the arts, public relations, and other information industries. Often they work in international and multicultural contexts where foreign-language and translation skills are an asset. Many go on to graduate school as well as to law, medical, and professional schools.

The major and minor in environmental sciences reflect the college’s commitment to interdisciplinary learning and research on the earth and its processes across geologic time. With a choice of concentrations and coursework, students plot a course through a curriculum that addresses the challenges of environmental quality and sustainability. The faculty support this commitment in hands-on courses, laboratories, and fieldwork, with research conducted in the atmospheric sciences, biogeosciences, geochemistry, geology and geophysics, and water resources.

There is a global need for environmental scientists in both the private and public spheres. Upon graduation, majors may enter the technical workforce for corporations, governments, international agencies, or nonprofit organizations.

Labor studies is an interdisciplinary field concerning the world of work, workers, and employment. Students gain an understanding of the labor force, workers’ organizations, and labor-management relations.

Coursework covers such core material as technology, labor, industry, and occupations; the labor force; the labor movement; and theories of work, the workplace, and organization. Students concentrate in economics, sociology, or urban studies, developing skills in those areas and learning to perform quantitative analysis.

A degree in labor studies prepares graduates to pursue careers in labor relations, whether working for labor organizations, business, or government. In addition, it can be a stepping stone to law or graduate school.

The Mathematics Department has a large faculty who are well-known researchers in such areas as algebra, analysis, applied mathematics, combinatorics, dynamics, geometry and topology, logic, mathematical physics, and number theory. With its many resources, the department can offer a substantial curriculum to students who share a passion for mathematics yet seek a wide variety of professional goals.

There are four concentrations, responding to different student interests. Some graduates aim to conduct research and teach mathematics at the college level, while others hope to teach mathematics in elementary or secondary schools. Some are interested in applied areas like computer science, the natural sciences, statistics, or actuarial work.

Biology serves as a large umbrella for many kinds of scientists and professionals. Biologists conduct basic and applied experimental and clinical work in both the public and private sectors—in the field, in zoos and wildlife refuges, in laboratories, and in medical settings. Just a few of the areas in which they work are wildlife and field ecology, conservation and environmental restoration, pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, and forensics. Although students with a BA may find employment as laboratory technicians, wildlife monitors, and other entry-level positions, those who hope to pursue a research career should plan to go on to graduate school. For many, biology is the first step toward medical, dental, or veterinary school. Biologists also work in law- and policy-related fields concerning scientific issues or in areas like scientific and medical illustration and writing.

"In the attempt to understand how societies work, sociology addresses and integrates a wide variety of areas, including many that overlap other disciplines, such as psychology, the economy, politics and political structures, and culture. Among its topics are social institutions, rules, networks, movements, and organizations. Students also acquire perspective on the societal and institutional significance of race, gender, class, and other social differences. Coursework includes theory, methods, and introductions to specializations (such as sociology of medicine).