Women's Studies creates a critical thinking framework for a systematic re-examination of the historical, economic, political, social, and cultural experiences of women. The components of both the major and the minor include interdisciplinary core courses that survey feminist research methods and scholarship, and a selection of elective courses drawn from a variety of disciplines.

Courses in Women's Studies address one or more of the following issues:

• examination of the lives, achievements, and perspectives of women in the past and present;
• exploration of gender roles as cultural and cross-cultural concepts;
• awareness of living in a gendered environment, both in the public and private realm;
• examination of the impact of gender on social structures and stratification systems.

The purpose of the Women's Studies major is to facilitate exploration of the rapidly expanding interdisciplinary scholarship in Women's Studies, thereby enriching Widener's current undergraduate curricula. Students' ability to articulate what they have learned about interdisciplinary scholarship as it pertains to the intersection of gender, race, ethnicity, sexuality, and class will enhance their potential for success in their professions. Students may pursue just the Women's Studies major or a dual major with Women's Studies and another discipline.