What Can I do With a Degree in Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies?
Women, gender, and sexuality studies majors develop skills that are highly valued by employers. These skills include: critical thinking, research, analysis, oral/written communication, presentation, & problem solving skills. Women, gender, and sexuality studies majors may find employment in a variety of areas depending on their skills and experience. Some women, gender, and sexuality studies graduates choose to work in advocacy or social services-related positions, community development, business, and government. Career-related internships or part-time jobs may be a prerequisite to finding professional-level employment after graduation in these and other fields.
The following list of employers and job titles was derived from the Career Center's jobs database where employers indicated an interest in recruiting students majoring in women, gender, & sexuality studies. This list does not reflect all potential places of employment or kinds of jobs for women, gender, & sexuality studies majors. This list does not reflect current openings.
- Abercrombie & Fitch – Manager in Training
- AIT Laboratories – Account Manager/Account Executive
- American Red Cross – Territory Representative
- Aon Corporation – Early Career Development Program Associate
- Book News – Editor
- Capital Financial Planners – Associate Investment Advisor/Financial Planner
- Cascadia Behavioral HealthCare – Behavioral Health Counselors
- Cedar River Clinics — Health Services Supervisor
- CollegeNET – Sales Assistant
- Consolidated Federal Credit Union – Loan Servicing Specialist
- Crafts Americana Groups – Product Line/Brand Manager
- CTC Consulting – Research Analyst
- De La Salle North Catholic High School – Development Director
- De Paul Treatment Centers – Adult Milieu Counselor, Women's Residential Program Primary Counselor, Alumni Association Coordinator
- Dunkin and Bush – Junior Estimator
- ECONorthwest – Research Assistant
- Friends of the Children – Professional Mentor
- Frito-Lay – Sales Associate
- Girl Scouts, Columbia River Council – Community Program Coordinator
- Hacienda Community Development Corporation – Microenterprise Developer, Portland Mercado Project Associate
- Indian Health Service – Contract Specialist
- Inside Track – College Success Coach, College Admissions/Enrollment Coach
- Integral Consulting – Document Processing Specialist
- Intel – Strategic Program/Project Manager
- Intercall – Event Specialist
- IXL Learning – Educational Sales Consultant
- Kaiser Permanente – Healthcare Data Analyst
- Kaplan – Student Advisor
- KeyBank Oregon – Management Associate
- Kittelson & Associates – Project Management Assistant
- Knowledge Universe – Customer Relationship Specialist
- KOIN TV – News Director, Account Executive, Assignment Editor
- Legacy Health System – Manager Employee Health
- Lifeworks NW — Residential Care Facilitator
- Lingo Systems – Project Manager
- Listen to Kids — Business Manager/Office Administrator
- Lutheran Community Services Northwest – New Youth Perspectives Bilingual Youth Specialist
- McCullough Research – Research Associate
- McKenzie Books – Human Resources Administrator
- Mercy Corps – Assistant Program Officer
- METRO – Assistant Transportation Planner
- Metropolitan Family Services – Family Involvement Coordinator, Assistant Transportation Planner
- Morrison Center Child & Family Services — Night Residential Skills Specialist, Residential Skills Specialist
- Oregon Food Bank – Appeals & Proposals Developer, Donor Services Coordinator, Statewide Services Coordinator, Public Policy Advocate, Major Donor Manager
- Oregon Museum of Science & Industry – Executive Assistant (Development)
- Outside In – Housing Specialist
- Portland Business Alliance – Inside Sales Account Executive
- Impact Northwest – Resident Services Coordinator 1
- Portland VA Medical Center – Program Support Assistant, Research Assistant, Research Assistant 2
- PSU Admissions, Registration, & Records – Admissions Counselor, Program Support Assistant
- Schneider National – Fleet Manager
- Sherwin Williams – Management/Sales Trainee
- Sustainable Northwest – Policy Program Assistant
- Susan G. Komen For the Cure — Presentation Coordinator
- The Hertz Corporation – Management Trainee
- The Nature Conservancy – Administrative Assistant
- Thetus Corporation – Training Developer
- Unitus Community Credit Union – Compliance Specialist
- Urban League of Portland – Academic Coach
- US Bank – Manager in Training, Relationship Manager
- Waggener Edstrom Worldwide – Account Executive
- Warm Springs Community Action Team – Healthy Foods Program Coordinator
- Wieden + Kennedy – Macintosh Support Technician
- YWCA of Greater Portland – Energy Assistance Coordinator
Career Center Library Resources
The Career Center Library has a variety of resources to help students explore potential career fields. These resources include information about typical responsibilities, qualifications, career paths, job outlook, salary, and related careers.
Books with Information for Women's Studies Majors
- Careers for Good Samaritans & Other Humanitarian Types
- Human Services Directories
- 100 Jobs in Social Change
- Real People Working in the Helping Professions
- Careers in Social Work
Books of General Interest to Liberal Arts Majors
- Great Jobs for Liberal Arts Majors
- The Best Jobs for the 21st Century
- The Career Guide for Creative and Unconventional People
- Making a Living While Making a Difference
Vocational Biographies
Vocational Biographies describes the career success stories of 1001 real people. Search by career title, keyword, topic, and career cluster. Username: portland su and pass code: 3w9n
- Domestic Violence Program Coordinator
- Women's Business Training Center Director
- Minority Women's Outreach Coordinator
Internet Sites with Career-Related Information for Women's Studies Majors
- College Majors and Career Opportunities - Women's Studies — Lists related occupations and types of employers. From Career Services, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, New Jersey.
- Careers and Women's Studies — From the Anna Howard Shaw Center for Women's Studies at Albion College, Albion, Michigan. Includes brief list of career paths for Women's Studies graduates. For additional information, this site recommends Women's Studies Graduates: The First Generation, which "describes the work of a number of women's studies graduates [whose] careers range from "aviator to union organizer."
- What to do with a Women's Studies Degree — From the Women's Studies Program at Indiana State University, Terre Haute, Indiana.
- What You Can Do with a Women's Studies Major — From the Women's Studies Program at Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan. Also includes Fields of Employment Women's Studies Graduates Have Pursued, With Real Examples of Specific Job Placements Within Each Category.
- What do Women's Studies Graduates Do? — From the Women's Studies Program at the State University of New York, New Paltz, New York. Identifies career paths of many women's studies graduates.
- Why Major in Women's Studies — From the Women's Studies Program at the University of Connecticut. Lists career areas and job titles of women's studies graduates.
- What can you do with a Women's Studies Degree? — From the Women's Studies Program at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. Lists job titles of women's studies graduates.
Internet Sites with Job Search Information for Women's Studies Majors
- Feminist Career Center — From the Feminist Majority Foundation. Lists full-time job openings and internships with feminist and progressive organizations. Also has links to feminist and nonprofit job banks.
- Employment: Women's Studies Database — From the University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland.
- Artemis Search For Women's Studies Programs — Links to 425 Women's Studies Programs' web sites.
- Worldwide Women's Studies Programs — Includes "links to more than 450 women's studies (including "gender studies") programs, departments, and research centers around the world."
Department of Women's Studies - Portland State University
