Careers

Our graduates pursue a number of varied careers after graduation.  Many work in the non-profit sector or are employed by advocacy groups, activist organizations, and community-based initiatives and foundations.  Others work in the public sector and oversee state and local efforts to address sexual and gender violence or maternal health. Some work as legislative aides for state and local government.  Still more pursue work in publishing, writing and journalism, public relations, arts administration, social entrepreneurial ventures, and creative professions of all kinds.

Internships

Many WGSS majors and minors complete semester or summer-long internships with local non-profits, advocacy groups, and activist organizations.  Because of our proximity to the vibrant city of Columbus, we are fortunate to have many internship options to offer our students, and, in many cases, we have established community partnerships that are unique to our program.

Students can choose to intern with Planned Parenthood of Central Ohio, The Women’s Fund of Central Ohio, Equitas Health , SARNCO (Sexual Assault Response Network of Central Ohio), BRAVO (Buckeye Region Anti-Violence Organization ), Kaleidoscope Youth Center, Girl Scouts of the Heartland, and Stonewall Union.  We can also arrange internships with other organizations that share our mission and are open to imagining a meaningful internship experience with you.

Internships are available for three (3) hours of credit and can satisfy the senior capstone requirement in the WGSS major if they are scheduled during your senior year.

Graduate Study

There are a number of universities that offer master’s and doctoral degrees in women’s, gender, and sexuality studies. Many also offer graduate degrees in specific academic disciplines with the ability to complete a focused concentration in Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies.  One in four Otterbein undergraduate majors in WGSS go on to graduate school, either in WGSS or a related field with a secondary emphasis on working with people who identify as women or LGBTQIA+.  We have graduates in law school who are focused on discrimination or Title IX advocacy, graduates in psychology programs who research depression in women, graduates in social work programs who want to work with queer youth, graduates in literature programs who study underrepresented writers, graduates who seek teaching licensure in middle or secondary education, graduates in medical school or a nurse practitioner programs who work with adolescent disordered eating or women’s health more generally, graduates in library and information science who champion LGBTQIA+ readers, and graduates in public policy programs who seek to shape political life as well as run for elected office.

The web sites below provide state-by-state listing of available programs in the United States, as well as some information about international programs.

Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies Programs, Departments, & Research Centers (UMBC Women’s Studies Database)

Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies Graduate Programs (Indiana University)

If you are interested in graduate study, please talk more with Dr. Tammy Birk, the Program Director.  We can help with the graduate application and admission process as well as help you find a graduate program that meets your needs.