Career Development
What career skills are developed in a GWS major?
According to the data derived from the U.S. Department of Labor, the most necessary skills developed in a GWS major include:
- Active listening
- Speaking
- Writing
- Reading comprehension
- Critical thinking
- Complex problem solving
- Social perceptiveness
GWS majors also tend to be active on their campuses in their communities. In Transforming Scholarship: Why Women’s and Gender Studies Students are Changing Themselves and the World, Michele Tracy Berger and Cheryl Radeloff found that 72% of GWS graduates were active in campus, local, national, and global organizations while completing their degrees. This is encouraged by our interdisciplinary and public-facing curriculum, which urges students to develop creative solutions to complex, real-world problems.
By bringing together academic study and organizational experience, graduates gain valuable experience in:
- Teamwork
- Leadership
- Event coordination
- Project management
- Financial management
- Governance
The skills developed by GWS majors are foremost the human skills that will remain durable in an age of rapid technological change, such as the development of AI, that can render technical skills obsolete. The interdisciplinary thinking cultivated in GWS, furthermore, leads to the creativity, flexibility, and lifelong learning necessary in a rapidly-changing economy where in the coming years, according to the World Economic Forum, half of a worker's core skills will need to be updated every five years.
Not only that, but the skills developed in GWS align with the competencies valued most by employers, according to the National Association of Colleges and Employers:
- Career and Self-Development
- Communication
- Critical Thinking
- Equity and Inclusion
- Leadership
- Professionalism
- Teamwork
- Technology
What career paths are common for GWS majors?
According to Data USA, GWS majors are most commonly employed in the following occupations:
- Law
- Management
- Education
But an interdisciplinary degree in GWS makes a variety of careers possible—degree holders work in more than 2,000 different jobs! What makes GWS students successful is the ability to clearly communicate the value and application of their skills to the career pathways they desire.
What about earnings?
The wide variety of career paths for GWS degree holders mean that there is a wide range of earnings among graduates.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median annual income of degree holders in GWS is $63,000—which is similar to any bachelor’s degree ($66,000).
According to Data USA, the average annual income is much higher: $99,300.
What resources are available for GWS students' professional development?
The GWS program offers internships and professional development workshops to its students, as well as close mentoring by committed faculty who can help students refine cover letters, resumes, and other materials for jobs as well as graduate and professional school applications.
The Career Development Center at Appalachian State is also a valuable resource, assisting in the job search, organizing networking opportunities, developing interview skills, and providing numerous other services.
Additional resources tailored to GWS majors include books like the aforementioned Transforming Scholarship: Why Women’s and Gender Studies Students are Changing Themselves and the World, which aids students in envisioning career paths and coupling their academic skills with their personal and professional goals.
What do GWS alums have to say about their experience?
“GWS was SO beneficial in building a really strong foundation for my current studies. I am so thankful for that integrated learning experience that exposed me to such a wide breadth of knowledge and sparked my interests in so many new subjects.”
—Leah Wingenroth, Class of 2019
After obtaining a BA in GWS, Leah earned an MA in literature at King's College, London. Leah currently works as a Content Strategy Team Leader for Twinkl Educational Publishing.
“The GWS program means everything to me. Learning about theoretical frameworks of gender, race, class, dis/ability, and sexuality is how I found my passion in advocacy work. I grew to learn not only about other people’s valuable complexities and histories, but my own identities as well and how they work within a matrix of power and oppression. While I am currently working towards receiving my Master's in Gender, Women’s and Sexuality Studies at another institution, this program has the complete responsibility for guiding my passion and drive towards intersectional justice.”
—Vannah Aldridge, Class of 2017
After obtaining a BA in GWS, Vannah earned an MSW from Appalachian State and an MA in Women’s Studies from Loyola University - Chicago. Vannah currently works as a Clinical Care Physician for Concert Health.
We have fantastic alums—and we want to hear from you! If you are a graduate of our program, please contact the GWS Director, Dr. Emily Lutenski (lutenskies@appstate.edu), to tell us about what you are doing now.