May 22, 2025  
2025-2026 Catalog 
    
2025-2026 Catalog

Women’s and Ethnic Studies (WEST), BI™


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The BI in Women’s and Ethnic Studies (WEST) degree provides an opportunity for students to integrate a scholarly, community-oriented, socially engaged and interdisciplinary major with a grounding in business, entrepreneurship, and technology. This degree will help prepare students to enter career fields in business, engineering and technology by cultivating the skills and knowledge to work with diverse clients and markets. In addition, this degree will attract more women and students of color to careers in which they remain under-represented.

The degree is structured so that students will gain a depth of understanding in WEST, and a breadth of knowledge and experience through an Innovation core and Cross-disciplinary courses. The Innovation core introduces students to entrepreneurship, grant and proposal writing, and team projects with regional organizations. The Cross-discipline Core choices for WEST majors include business, engineering technology, globalization, or inclusive education.

General Information

The Bachelor of Innovation (BI) in Women’s and Ethnic Studies requires the following:

  • A minimum of 31 credit hours of WEST course work. At least 22 of those hours must be upper division (courses numbered 3000 or higher).
  • A grade of C or better in courses applied to the major.
  • A minimum 2.0 GPA must be maintained in all WEST course work.
  • No more than 60 credit hours of WEST course work may apply to the bachelor’s degree.

Additional course work is required to complete the Women’s and Ethnic Studies, BI degree.  Please see the advising guide on the Academic Advising website for more information.

WEST Course Requirements


Substantive Area Courses (9 credit hours)


Complete one course (3 credit hours) from each of the following three substantive areas.

Transnational/Global Studies

Creative and Artistic Expression

Social Movements, Communities, and History  

 

WEST Electives (12 credit hours)


Complete an additional 12 hours of WEST electives to meet total and upper-division (3000+ level) hour requirements for the major.

Capstone/Summit Experience (4 credit hours)


Complete either the Standard or Honors Track Capstone/Summit Experience. 

Honors Track


Complete WEST 4980 and WEST 4990.  WEST 4980 must be taken in the semester preceding WEST 4990. 

BI Cross-Discipline Core (15 credit hours)


Complete one of the Cross-Discipline Cores listed below. Each Cross-Discipline Core consists of 15 credit hours. Open the expandable lists to see course options.

For more information on the Bachelor of Innovation degree, see the program page: Bachelor of Innovation™ (BI) Degree  

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