Women's studies programs focus on the history of women. Students learn about feminism and the roles women have played throughout history around the world. They also learn about women's contributions to literature, art, history, and science.

There is an old riddle that goes something like this: A father and son are in a serious car accident. They are both rushed to the hospital for emergency surgery. As the surgeon enters the operating room and sees the little boy, the surgeon says, "I can't operate on this boy. This is my son." Who is the surgeon?

Even today, this riddle stumps many people. If the father is in surgery too, who could the surgeon be? Aha! It's the mother! Suddenly the riddle makes sense. Yet, why is it that many people can't solve the riddle right away?

In women's studies programs, you study why people have set ideas about what men and women should be like. You learn about important women in history, such as Marie Curie, who won two Nobel Prizes in the early 1900s for her scientific work in radioactivity. You also study topics such as race and social class and how they affect assumptions about women. Other courses deal with different women's movements and feminist theory.

In addition to courses that focus specifically on women, you take courses from different fields of study, such as history, art, sociology, and economics. Your courses will teach you how to analyze information and how to ask different questions about women's roles. You also learn how to write persuasive papers and how to debate.

Many women's studies programs encourage independent study. This means that you can decide which courses to take, depending on your interests. For example, if you want to become a musician, you might take courses on female composers.

Most four-year colleges and universities offer bachelor's degrees and certificates in women's studies. Typically you finish your bachelor's degree in four years.