Undergraduate Minor

Director: Alison Bailey
Assistant Director and Academic Advisor: Becca Chase

Women’s and Gender Studies (WGS) minor

The minor in Women’s and Gender Studies enhances any undergraduate major by integrating a working knowledge of gender issues with the student's field(s) of study. Women’s and Gender Studies employs gender as an analytical category, along with race, class, ethnicity, ability, age, nationality, and transnationality to focus on women's contributions to society and the gender implications of cultural, political, and economic processes. By broadening a student's knowledge base, this interdisciplinary minor has theoretical and practical applications in scholarship, the workplace, and personal growth and relationships.

The 21 credit hours required for the minor are drawn from diverse academic disciplines, and are made up of the required courses and electives listed below.

Required Courses

Four courses are required:

WGS 120: Women, Gender, and Society--provides an overview of the historical and contemporary context of women's lives
ENG 160: Women in Literature--explores literary works from the perspective of women’s richly varied experiences.
HIS 261 or 262: History of Women in the United States to 1865 or since 1865
PHI 246: Feminist Philosophies--an examination of feminist political theories addressing women’s oppression.

Electives

Students draw the remaining 9 hours from the electives listed below:

ANT 270
CJS 339
COM 128 or ENG 128 or FOR 128
ENG 206/FOR 206
ENG 260, 261, 360
FCS 112 or HIS 112 or SOC 112
FCS 222, 233

HIS 261 or 262 (if not chosen to fulfill requirement), HIS 264, HIS 330
IDS 121.39
PHI 202
POL 225, 337, 338
PSY 123 or SOC 123
PSY 305
SOC 264, 265, 341, 366
WGS 390, 391, 398

New Courses in Summer and Fall 2009!

POS 225: Women and Politics
WGS 120: Women, Gender, and Society: Gender in Education
HIS 307: Selected Topics of Non-Western History: Gender in Empire (MWF 2-2:50)
ENG 201.1: Specialized Knowledge and Integrative Contexts: Gay Men's English (TR 11-12:15)
ENG 281: Studies in Literary Genres: Ecocriticism and Environmental Literary Theory (TR 11-12:15).
POS 337: Gay and Lesbian Politics (June 15-July 9, MTWR 11-1:30) Contact Professor Julie Webber for more information.

NOTE: The undergraduate minor must be planned in consultation with the Women’s and Gender Studies Academic Advisor. With approval of the Director or Advisor, courses other than those listed above may be counted toward the minor. To qualify, other courses should devote at least 50% of content to women’s and gender issues.

To declare a women's and gender studies minor, contact the WGS advisor.