Minor: 15 hours: WGS 100, 300, 400, HIS 386, ANT200
Allied: 6 hours: Select 6 hours from the following: ENG 307, PSY 309, NDI 112, 340 or other courses as approved by the department chair.
Self-defining as a “woman” or a “man” affects nearly every aspect of an individual’s life. A minor in Women’s and Gender Studies will challenge students to examine critically the ordinarily unexamined gendered aspects of their identity. Through in-class discussion and presentations and out-of-class readings and assignments, students in Women’s and Gender Studies courses will consider how gender intersects with other aspects of identity, including race/ethnicity, sexuality, and class, and how gender operates within systems of power. Such a consideration of gender and its effects will benefit students in both their personal and professional lives, as exposure to gender theories will increase awareness of and sensitivity toward societal issues such as domestic violence, health and reproductive rights, religion and spirituality, and family values and workplace issues such as discrimination, sexual harassment, affirmative action, salary discrepancies, and unfair hiring practices.