The interdisciplinary minor in women's and gender studies explores the cultural construction of gender and sexuality in the context of intersections with race and class, global and domestic politics, religion, and critical theory through literature, visual arts, and other media. Women’s and gender studies students bring a passion for activism, equity, social justice, and empowerment to the classroom and the broader community.

Requirements for the minor

I. 19 credit hours consisting of at least one core course and courses from at least two of the categories listed under Supporting Courses: Humanities, Social Sciences, and Natural Sciences. Students may take up to four hours of Women’s and Gender Studies Colloquia.

II. No more than 6 hours can overlap with a student’s primary major.

III. No more than 6 hours can be taken from a single department listed below under Supporting Courses.

IV. At least 9 hours must be upper-division courses.

WAGS-3122—Women and Gender Studies Internship is strongly recommended for all WAGS minors.

Core Courses
Course ID Course Title
CLAS-1307 Gender and Identity in the Ancient World (also listed as HIST-1311)
HIST-1311 Gender and Identity in the Ancient World (also listed as CLAS-1307)
MUSC-1345 Women and Music
SOCI-2311 Sociology of Sex Roles
WAGS-2310 Introduction to Women’s Studies
WAGS-2350 Introduction to Feminist Theory
WAGS-2351  Introduction to Queer Studies
WAGS-2352  Introduction to Gender Studies
Supporting Courses

Humanities

Course ID Course Title
ARTH-3341  Early Renaissance Art in Italy 
ARTH-3451 Nineteenth-Century European Art
ARTH-3392  Women’s Studies in Art History
CHIN-3312  Chinese Cinema: A Historical and Cultural Perspective 
CLAS-1307 Gender and Identity in the Ancient World (also listed as HIST-1311
CLAS-3403 Greek and Roman Drama (also listed as DRAM-3325 and ENGL-3322) 
CLAS-3404 The Ancient Novel 
CLAS-3403 Greek and Roman Drama
COMM-3325 Special Topics in Communication Media: Queer Theory and Mass Media 
ENGL-3427 Contemporary Literature 
ENGL-3471 Studies in American Literature: American Women Writers of the Nineteenth Century 
ENGL-3375 Postmodern Literature 
ENGL-4420 Studies in Early Modern British Literature: Shakespeare’s Sonnets and the Subject of Sexuality 
ENGL-4420 Studies in Early Modern British Literature: The Performance of Gender, Wyatt to Shakespeare 
ENGL-4423 Studies in American Literature: The Harlem Renaissance 
ENGL-4423  Studies in American Literature: Literature and Culture on the Latino/a Borderlands 
ENGL-4423  Studies in American Literature: Sentimentalism: Nineteenth Century Literature and American Femininity 
ENGL-4423  Studies in American Literature: The New Woman 
ENGL-4423  Studies in American Literature: Queering the Nineteenth Century 
ENGL-4425  Seminar in Literary Periods: Modernism and Woman 
ENGL-4426 Seminars on Individual Authors: George Eliot and Virginia Woolf 
ENGL-4426 Seminars on Individual Authors: Jane Austen 
ENGL-4426  Seminars on Individual Authors: Virginia Woolf 
GERM-4301 Genre Studies in German Literature: Gender in the German Novella 
GERM-4310 Seminar in German Literature: Frauenliteratur 
GERM-4310  Seminar in German Literature: Women and War 
GRST-3311 Fairy Tales
HIST-1311 Gender and Identity in the Ancient World (also listed as CLAS-1307
HIST-3300  Gender Matters in African History 
HIST-3363  Early American Social History 
HIST-3431

History of Sexuality in Modern Europe

HIST -4400  Seminar in African History: Life Histories of African Women 

HCOM-4340

Gender and Human Communication

ML&L-3310  French Literature in Translation: Versions of Feminism 
ML&L-3310  French Literature in Translation: The French Novel 
MUSC-1345 Women and Music 
PHIL-3454 Philosophy of Gender 
PLSI-1332 Film, Literature, and Politics of the Third World 
RELI-3401  Gender and Religion 
SPAN-4338 Spanish Women Writers 
SPAN-4348 Spanish American Women Writers 
SPAN-4348  Sexualities in Hispanic Literatures and Films 
SPAN-4391 Special topics: Chicana Feminisms 
WAGS-3401 The History of Sexuality: Sex and Gender in Modernity

Social Sciences

Course ID Course Title
ANTH-2339

Health, Illness, and Society (also listed as SOCI-2339)

ANTH-3329 Sexuality and Society (also listed as SOCI-3329)
ANTH-3331 Language, Culture, and Society (also listed as SOCI-3331

ANTH-3345

International Issues in Health and the Environment (also listed as SOCI-3345)

ANTH-3428

Gender Transgressions (also listed as SOCI-3428)

COMM-3325  Special Topics in Communication Media: Popular Culture, Gender, and Communication 
PLSI-3349  Special Topics in International Politics: Women in Islam 
PLSI-3445 Gender Perspectives in International Politics 
PSYC-3322 Social Development 
SOCI-2311 Sociology of Sex Roles 
SOCI-3313 Social Movements 
SOCI-3329  Sexuality and Society (also listed as ANTH-3329
SOCI-3331 Language, Culture, and Society (also listed as ANTH-3331

SOCI-2339

Health, Illness, and Society (also listed as ANTH-2339)

Colloquia

Course ID Course Title
WAGS-3117  Gender Studies Colloquium 
WAGS-3118 Women’s Studies Colloquium 
WAGS-3119 Queer Studies Colloquium 
WAGS-3217 Gender Studies Colloquium 
WAGS-3218 Women’s Studies Colloquium 
WAGS-3219 Queer Studies Colloquium 
WAGS-3317 Gender Studies Colloquium 
WAGS-3318 Women’s Studies Colloquium 
WAGS-3319 Women’s Studies Colloquium 
WAGS-3417 Gender Studies Colloquium 
WAGS-3418 Queer Studies Colloquium 

Note: Special topics courses are approved by the advisory committee only for the specific topic listed.

How to apply


Students interested in declaring a Women’s and Gender Studies minor should contact the co-directors of the Women’s and Gender Studies Committee.

Contact Us


 Department Website


 Sarah E. Erickson, Ph.D. (Co-Director)
 Gina Anne Tam, Ph.D. (Co-Director)


 

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