Women's and Gender Studies, Minor

Program Overview

The goal of the Women's and Gender Studies Program is to educate students in interdisciplinary approaches to feminist and queer theories of gender, sexuality, culture, and society. The program is committed to the study of women, the LGBTQ+ community, and sexuality. Students are exposed to a variety of forms of critical thinking in relation to:

  1. the social construction of knowledge and philosophy
  2. intersections of race/ethnicity, social class, gender, and sexuality in social systems of power and privilege
  3. historicized and cross-cultural accounts of gender and gender inequality
  4. literary criticism
  5. approaches to science and medicine informed by "feminist empiricism" and "feminist standpoint" theories
  6. contemporary theories of art, performance, language, jurisprudence, social science, and religion in the context of women's experience
  7. studies of the body as a focal point for theorizing relations among the arts and sciences
  8. social justice and activism as it pertains to women and gender both locally and globally

Women's and Gender Studies is an interdisciplinary program that prepares students to think critically and creatively within a framework employing gender as a central category of analysis. The program is set up to test and challenge the technologies and limitations of gender roles in a multitude of cultural and historical settings. It is designed to familiarize students with the analytical and hermeneutic tools of research and interpretation, and to create awareness of the ethical, political, and aesthetic dimensions of gender in history and culture.

Undergraduate Policies

For undergraduate policies and procedures, please review the Undergraduate Academics section of the General Bulletin.