9.47. Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies

Programs offered:

  • Minor in Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies (TU)
  • Minor in Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies (ADP)

Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies (WGS) is an interdisciplinary field of study that takes gender as the starting point of its inquiry. To enrich understanding of human identity, students will explore the meanings and values assigned to the lives of women, men, and non-binary/gender-queer individuals across historical, cultural, and disciplinary contexts. The minor is designed to encourage students to develop an awareness of the social construction of gender—that is, the ways in which it is shaped by relations of sex, race, class, religion, ethnicity, nationality, sexuality, sexual orientation, and other categories of difference—and the effects of this social construction on individuals and society. Students will engage in a discussion of key terms, definitions and practices of women’s, gender, and sexuality studies, a historical overview of women’s movements, an analysis of seminal feminist texts, and a look at the current state of women’s, gender, and sexuality studies and the major issues of the field. The over-arching goal of the program is to encourage students to think critically about the information they receive about gender while simultaneously recognizing the ideological and power structures that often shape not only their own interpretations of cultural narratives, but also the way in which they create their own identities. A minor in WGS encourages students to reflect critically on their own identities and to develop an understanding of civic engagement, activist practices, and social change, thus cultivating both local and global citizenship and responsibility.

Minor in Women’s, Gender and Sexuality Studies (TU)

  1. Completion of the required introductory course:
    • WGS 101 Introduction to Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies
  2. Completion of any four of the following elective courses:
    • WGS 125 Human Sexuality
    • WGS 200 Independent Study in Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies
    • WGS 206 Sexualities and Society
    • WGS 210 Feminist Philosophy
    • WGS 211 What’s Love Got to Do with It? Philosophical Accounts of Friendship, Love and Sex
    • WGS 225 Women, Art, & Society: Women Artists
    • WGS 280 Gender, Culture, and Communication
    • WGS 290 Special Topics in Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies
    • WGS 312 Gender and Society
    • WGS 350 Feminist Discourses and Criticism
    • WGS 360 Space, Place, and Public Memory
    • WGS 380 Feminist Media Studies
    • WGS 400 Advanced Independent Study in Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies
    • WGS 480 Persuasion and Social Movements
    • WGS 490 Advanced Special Topics in Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies
    • WGS 495 Internship in Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies
  3. Additional requirements and things to note:
    • At least one of the four elective courses must be taken at the 300- or 400-level.
    • At most, one course contributing to the WGS minor can also be counted toward the student’s major (or a second minor in another discipline).

Minor in Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies (ADP)

  1. Completion of the required introductory course:
    • WGS 101 Introduction to Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies
  2. Completion of any four of the following elective courses, totaling at least 16 semester hours:
    • WGS 125 Human Sexuality
    • WGS 200 Independent Study in Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies
    • WGS 206 Sexualities and Society
    • WGS 210 Feminist Philosophy
    • WGS 211 What’s Love Got to Do with It? Philosophical Accounts of Friendship, Love and Sex
    • WGS 225 Women, Art, & Society: Women Artists
    • WGS 280 Gender, Culture, and Communication
    • WGS 290 Special Topics in Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies
    • WGS 312 Gender and Society
    • WGS 350 Feminist Discourses and Criticism
    • WGS 360 Space, Place, and Public Memory
    • WGS 380 Feminist Media Studies
    • WGS 400 Advanced Independent Study in Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies
    • WGS 480 Persuasion and Social Movements
    • WGS 490 Advanced Special Topics in Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies
    • WGS 495 Internship in Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies
  3. Additional requirements and things to note:
    • At least one of the four elective courses must be taken at the 300- or 400-level.
    • At most, one course contributing to the WGS minor can also be counted toward the student’s major (or a second minor in another discipline).