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Women's and Gender Studies Minor

The interdisciplinary Women’s and Gender Studies Minor is designed for students who wish to study how gender, as it intersects with other identities, influences everyday life; special consideration is given to the study of women’s perspectives.

Fifteen hours of course work is required, with at least 9 hours of upper-division credit. A grade of C or better is required in all courses. Students should register for cross-listed courses under the WGST course heading.

View RequirementsTRACK SHEET 

Expectations of Minors

Students graduating with a minor in Women's and Gender Studies should demonstrate knowledge of the following concepts:

  • The socio-cultural and historical construction of gender as a category of experience that intersects with race, ethnicity, class, and sexuality, at both local and global levels.
  • The contexts in which gender influences agency and disempowerment and how these contexts pertain to individuals' lives, both historically and in contemporary society.
  • The varieties of feminism and feminist activism and how they connect to feminist theory and practice.

Portfolios

Before graduation, a student minoring in Women's and Gender Studies will submit a portfolio for review to the Women's and Gender Studies Program Committee. The portfolio must contain:

  • Work from three different disciplines
  • A project undertaken outside of a Women's and Gender Studies course
  • A brief, 2-3 page reflective essay. While graduating minors should have a basic knowledge of all of the learning outcomes, their reflective essay should demonstrate knowledge of the three learning outcomes provided above.

The student will also participate in an exit interview.

More About Portfolios

Declaring a Minor

It's easy to declare your minor in Women's and Gender Studies—and it's important to do so in order that the Women's and Gender Studies Program Director is able to keep you up to date about course offerings and advising information. Call or stop by the registrar's office to declare.

If you've decided to minor or are trying to figure out whether the Women's and Gender Studies minor is a good fit for you, contact Dr. Liana Babayan, the Women's and Gender Studies Program Director—she'll be happy to let you know more about what the Women's and Gender Studies Program has to offer.

Advising

Advising ImageWhile students are used to being advised within their major, it's also beneficial to meet with the advisor in your minor field of study. The advisor for Women's and Gender Studies is Dr. Liana Babayan. She will be happy to talk with you about upcoming Women's and Gender Studies classes, as well as the process for completing a minor.

The courses offered in Women's and Gender Studies do change from semester to semester depending on our collaboration with departments across campus, but you can check out a tentative course rotation below to help you with your planning.