Minor in Women’s and Gender Studies (18)

Coordinator: Kristen Myers, director, Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies Program

The minor in women’s and gender studies is recommended for all students interested in examining historical and contemporary roles, perceptions, and contributions of women and in exploring other gender-related issues. Such exploration should broaden students’ understanding of current societal expectations for both women and men, thereby increasing their effectiveness and sensitivity in a variety of interpersonal and professional settings. The minor is particularly appropriate for students preparing for advanced study in a variety of disciplines or careers in business, communications, education, health, humanities, and human services.

Elective courses for the minor are chosen to complement the student’s background, interests, and career plans and, in some instances, also help satisfy distributive studies area requirements in the general education program. Faculty members from a wide variety of departments participate in the core and special topics courses of the minor. Students interested in declaring this interdisciplinary minor should contact the Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies Program, Reavis Hall 103, early in their college careers for information and advisement.

Students may enroll in a variety of internships combining their professional interests with their preparation in women’s and gender studies. Past interns have worked with the Cook County victim’s assistance program, the local shelter for battered women, the Governor’s Commission on the Status of Women, a medical school research grant on women’s wellness, a high school girls’ leadership project, and other organizations’ activities.

Students must complete 18 semester hours for this minor and are urged to complete WGST101, WGST 202, and WGST 432 as early as possible.

Independent study and topics courses in a variety of departments may meet the minor requirements, with the approval of the director of the women’s and gender studies program, when substantial treatment of women’s studies is included in the course.