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A minor in women's and gender studies consists of 15 semester hourse, including WGS 180, 201, 401, and at least two additional courses numbered 300 or above.
It is highly recommended that students who wish to enroll in WGS cross-listed courses have already taken WGS 180 or relevant prerequisites or the introductory course(s) in the cross-listed discipline.
180. Gendered Lives (3 hours) An examination of how we live our lives as “men” and “women”. This course investigates the biological basis and cultural construction of gender, with particular attention to cross-cultural examples and the history of challenges to the status quo of gendered societies. (May not be taken before Spring Semester of the freshman year)
201. Women and Society (3 hours) Prerequisite: WGS 180. An examination of the images, roles and contributions of women in scientific, historical, literary, religious, social, political, philosophical, and artistic contexts, to include contemporary issues.
270. Psychology of Gender (3 hours) (Same as PSY 270) Prerequisite: PSY 101 or consent of instructor. Examination of the theory and context in which the social construct of “gender” develops, and the impact this has on our perceptions of ourselves, how others perceive us, and how we relate to others. Emphasis will be placed on the diversity of such experiences.
285. Special Topics (3 hours) A study of some significant topic in women’s and gender studies not covered in the regular offerings. May be repeated with different topics.
335. Women and Gender in Early Modern Europe (3 hours) (Same as HIS 335) An examination of changing notions of gendered identity and authority with particular focus on ideas concerning the body, sexuality, and the family in European culture from the dawn of modernity during the Renaissance through the cataclysmic changes of the nineteenth-century Industrial Revolution. Topics include the life-cycles of early modern people, religious and medical theories relating to the body and sexuality, structures of family-life and attitudes towards domestic violence, as well as the impact of class, nationality, and ethnicity on gender and identity.
363. Women and Christianity (3 hours) (Same as CHR 363) A biblical, historical, and theological examination of the role of women within the Judaeo-Christian tradition.
370. Women in Art (3 hours) (Same as ART 370) The contributions of women in the field of art and the social context in which they have worked as well as the depiction of women in works of art are both considered in order to discover the criteria by which we judge works of art (and artists) and how visual images can reinforce or change our sense of reality, such as assumptions about gender roles. Offered alternate years.
377. U.S. Women’s History, Colonial Era to the Present (3 hours) (Same as HIS 377) A study of the meaning and place of women in U.S. society from the colonial era to the present by reading major secondary works and selected primary documents in the field. Students will address major themes in U.S. women’s history, including family, sexuality, work, and reform, within the broader context of American history. In addition, this course addresses the historiography, implications, methodologies, and future directions of the discipline.
378. Images of Women in Literature (3 hours) (Same as ENG 378) A study of the literary representation of women, with emphasis on the lives and careers of women writers. Authors covered may include Austen, Bronte, Wharton, Woolf, Morrison, and others.
385. Special Topics (3 hours) Prerequisite: To be determined by instructor. A study of some significant topic in women’s and gender studies not covered in the regular offerings. May be repeated with different topics.
389. The Black Woman (3 hours) (Same as AFR 389) An historical and literary examination of the black woman and her role in American culture.
390. WGS Preceptorship (2 hours) Prerequisite: WGS 180. Selected upperclass students will serve as teaching facilitators in WGS 180. They will attend all classes, read the assigned work, and participate in class discussions. Each student will reflect on the preceptor experience by writing a learning journal during the semester. This course will be graded on an S/U basis, may be taken only once, and cannot be counted as one of the courses required for the WGS minor.
401. Gender Theory and Feminist Thought (3 hours) Prerequisites: WGS 180, WGS 201, and one WGS course numbered above 300; or consent of instructor. An interdisciplinary examination of theoretical perspectives in women’s and gender studies, including the history of Western ideas on gender and the impact on traditional academic disciplines of the “new scholarship” on women and gender. Connections between critical theories and collective movements or social change will be emphasized.
485. Seminar (3 hours) Prerequisite: To be determined by instructor. Structured seminar-style discussion involving intensive study of an issue or topic in women’s and gender studies. May be repeated with different topics.
490. Directed Independent Study (1-3 hours) Prerequisite: Consent of the instructor. An intensive reading and research project culminating in either a research paper or an annotated bibliography. May be repeated with different topics. (1-3 hours credit, depending upon the scope of the project).
Home | Faculty | Major and Minor | Special Topic Courses | Current Courses: Fall : Spring | Women's History Month | Links