Women's Studies Minor

The minor in Women's Studies (WS) offers an interdisciplinary, cross-cultural and critical understanding of women and issues relating to gender including the practice of leadership. Courses focus on the intellectual, political and cultural life of women in a variety of social and historical contexts. The minor provides students with a strong theoretical and empirical background in understanding how gender and women’s roles in society are shaped by factors such as race, class, ethnicity, culture and sexuality. The program emphasizes women as agents of social change through advocacy and policy making. The interdisciplinary nature of the minor exposes students to a diversity of approaches and views on gender and women’s issues.

The Women’s Studies program is well suited for students who are interested in pursuing advanced academic work in M.A. and Ph.D. programs, professional schools in law, business or medicine as well as for those students planning a career in public service, advocacy or social activism.

Women’s Studies Curriculum

The Women’s Studies minor consists of 18 total units, including WST 10 (Introduction to Women’s Studies). Nine (9) of the remaining fifteen units must be at the upper division level, and at least two of the courses must be from two different departments. All courses that are counted towards the WS minor must be approved by the Director of the Women’s Studies program. Courses that emphasize leadership theory or practice are designated “LWS.”

Requirements for the Minor

18 total units consisting of

WST 10

Introduction to Women's Studies

3

The remaining 15 units will consist of the following courses that carry the Women’s Studies course designation

(Course descriptions can be found in the appropriate departmental sections of the catalog.):

LWS 1A	Leadership Concepts	1
LWS 100	Leadership Studies	3
WST 191	Internship in Leadership	3
WST 196H	Senior Honors Thesis	3
ART 174	Women in Contemporary Art	3
BUS 140	Women's Issues in Business and Economics	3
ENG 27	Women in Quest	3
ENG 127	Women in Quest	3
ENG 123	Women's Voices in Literature	3
ENG 129	Ethnic Literatures of America	3
HIS 186	Gender in American Life and Thought	3
HIS 191	Major Issues in the United States Women's History	3
HIS 192A	Women of Color in the U.S.	3
HIS 192B	Women of Color in the U.S.	3
HIS 192C	Women of Color in the U.S.	3
PHI 170	Social and Political Philosophy	3
PHI 178	Philosophy of Women	3
PHI 179	Women and Values	3
POL 102	Women and the Law	3
POL 147	Women and Development	3
PSY 110	Gender Issues in Psychology	3
PSY 139	Child Abuse and Family Violence	3
PSY 144	Psychology of Prejudice	3
PSY 175	Human Sexuality	3
PSY 186	Violence Against Women	3
RST 23	Spiritual Journeys of Women	3
RST 123	Spiritual Journeys of Women	3
RST 135	Women and Christianity	3
SOC 115	Sociology of Violence	3
SOC 160	Diversity in Society	3
SOC 161	Dynamics of Majority-Minority Relations	3
SOC 163	Women's and Children's Human Rights	3
SOC 164	Advocacy and Human Rights	3
SOC 191	Social Movements	3
SPA 146	Women Writers in Spanish-American Literature	3