The Minor in Gender Studies is interdisciplinary which means that it includes relevant courses from departments and programs across the university.
View the list below of frequently taught courses. Each semester, additional courses may be offered that qualify to count for the Gender Studies minor. Please contact the coordinator to take an Internship in Gender Studies or to take a course beyond what is listed.
Regularly Offered Courses
GNST 2300 Introduction to Gender Studies (required for the minor)
Recommended prerequisite: RHET 1311. A cross-cultural, interdisciplinary analysis of gender. Includes examination of gender identity, social roles, and cultural symbolism in politics, economics, family, health, socialization, religion, and language. Three credit hours.
ACOM 3315 Gender Communication
Prerequisites: ACOM 1300, or declared minor in Gender Studies, or consent of the instructor. An examination of gender constructs as they influence verbal and nonverbal interaction. Topics include the ways communication in families, schools, media, and society creates and perpetuates gender roles, and how socially created gender differences in public and private settings affect success, satisfaction, and self-esteem. Focus on using major gender communication theories and concepts to develop a heightened awareness of gender issues that relate to human interaction. Three credit hours.
ANTH 3318 Sexuality, Society, and Culture
This course provides a social scientific examination of the nature of sexuality cross-culturally as well as in Western society. Examines sexuality in a broader socio-cultural context and cultural construction used from prehistoric to post-modern eras as a form of reproduction and a means for deep expression of intimacy with others and as a device for the domination and exploitation of people of various social categories. Three credit hours.
SOCI 3333 Women in a Changing Society
Prerequisite: SOCI 2300. An analysis of the socialization of women for their ascribed roles, with emphasis on the molding forces of culture and the changes taking place in women’s roles in contemporary, US, and other societies. Three credit hours.
ENGL 3340 Women in Literature
The study of selected texts by women writers and/or the study of depictions of women in literature. Three credit hours.
SOCI 3346 Sociology of the Family
Prerequisite: SOCI 2300. The family as a major unifying force for the individual, the community, and the total society, with emphasis on parental and marital dynamics; analysis of the changes associated with the emergence of urban industrial societies. Three credit hours.
SOCI 3350 Family Violence
A consideration of abuse, neglect, and conflict within the family. Review of basic theories of interpersonal violence and conflict resolution. Focus on abuse of children, siblings, spouses, and elders. Discussion of social policy responses and appropriate interventions. Three credit hours.
PSYC 3366 Psychology of Women
The study of the psychology of women, emphasizing the different views of women in our society, the bases of these views, and their implications for men and women.
ANTH 3388 Relatives and Relations: Anthropology of Kinship, Marriage, and Family
Prerequisite: ANTH 2316. Systematic treatment of marriage, descent, and alliances on a cross-cultural basis. Examination of social behavior and terminologies related to kinship systems drawn from traditional and modern societies. Three credit hours.
GNST 4300 Gender Studies Senior Seminar
Prerequisite: GNST 2300. Taught on a rotating basis by gender studies faculty members in their area of specialization. Three credit hours.
HIST 4371 Women in World History
An examination of the conditions of women in history with an emphasis on problems in European history; attitudes toward women as reflected in religious, legal, and philosophical literature; and the role expectations of women in various societies. Three credit hours.
HIST 4372 Perspectives on Women in American History
Consideration of conditions and problems of women in American history from colonial to modern times with reference to European background and parallels when appropriate. Three credit hours.
GNST 4190, 4290, 4390 Independent Study
Prerequisites: 15 hours of gender studies courses including GNST 2300 or consent of instructor. Selective reading and a formal written project on a topic must be submitted by the student and approved by the coordinator before registration. Credit is determined at the beginning of the semester. One, two, or three credit hours.
GNST 4195, 4295, 4395 Internship
Prerequisites: 15 hours of gender studies courses including GNST 2300 or consent of director. Students are assigned an internship in the community. The objective is for students to apply theoretical perspectives to real world situations. Credit is determined at the beginning of the semester. Each hour of credit requires at least 30 hours of supervised work during the semester. One, two, or three credit hours.
