UA Little Rock offers a minor in gender studies designed to help students understand and define gender roles. It delves into how roles are impacted by social, economic, political, legal, and other changes in society. Ideal for students seeking a degree in Interdisciplinary Studies, these courses are a good foundation for graduate studies in the social sciences, humanities, law, business, or social services.
Gender studies courses explore the interrelationships among gender, class, and race. The program is a good fit for students planning to pursue careers involving diverse populations, from women and children to LGBTQ+ communities.
This dynamic program does not have a fixed curriculum. The course offerings for 2024 are listed below. For courses taught in 2022 and 2023, please visit our previous course offerings page.
Spring 2025 Gender Studies Courses
In the list below, the courses designated as the Gender Studies Capstone class for Spring 2025 are marked with an *. If you are in your final semester of gender studies coursework, you must get your capstone course pre-approved before the semester starts and preferably before you register for the course. Email Dr. Barrio for more information or to get approved to take the capstone.
| Course | Course Number | Description | Time/ Modality | Instructor |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Intro To Gender Studies | GNST 2300-991 and 9U1 | Introductory course | Online | Martin, Londie |
| African American Lit. I | ENGL 3326-991 and 9U1 | Survey of African American literature from colonial times until 1920. We will consider how race, class, gender, and culture affect the construction of Black identities and Black literature. | Online | Barrio-Vilar, Laura |
| Neo-Slave Narratives* | ENGL 4370-01 | Analysis of neo-slave narratives and contemporary abolitionist texts from a literary and historiographical perspective. Focus on how race, gender, and class complicate ideas of citizenship in those texts, along with the evolution of the abolitionist genre and rhetoric. | MW 10:50-12:05 | Barrio-Vilar, Laura |
| Jane Austen* | ENGL 4370-02 | Analysis of novels by Austen through various theoretical approaches that help us view them from new perspectives. Issues like class, gender, and empire will also be focal. | TR 1:40-2:55 | Hunter, Angela |
| Art, Children, and Youth* | ARED 4326-01 | We critically examine notions of youth, youth culture, and childhood with regard to race, gender, social class, etc. | MW 4:30pm-5:45pm | Hood, Emily |
| Women in Changing Society | SOCI 3333-991 and 9U1 | Analysis of the socialization of women for their ascribed roles, changes in contemporary society. | Online | Avra, Shannon |
| Family Sociology | SOCI 3346-01 | Family dynamics for self, community, and society | MW 12:15pm-1:30pm | Briscoe, David |
| Family Violence | SOCI 3350-991 and 9U1 | Abuse, neglect, and conflict within the family | Online | Briscoe, David |
| Women & War in Middle East* | HIST 4390-991 and 9U1 | Women and war in the context of the Middle East and North Africa, from the rise of Islam in the Arabian Peninsula to the recent conflicts in Iraq and Syria | Online | Yeaw, Katrina |
Fall 2024 Gender Studies Courses
In the list below, the courses designated as the Gender Studies Capstone class for Fall 2024 are highlighted and marked with an *. If you are in your final semester of gender studies coursework, you must get your capstone course pre-approved before the semester starts and preferably before you register for the course. Email Dr. Barrio for more information or to get approved to take the capstone.
| Course | Description | Class Meets | Instructor |
|---|---|---|---|
| Intro to Gender Studies GNST 2300-01 |
Introductory course | TR 1:40pm-2:55pm | Martin, Londie |
| Women in Changing Society SOCI 3333- 991/9U1 |
Analysis of the socialization of women for their ascribed roles, changes in contemporary society | Online | Avra, Shannon |
| Family Sociology SOCI 3346-991/9U1 |
Family dynamics for self, community, and society | Online | Avra, Shannon |
| Family Violence SOCI 3350-991/992/9U1/9U2 |
Abuse, neglect, and conflict within the family | Online | Briscoe, David |
| African American Literature II ENGL 3327-01 |
Analysis of works by African American writers from the Harlem Renaissance to the present. | TR 12:15pm-1:30pm | Barrio-Vilar, Laura |
Summer 2024 Gender Studies Courses
In the list below, the courses designated as the Gender Studies Capstone class for Summer 2024 are highlighted and marked with an *. If you are in your final semester of gender studies coursework, you must get your capstone course pre-approved before the semester starts and preferably before you register for the course. Email Dr. Barrio for more information or to get approved to take the capstone.
| Course | Description | Class Meets | Instructor |
|---|---|---|---|
| Domestic Violence CRJU 3305-994 / 9U4 | A comprehensive overview of crimes within the family: intimate partner violence, family violence in a global context, child abuse, elder abuse, adolescent perpetrators, and the police and courts response to domestic violence. | Online, First Half Term | Raptopoulos, Kilby |
| Gender Communication ACOM 3315-991 / 9U1 |
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. | Online, First Half Term | Thompson, Carol |
Spring 2024 Gender Studies Courses
In the list below, the courses designated as the Gender Studies Capstone class for Spring 2024 are marked with an *. If you are in your final semester of gender studies coursework, you must get your capstone course pre-approved before the semester starts and preferably before you register for the course. Email Dr. Barrio for more information or to get approved to take the capstone.
| Course | Description | Class Meets | Instructor |
|---|---|---|---|
| Intro to Gender Studies GNST 2300- 991/9U1 |
Introductory course | Online | Martin, Londie |
| Women in a Changing Society SOCI 3333- 991/9U1 |
Analysis of the socialization of women for their ascribed roles, changes in contemporary society | Online | Avra, Shannon |
| Family Sociology SOCI 3346-01 |
Family dynamics for self, community, and society | TR 12:15pm-1:30pm | Briscoe, David |
| Family Violence SOCI 3350-991/9U1 |
Abuse, neglect, and conflict within the family | Online | Briscoe, David |
| Black Protest Literature* ENGL 4370-01 |
Exploration of major themes found in protest literature written by Black authors: systemic racism, poverty, sexual violence, nationalism, genocide, etc. | TR 9:25am-10:40am | Barrio-Vilar, Laura |
| Toni Morrison* ENGL 4380-01 |
Analysis of main works by Toni Morrison, with an emphasis on race and gender relations, family, friendship, socio-economic and cultural survival, memory, violence, and slavery, to name a few. | TR 10:50am-12:05pm | Barrio-Vilar, Laura |
| Gender-Bending in Britain ENGL 4370-02 | Take a cultural studies approach to the topic of gender (as well as sexuality) based on both real-life and fictional gender-bending characters on the stage and in the streets of England in the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries. Plays, pamphlets, court proceedings, diaries, visual materials, memoirs and biographies (sometimes fictionalized) will serve as our primary readings. | TR 1:40pm-2:55pm | Hunter, Angela |
| Women in the Middle East* HIST 4390-993 / 5390- 993 |
Overview of the history of gender and women in the Middle East and North Africa from 1750 until the present. | Online | Yeaw, Katrina |
| Domestic Violence CRJU 3305-971 | A comprehensive overview of crimes within the family: intimate partner violence, family violence in a global context, child abuse, elder abuse, adolescent perpetrators, and the police and courts response to domestic violence. | Online | Raptopoulos, Kilby |
| Domestic Violence CRJU 3305-H01 | A comprehensive overview of crimes within the family: intimate partner violence, family violence in a global context, child abuse, elder abuse, adolescent perpetrators, and the police and courts response to domestic violence. | TR 12:15pm-1:30pm, Hybrid class (meets 25% or more in-person, with at least 25% of class held online) | Smith, Molly |
| Sex Crimes CRJU 3315-972 | Overview of sex offenders and their motivations for offending, as well as the legislation addressing sex crimes and treatment options for this specific offending group. This course will also address victims of sex crimes and sex crimes targeting children. | Online | Raptopoulos, Kilby |
| Topics in Nonfiction Writing: Memoir and Gender* RHET 4347-01 / 5347-01 | Learn about contemporary understandings of gender, and apply that learning to a close study of memoir as a powerful form of personal storytelling. We will read diverse memoirs, learn about the tools of creative nonfiction, and practice writing our own short-form memoirs through the lens of gender studies. | MW 1:40pm–2:55pm | Martin, Londie |
| Groundbreaking Women SPAN 4361-990 and 9S1 | This seminar examines representations about and by women’s experiences in Latin American literature and culture. We analyze the strategies (and identities) that Latin American women have employed to gain agency, and influence, in private and public spaces within specific historical periods. We will also examine how women have contributed to the creation of local and national identities. | First 9 weeks; section 9S1 meets R 6:00pm-8:40pm | Delgado-Solórzano, Edma |
Earning the Gender Studies Minor
Along with GNST courses, this 18-hour gender studies minor allows you to explore a diverse range of courses in disciplines across the university. Each semester brings fresh opportunities with additional qualifying courses that count toward the gender studies minor. Want to do an internship in gender studies or take a course beyond what’s listed on the website? Just contact our gender studies coordinator for permission.
To earn your gender studies minor or concentration in gender studies, follow these steps:
- Complete GNST2300: Introduction to Gender Studies.
- Next, complete 12 hours of approved upper-level electives.
- In your final semester, complete a gender studies capstone.
Gender Studies Capstone
Ideally taken during the semester just before graduation, this senior-level capstone course is a dynamic journey. You must get prior approval from the gender studies coordinator in order to take the capstone course. You will work closely with the gender studies coordinator and the course instructor to create a capstone contract that will stipulate what you need to do.
From seminars to hands-on projects, the options are endless. You will complete a final project that demonstrates that you meet the learning objectives of the minor.
The capstone course offerings for upcoming semester(s) will be announced during the advising period for that term.
For more information, please contact Gender Studies Coordinator Dr. Laura Barrio,
