Women’s and Gender Studies, Minor Minor
Women's and Gender Studies is a discipline that critically examines gender and women's issues from an interdisciplinary perspective and challenges many traditional assumptions and theories. It examines the practice and expression of gender in different societies and at different historical moments.
Regardless of your gender, Women's and Gender Studies is crucial and relevant for anyone interested in working in criminal justice, social work, the non-profit sector, the arts, politics, business, and more. Students learn to look at the world and history through different perspectives and think about how gender and our perceptions of it impact culture, society, and daily interactions. It is a traditional liberal arts discipline where the knowledge and skills developed in the program can be applied to all types of career paths. Work experiences during college through internships, part-time jobs, and volunteer positions often shape career paths after graduation.
In 1974, the Office of Women's Studies opened its doors at 51猎奇, becoming the first university in Wisconsin to establish a Women's Studies program. Today, undergraduate students at 51猎奇 can pursue a Women's and Gender Studies major or minor, and graduate students can choose from among three different Women's and Gender Studies MA options or a certificate to complement a different graduate degree program. Undergraduates benefit from the MA program's strength by working with and learning from graduate students and taking classes with the same exceptional faculty.
Students in Women's and Gender Studies master critical thinking, problem analysis, and communication through both classroom studies and service learning opportunities.聽
Students who are interested in the minor should complete the online declaration form on the Women鈥檚 and Gender Studies website. For additional information, please contact Women's and Gender Studies, located in CRT 535, by phone at (414) 229-5918, or on the web.
Program Type
Minor
Program Format
On Campus
What pairs well with a Women’s and Gender Studies minor?
Everything! What profession doesn’t interact with people from all different backgrounds? Some common pairings include:
- Business
- Marketing
- Social Work
- Psychology
- the Arts (theater, music, film, art and design)
- Criminal Justice
- Library Science
- History
- any Science program leading to healthcare careers such as biology or pre-med
- English
- Journalism
- Human Resources
- Nursing
- Sociology
Requirements
Students who minor in Women鈥檚 and Gender Studies are required to take 18 credits drawn from Women鈥檚 and Gender Studies and cross-listed courses, at least 9 credits of which must be completed in upper-division (numbered 300 or above) courses in residence at 51猎奇. In addition, students must attain a 2.0 GPA in all minor courses attempted, including any transfer work. The following courses are required for the minor:
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Required | ||
| Foundation - choose one of the following: | 3 | |
| Introduction to Women's and Gender Studies: A Social Science Perspective | ||
| Introduction to Women's and Gender Studies: A Humanities Perspective | ||
| Theory - choose one of the following: | 3 | |
| Queer Theory | ||
| Feminist Theory | ||
| Global - choose one of the following: | 3 | |
| Global Anti-Gender Movements | ||
| Global Feminisms | ||
| Electives | ||
| Select 9 credits (see below) | 9 | |
| Total Credits | 18 | |
- 1
Students may not receive credit for both and . Only one of these courses can be taken for credit.聽
Electives
Students must take an additional 9 credits of elective courses to reach a total of 18 credits. Approved electives include WGS courses and courses offered by other programs and departments; see the list below.
Numerous courses in a wide variety of disciplines have been approved as electives for the WGS major. For information about whether a special topics course in another program might be approved as an elective for WGS, please contact Women's and Gender Studies.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| First-Year Seminar: | 3 | |
| Independent Study | 1-3 | |
| Study Abroad: | 1-12 | |
| Queer Theory | 3 | |
| Gendered Bodies: | 3 | |
| Feminist Activism and Movements: | 3 | |
| Honors Seminar in the Social Sciences: | 3 | |
| Honors Seminar in the Humanities: | 3 | |
| Feminist Research and Practice | 3 | |
| Internship in Women's and Gender Studies | 1-3 | |
| Study Abroad: | 1-12 | |
| Advanced Social Science Seminar in Women's and Gender Studies: | 3 | |
| Advanced Humanities Seminar in Women's and Gender Studies: | 3 | |
| Independent Reading | 1-3 | |
| Black Women and White Women in the Contemporary United States | 3 | |
| Global Black Social Movements | 3 | |
| The Black Family | 3 | |
| Sexuality, Gender, and Health in Africa and the Diaspora | 3 | |
| Extended Families in Black Societies | 3 | |
| The Black Woman in America, Africa, and the Caribbean | 3 | |
| Race, Class and Gender in Southern Africa | 3 | |
| Race, Class, and Gender in Latin America and the Caribbean | 3 | |
| Women's Roles in Cross-Cultural Perspective | 3 | |
| Biology of Women | 3 | |
| Diversity in Organizations | 3 | |
| Communication in Marital and Family Relationships | 3 | |
| Gender and Communication | 3 | |
| Rhetoric of Women's Rights in the US | 3 | |
| Women and Criminal Justice | 3 | |
| Intimate Partner Violence | 3 | |
| Economics of Discrimination | 3 | |
| Education, Title IX, and the Human Experience | 3 | |
| Introduction to Literature by Women: | 3 | |
| Women and Film | 3 | |
| Feminist Media Criticism and Theory: | 3 | |
| Women Writers: | 3 | |
| Seminar in Literature by Women: | 3 | |
| Seminar in Literature and Sexuality: | 3 | |
| Migration and Gender: Starbucks, Sex Trafficking, and Nannies | 3 | |
| Queer Migrations | 3 | |
| Gender, Race, and Ethnicity in Milwaukee: | 3 | |
| Screening Sexuality: | 3 | |
| Gendered Geographies | 3 | |
| Global History of the Family, Gender, and Sexuality | 3 | |
| Women and Gender in Europe: 1350 to 1750 | 3 | |
| Women and Gender in Europe: 1750 to the Present | 3 | |
| History of Women in American Society | 3 | |
| The 1960s in the United States: A Cultural History (WGS voted to approve cross-listing this course in spring 2023.) | 3 | |
| Modern and Contemporary France | 3 | |
| Topics in Gender and History: | 3 | |
| The American Feminist Movement | 3 | |
| Gender and the Media | 3 | |
| Women in the Bible | 3 | |
| Introduction to Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Studies | 3 | |
| Queer Migrations | 3 | |
| Topics in LGBT Studies: | 3 | |
| Selected Topics in LGBT Studies: | 3 | |
| Language and Gender | 3 | |
| Women in Music: | 3 | |
| Global Maternal and Child Health: From Evidence to Action | 3 | |
| Global Food Security and Systems | 3 | |
| Philosophical Aspects of Feminism | 3 | |
| Sex and Power | 3 | |
| Women in Politics | 3 | |
| Sex, Gender, and the Law | 3 | |
| LGBTIQ Psychology | 3 | |
| Psychology of Gender | 3 | |
| Sex and Gender | 3 | |
| Sociology of Sexuality | 3 | |
| Blood, Sex, Money, Power: Families and Intimate Relationships | 3 | |
| The Work-Family Intersection | 3 | |
| Sociology of the Body | 3 | |
| Families and Poverty | 3 |
Letters & Science Minor Advising
Advising for the minor takes place within the department by a faculty member or staff member. Follow the steps using the "Declare a Minor" button on the department鈥檚 website which may include instructions on how to select a faculty advisor if there is more than one to choose from.
Students who already have an L&S college advisor because their degree plan is in L&S can discuss the minor with them as well since they will be familiar with any minor in L&S. Students who are working on a degree from a 51猎奇 college other than the College of Letters & Science will not need an L&S college advisor for just a minor and one will not be assigned. These students should work with the faculty or staff advisor they receive as part of the minor declaration process or contact the department directly for assistance.
Applicants who have not started classes at 51猎奇 yet who wish to declare a minor should wait until they are registered for their first 51猎奇 classes and then can declare the minor using the 鈥淒eclare a Minor鈥� button on the program鈥檚 website. If you have questions about the minor before then, contact聽let-sci@uwm.edu.