Gender & Women's Studies

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Gender and Women's Studies is part of WMU's College of Arts and Sciences.

Major in Gender and Women's Studies

The Gender & Women's Studies major requires thirty-one credit hours and allows for flexible study plans. In addition to interdisciplinary core courses, research and internships opportunities, further classes may be selected from a long list of approved electives in consultation with the GWS director. Students are encouraged to work with the GWS director to help identify courses that best suit their individual interests and career goals. Because it is genuinely interdisciplinary, GWS is unusually compatible in combination with other majors and minors.

Major (31 hours)

Grade Requirement: A minimum of “C” is required in all courses applied toward the major.

Required Courses:

WMS 2000 Introduction to Gender & Women’s Studies 4

And

At least ONE of the following 3000 level courses:
WMS            3200 Women, Multiculturalism & Social Change 3
WMS            3700 Special Topics in Gender & Women’s Studies 3
WMS            3460 Women in Developing Countries 3

And

At least ONE of the following 4000 level WMS courses:
            WMS             4100 Special Topics in Gender & Women’s Studies 3
            WMS             4400 Internship 3
            WMS             4980 Independent Study 3

And

At least ONE of the following History courses:
            HIST            3160 Women in American History 3
            HIST            3360 Women in European History 3
            HIST            4246 Topics in Gender & Women’s History 3

And

At least ONE of the following thematic courses from the disciplines :
            AFS             3100 The Black Woman: Historical Perspective 3

           ANTH          3480 Gender and Plastic Bodies 3
            ANTH          3600 Sex, Gender, Culture 3
            ECON          3090 Women and the Economy 3
            PSCI            4210 Gender and Law
            SOC             4790 Male/Female Interaction (also COM 4790) 3
            SOC             5630 Gender and Justice 3

And

The baccalaureate writing course:
WMS 4010 Foundations of Feminist Theory 3
Substitutions (approved by the Director)

The remaining 12 hours should be taken from among the following electives or be approved by the Director of Gender & Women’s Studies:

WMS             1000            Media and the Sexes
WMS             3000            Working Women, Past and Present
WMS             3200            Women, Multiculturalism & Social Chng.
WMS             3300            Gender Issues in Education
WMS             3500            Psychological Perspectives on Gender
WMS            3700            Special Topics in Gender & Women’s Studies
WMS             4010            Foundations of Feminist Theory
WMS             4100            Special Topics
WMS             4400            Internship Seminar
WMS             4980            Independent Study
WMS             5000            Seminar in Women’s Studies
WMS             5500            Contemporary Feminist Theory
WMS             5970            Issues in Women’s Studies: Variable Topics
WMS            5980            Readings in Women’s Studies
AFS            3070            Poetics & Politics of Gender in Islam
AFS            3100            The Black Woman: Historical Perspective
AFS            3600            Black Woman-Black Man Relationships
ANTH            3090            Archeology of Inequality & Resistance
ANTH             3450            Topics in Anthropology: Gender Issues*
ANTH             3600            Sex, Gender, Culture
ANTH            5060            Archeology of Gender
ANTH            5070            Gender Theories
ANTH            5220            Poverty, Power, and Privilege
ANTH             5450            Topics in Sociocultural Anthropology: Feminist Theory*
ART            5210            Topics in Art History: Women in Art*
COM            3070            Freedom of Expression
COM            4750            Family Communication
COM             4790            Gender Communication (Also SOC 4790)
ECON            3090            Women and the Economy
ENGL            4100            Special Topics in Literature: Am. Women Poets*
ENGL            4100            Special Topics in Literature: Images of Women in Media
ENGL            4160            Women in Literature
FCS            2050            Topics in Consumer Res. & Technology: Women & Health*
FCS            2100            Intro to Human Sexuality
FCS            3150            Global Ecology of the Family
FCS            5680            Gender, Culture, and Families
FREN            5100            French/Francophone Culture
HIST            3160            Women in American History
HIST            3360            Women in European History
HIST             4246            Topics dealing with Gender & Women’s History
PADM            2000            Intro to Nonprofit Leadership
PADM            3000            Nonprofit Advancement
PADM            4000            Seminar in Nonprofit Leadership
PHIL            3150            Race and Gender Issues
PSCI            3410            Politics Sub-Saharan Africa
PSCI            3460            Women in Developing Countries
PSCI            4210            Gender and Law
PSCI            4500            Seminar in International and Comparative Politics
REL            5110            Women and Religion
SOC            1900            Men and Women in Contemporary Society
SOC             3900            Marriage and Family Relations
SOC             4900             Social Context of Sexual Behavior

*Other courses that address issues associated with Gender & Women’s Studies, including those outside the College of Arts & Sciences, may also count with the approval of the Director of Gender & Women’s Studies.
**No more than 7 total hours of credits below the 3000 level may count toward the major.

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