About the Minor
The Women’s and Gender Studies minor introduces you to the key theories, concepts, and methodologies used to study gender and sexuality as well as their relation to past and present social and cultural issues.
Through the rigorous, interdisciplinary field of Women’s and Gender Studies, you focus on the social construction of gender in a variety of cultural contexts. It aims to improve your understanding of the situations of women, men, transgender, and non-binary people, and to employ gender as a central category of analysis. The Women’s and Gender Studies program at UNE recognizes gendered individuals of all backgrounds as whole and productive human beings and, through this, provides a more accurate and equitable account of human experience.
As a field (or interdiscipline), Women’s Studies has developed knowledge, theory, methodology, and pedagogy appropriate to that vision. Although Women’s Studies developed out of the women’s movement in the 1960s and 1970s, Women’s and Gender Studies has evolved into a comprehensive field of study and a vital part of university education nationwide.
The minor exposes you to the scholarly traditions of history, English, political science, psychology, environmental studies, philosophy, anthropology, and sociology. This interdisciplinary perspective invites you to consider how gender plays out in your major field of study by exploring how gender and sexuality impact mental health; medical diagnoses and treatments; social, behavioral, and environmental initiatives for a healthier planet; and more. Whether you’re a student in the College of Arts and Sciences or Westbrook College of Health Professions, you can enrich your perspective by pursuing the minor.
Curriculum
Eighteen credits as indicated below will satisfy the minor in women's and gender studies.
| Program Required Courses | Credits |
|---|---|
| WGST 200 - Introduction to Women's Studies | 3 |
| WGST 400 - Capstone in Women's and Gender Studies or Advanced (300 - 400-level) WGST approved course (see table below) | 3 |
| Elective Credits (complete at least four of the courses in the table below) | 12 |
| Minimum Required Total Credits | 18 |
| Electives |
|---|
| ANT 312 – Human Trafficking |
| ENG 223 - Survey of Women's Literature |
| ENG 310 - Writing and Women's Health |
| ENG 327 - Women Writers of the World |
| ENV 331 - Women and the Environment |
| HIS 204 - Growing up Female: A History of American Girls |
| HIS 250 - American Women's History I 1600-1865 |
| HIS 251 - American Women's History II 1865-present |
| HIS 252 - Gender in Latin American History |
| HIS 337 - Topics in Women's History |
| HIS 353 - Sex and the City |
| PHI 125 - Friendship, Love, Marriage, and Sex |
| PSC 312 - The Family and Politics |
| PSC 321 - Women and Politics |
| PSC 432 - Autonomy and the Politics of Reproduction |
| PSC 450 - Contemporary Feminist Theories |
| PSY 215 - Psychology of Gender |
| SOC 240 - Race, Class, and Gender: Sociological Perspectives |
| SOC 350 - Deviance |
| SOC 425 - Sex, Gender, and Sexuality in Critical Perspective |
| WGST 101/201/301/401 - Topics in Women's and Gender Studies |
| WGST 276 - Women in the Ancient World |
| WGST 278 - Women in the Modern World |
| WGST 310 - Medieval Women in History and Legend |
| Women's and Gender Studies elective credit may be given for the following topics courses. Examples of specific sections for which credit will be given are listed in parentheses. |
|---|
| ENG 216 - Topics in Law & Literature I (Criminals, Idiots, and Minors) |
| ENG 234 - Topics in British Literature (Fallen Angels: New Woman Fiction in England and America) |
| ENG 326 - Topics in Literature & Health (Madness in Literature) |
| ENG 326 - Topics in Literature & Health (Patient Narratives) |
| ENG 235 - Topics in American Literature (Women’s YA Dystopian Fiction) |
| ENG 235 or ENG 435 - Topics in American Literature (Women of the West) |
| HIS 276 - Women in the Ancient World |
| HIS 278 - Women in the Modern World |
| HIS 290 - History Hands-On (Sex and Power: Women in the Americas) |
| HIS 395 - What Really Happened? Witchcraft |
| HIS 399 - Topics in History (Gender and Sexuality in Latin American History) |
| XXX 276 - Human Traditions I (Gender and Politics) |
| PSY 405 - Special Topics Seminar (Psychology of Sexual Orientation) |
Elective credit may, in some cases, be available through internships or directed studies when approved by the Advisory Committee for Women’s and Gender Studies. This elective credit must have content that is women and/or gender-focused.
To learn more about the program visit the Academic Catalog.
Learning Outcomes
The Women’s and Gender Studies Program has identified an array of valuable learning outcomes associated with its undergraduate minor curriculum.
Among those, the following three represent especially important learning areas for students graduating with a minor in Women’s and Gender Studies from the University of New England.
Students completing the Women’s and Gender Studies minor will be able to:
- Demonstrate an understanding of the key concerns and methodologies of Women’s and Gender Studies
- Articulate orally and in writing the importance of gender to social and cultural issues, past and present
- Conduct competent primary and secondary source research in order to develop a basis for informed opinions