Gain a new perspective on the world with a minor in women and gender studies.
This practical minor nicely complements any major we offer, including Spanish, psychology, sociology, creative writing and anthropology. You’ll learn to look at the world from a gender-sensitive perspective — a valuable skill no matter what career path you plan to take.
We’ll help prepare you for careers in fields such as social work, human resources, criminal justice and healthcare. Many of our minors also go on to pursue PhD’s.
Inside women & gender studies
Whether you’re a history major wanting to examine our past through a new lens, a psychology major looking to better understand gender roles or a creative writing major seeking to fully develop your characters, you’ll benefit from a women and gender studies minor.
You’ll look across disciplines, personally picking classes in everything from philosophy to biology to politics to art. You’ll discover and explore the diverse realities of women’s lives, while striving to understand how cultural attitudes and social structure affect both men and women.
While meeting the minor’s 20 semester hours, you’ll also satisfy many Central Curriculum requirements and meet requirements for your major.
When you enroll at Susquehanna, you’ll be paired with an advisor and application tool to guide you in your course planning and scheduling. The following is an excerpt from the complete course catalog. Enrolled students follow the requirements of the course catalog for the academic year in which they declare each major and/or minor, consult with their advisor(s) and the Academic Planning Tool.
Learning Goals
To use gender as a tool of analysis.
To emphasize gender and how it intersects with race, class, ethnicity, sexual orientation, religion, nationality, geography and other identity markers.
To demonstrate the connections between theory and practice.
Minor Requirements
The minor consists of 20 semester hours, including WGST-100 Introduction to Women and Gender Studies (4 SH), with the remaining semester hours coming from the array of courses listed under the “Courses” tab, as well as other women’s studies courses offered on occasion by individual departments.
Double-counting restriction for interdisciplinary minors
Only 4 semester hours of this minor may be double-counted toward the student’s major.
Introduction to Women and Gender Studies focuses on issues relating to women and their lives, and the impact that gender has on them. It also considers the topic of intersectionality. Finally, it reflects on the connections between theory (in particular, feminist theory) and practice/activism. 4 SH. CC: Diversity, Social Interactions.
An examination of the various forms of feminist philosophy (e.g., liberal feminism, radical feminism, existential feminism, Marxist/socialist feminism, psychoanalytic feminism, postmodern feminism, eco-feminism, multicultural and global feminism). Emphasizes how feminism differs from common (mis)understandings of it. Some attention is also given to various women in professional philosophy. Same as PHIL-212. 4 SH. CC: Diversity.
An extensive inquiry into women’s stories and images in the Hebrew Bible, New Testament, and related literature from the biblical period. Explores the range of roles played by women within biblical narratives, the variety of metaphorical/symbolic uses of femininity in biblical traditions, and legal and ethical precepts related to the status of women in the biblical period. Methods and approaches from the social sciences, history, literary studies, and theology, as shaped by feminist theory, will serve as the main guides for this study. Prerequisites: Sophomore standing and one course from the following: a course in religious studies, women’s studies, a course in English, a course in history, or DIVS-100. Same as JWST-207 and RELI-207. 4 SH. CC: Diversity Intensive, Interdisciplinary, Writing Intensive.
An introductory examination of the role of women in the U.S. political system. The course includes a theoretical and historical view of the development of women’s political activity in the United States, as well as a contemporary look at women as activists, voters, and candidates. Current issues are incorporated as appropriate. Prerequisite: Sophomore standing. 4 SH. CC: Diversity Intensive, Interdisciplinary.
Critically studies how women are perceived, portrayed, and involved in a number of the world’s religions, including Hinduism, Buddhism, Judaism, Islam, Christianity, and women’s spiritual movements. Prerequisite: Sophomore standing. Same as RELI-225. 4 SH. CC: Diversity Intensive, Interdisciplinary, Writing Intensive.
This course examines the emergence and development of the female action heroine in film over the course of the last fifty years within the popular “action film” genre. This course critically evaluates visual and thematic markers of femininity, masculinity, sexuality, race, and class with respect to representations of female action heroines in a variety of films. Same as FILM-240. 4 SH. CC: Artistic Expression, Diversity Intensive.
Through the reading and analysis of various genres of play texts written by a diverse collection of playwrights, this course analyzes theatre’s unique ability to engage with both the agenda and the trauma of violence. Students in this course will learn to consider violence as a tool of oppression that reinforces power structures and as an expression of trauma by those un-empowered by the same societal power structures. Same as THEA-240. 4 SH. CC: Diversity Intensive, Ethics Intensive.
Examines the genetic and biological basis of gender difference, the unique biology of the female body, and women’s health care issues. Topics include female reproductive anatomy and the menstrual cycle, pregnancy and birth, developmental differences in the sexes, and reproductive technologies. Also covers problems such as breast cancer, premenstrual syndrome, and osteoporosis. Includes the role of women in the health care system, as well as biology and science in general. Not for biology major or minor credit. Same as BIOL-157. 4 SH. CC: Diversity Intensive.
A study of the historic perception and the social history of the role of women in art: as artist, as subject of art, and as patron (audience) of art. Emphasizes exploration and debate over issues affecting present day perceptions about the woman artist of the past and the future. Same as ARTH-313. Prerequisite: Sophomore standing. 4 SH. CC: Artistic Expression, Diversity Intensive, Interdisciplinary, Writing Intensive.
This course examines various types of gender-based violence from local, national and international perspectives. Gender based violence is any act that is perpetrated against a person’s will and is based on gender norms and unequal power relationship and is often more prevalent in marginalized communities (ie LGBTQ+ identified persons, women of color, etc). This course analyzes manifestations of gender-based violence through various cultural lenses and ethical theories to better understand the intersectionality of gender-based violence. 4 SH. Ethics.
Explores current theory and research in the development of gender and consequences of gender roles. Covers evolutionary, biological, psychoanalytic, cognitive, social learning, and cross-cultural perspectives on gender, as well as approaches that seek to understand interactions among these influences. Prerequisites: Sophomore standing and either PSYC-101 or SOCI-101. Same as PSYC-334. 4 SH. CC: Diversity, Writing Intensive.
Courses exploring such topics as women in literature, literature by women, literature and sexuality, the construction of gender in literature, and feminist literary theory. Same as ENGL-365. 4 SH. CC: Writing Intensive.
This course traces the history of American women from the seventeenth through the twenty-first centuries. It considers the history of American women in relation to gender, race, ethnicity, class, sexual orientation, and religion. Same as HIST-370. 4 SH.
Examines the role of sex and gender in organizations. Special attention is given to topics relevant to women working in organizations, such as sex and gender differences in: career/job preferences, advancement and pay, teamwork, leadership, sexuality in the workplace and work-family balance. Other topics addressed include hostile vs. benevolent sexism, as well as practices designed to increase diversity within organizations. Class is conducted in a seminar format. Prerequisite: Junior standing or instructor’s permission. Same as MGMT-468. 2 SH. CC: Diversity Intensive.
Occasional offerings of specialized courses exploring topics of pertinent interest to faculty members and students. 2-4 SH.
Individual work on a focused topic or specialized area in women’s studies/the study of gender. Course requirements may be fulfilled in a variety of ways: library research culminating in a major paper; work at an internship site leading to a report/analysis of that work; some sort of creative activity that includes a written reflective analysis of same. 2-4 SH.
Individual work on a focused topic or specialized area in women’s studies/the study of gender.
