Cynthia Smith, Ph.D. (Program Director)
The Women’s Studies minor is an interdisciplinary academic program
that helps to counter discrimination and to foster justice, dignity
and understanding of human differences by focusing on the contribution
of women to our intellectual and cultural heritage.
Upon completion of the minor in Women’s Studies, students will
be able to demonstrate the ability to:
- Promote justice through recognition of human differences
and how these differences affect social interaction.
- Explore the connections among various fields of study through
increased cross-curricular and inter-disciplinary work.
- Understand the influence and importance of gender in
several different disciplinal areas.
Requirements for Women’s Studies Minor
A Women’s Studies minor must complete the following courses:
WST/HIS 220 Women in History (3 crs)
WST/ENG 310 or 312 Women in Literature (3 crs)
WST 486 Women’s Studies Thesis (1 cr)
Electives (9 crs)
Special Note on Women’s Studies Minor:
The student will complete three 3-credit courses as the elective
component of the minor. Afull list of elective courses is available from
the director of the program. A student must complete the proper form
for the elective during the preregistration period. Courses that have a
significant component involved with gender may also be eligible for
elective credit in Women’s Studies. Please contact the director for further
information. Questions about the minor should be directed to Dr.
Cynthia Smith, director of the Women’s Studies Minor.
Course Descriptions
WST 220 (HIS 220) Women in History (3 crs)
A study of women in Western society from antiquity to the present.
The course will examine principal events, trends and ideas affecting
women in selected periods, including the Icelandic Society, the
Troubadour civilization, the 17th century salon ladies and the feminist
and suffrage movements of the 19th and 20th centuries. Prerequisite:
Completed history core.
WST 235 (PSY 235) Human Sexuality in a Diverse World
(3 crs)
A data-based study of biological, religious/historical, cultural and
individual determinants of intimate human behavior. Prerequisite:
PSY 110.
LIT/WST 310 Women and Early Literature (3 crs)
Study of women’s contribution to literature from the Classical
Period through the 18th Century. Addresses major issues and themes
that concern women; examines how individual female authors confronted
the prevailing literary and social attitudes of their times.
Prerequisite: completed literature core.
LIT/WST 312 Women and Modern Literature (3 crs)
Study of women’s contribution to literature from the 19th Century to
the present day. Addresses major issues and themes that concern
women; examines how individual female authors confronted the
prevailing literary and social attitudes of their times. Prerequisite:
completed literature core.
WST/PSY 425 Topics in Gender (3 crs)
An exploration of current research findings on the interaction of gender
and society, how men and women behave differently and how
gender is represented in culture. Prerequisite: PSY 110.
WST 486 Women’s Studies Thesis (1 cr)
A research project integrating an issue in the field of Women’s
Studies with the student’s major field.
