Social Justice Leadership, Minor - COLA, UNH

Undergraduate

Social Justice Leadership

Explore critical topics like gender, race, culture and human rights while developing practical leadership skills through hands-on experiences and internships.
Degree
Minor
Location
Durham, NH
Courses
5
Credit
20 hrs.
Full-time
- -
Part-time
- -
View course catalog
Female student wearing black with sunglasses on her head and a male student in a red shirt sit at a desk in a classroom

Women's and Gender Studies

The Social Justice Leadership minor at UNH offers a dynamic interdisciplinary program that prepares you to understand and address complex social issues in today's world. Here you'll be able to explore critical topics like gender, race, culture and human rights while developing practical leadership skills through hands-on experiences and internships. 

Drawing from diverse fields including political science, education, literature and ethics, this minor complements a wide range of majors and provides a strong foundation for careers in advocacy, law, social work or public service. With personalized mentorship and opportunities for real-world activism, you'll gain the knowledge and skills to become an effective agent of social change. 

Department of Women's and Gender Studies

Contact Cards

Robin Hackett
Core Faculty in Women's Studies
Professor
Robin.Hackett@unh.edu
Hamilton Smith Hall, Room 230d, Durham, NH 03824
(603) 862-0860
Kelly Millar
Kelly.Millar@unh.edu
Murkland Hall, Durham, NH 03824
(603) 862-0149

What is social justice leadership?

Whether you’re interested in working in the legal system, politics, social services, education or the humanities, the interdisciplinary social justice leadership minor will give you a fundamental understanding of social justice thought, policies, institutions and systems in the U.S. and abroad. You’ll examine topics such as gender, culture, religion, sexuality and race, as well as related courses drawn from a range of disciplines, including teaching, literature, ethics, health and politics. Combine the minor with a major such as history, political science, social work or justice studies to enhance your career prospects or prepare for graduate studies.

Why study social justice leadership at UNH?

As a relatively small department in the College of Liberal Arts, we’ll provide you with a sense of community and opportunities to contribute directly to social justice, including through internships at innovative organizations both on and off campus. In a rigorous academic environment, our social justice leadership minor offers you a springboard for activism. You’ll benefit from a structured yet flexible undergraduate program on cutting-edge subjects that bridge theory and applied studies. Your course of study will be tailored to your interests. Additionally, you’ll receive excellent advising and mentoring to help you with career or graduate school preparation.

Potential career areas

  • Community organization
  • Healthcare
  • Human rights advocacy
  • Journalism
  • Law
  • Politics
  • Social work
  • Teaching

Curriculum & Requirements

01
Program Description
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The minor in social justice leadership engages students in an exploration of policies, power dynamics, institutions and structures that promote and hinder equity and processes of change required for social justice. Students will examine various forms of injustice such as sexism, racism, classism, ableism and environmental degradation. The minor is grounded in three pillars — a theory component, a leadership component and experiential learning activities. The minor is interdisciplinary in nature, drawing on disciplines such as anthropology, education, English, history, philosophy, political science, social work and sociology. After completing the curriculum, students will have gained a historical perspective, theoretical understanding and applied leadership skills that are needed for social justice work and activism. The minor certifies students' knowledge regarding, and commitment to, social justice leadership, which will be useful in postgraduate pursuits.

Students who wish to minor in social justice leadership should consult with the department chair or coordinator.

02
Requirements for the Program
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Academic policies related to Minors.

Required Courses
Theory
WGS 401WIntroduction to Women's Studies4
or WGS 405 Gender, Power and Privilege
Leadership
WGS 505Survey in Women's Studies (Leadership Part I)4
Applied
Select one capstone course from the following (normally taken at the end of the course sequence):4
WGS 798W
Colloquium
or other relevant approved capstone dealing with social justice leadership issues
Electives
Select two electives in Social Justice and/or Leadership from the approved electives list below.8
Total Credits20

Approved Electives

Courses in the Women's and Gender Studies Department
WGS 444ARace Matters4
WGS 505Survey in Women's Studies (Leadership in the Real World)4
WGS 510Framing Feminism: Gender Politics in Film4
WGS 632WFeminist Thought4
WGS 796Advanced Topics4
WGS 797Internship4
WGS 798WColloquium (such as Women in Prison)4
Courses in Other College of Liberal Arts Departments
ANTH 500Peoples and Cultures of the World (Sub-Saharan Africa)4
ANTH 625Sexuality in Cross-Cultural Perspective4
ANTH 685Gender, Sexuality and HIV/AIDS in Africa4
CMN 505Analysis of Popular Culture4
CMN 567Gender, Race, and Class in the Media4
EDUC 500Exploring Teaching4
ENGL 585Introduction to Women in Literature (Dreamgirls: Studies in Beautiful Blackness)4
ENGL 693Special Topics in Literature (Literary Responses to the Holocaust)4
ENGL 738Asian American Studies4
HIST 566Comparative Revolutions: How to Make a Revolution in the World before Marx4
HIST 665Themes in Women's History (Gender & Politics)4
HIST 690Seminar: Historical Expl (Gay & Lesbian History: From the Victorian Era to Stonewall)4
HIST 797Colloquium (Citizenship & Inequality in the Americas)4
PHIL 430Ethics and Society4
PHIL 436Social and Political Philosophy4
PHIL 450Environmental Ethics4
PHIL 510Philosophy and Feminism4
POLT 548Drug Wars4
POLT 762International Political Economy4
Courses in the College of Health and Human Services
HDFS 746Human Sexuality4
NURS 450Making Babies: Technology, Nature, and Social Context4
OT 513Stressed Out: The Science and Nature of Human Stress4
SW 697Special Topics in Social Welfare (Exploring Social Justice & Cultural Competency)4
SW 715Affirming Practice with Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer+ People4

The women's and gender studies core faculty will consider approving other courses that include more than 50% of content related to social justice leadership.

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