What is women’s and gender studies?

In the women’s and gender studies minor, you’ll explore basic questions about gender roles, gender identity and social justice while examining the diverse experiences of women in various cultures and historical eras. You’ll study the intersection of gender with categories of identity including race and religion, and with topics including film and sports. You’ll also have the opportunity to pursue an intensive study of a specialized topic. Combine this minor with a major such as history, literature, international affairs, psychology or social work to enhance your future career opportunities or prepare for graduate studies.

Why study women’s and gender studies 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 women’s and gender studies minor helps offer 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

Arts
Business
Education
Government
Healthcare
Human services
Journalism
Law
Non-governmental organizations

Curriculum & Requirements

01

Program Description

Women's and gender studies provides students with an understanding of the status of women in various cultures and historical eras, in the nexus of race, class, sexuality, religious and disability studies. Students learn the use of gender as a category of analysis and increase their knowledge of women's contributions to many fields. Women's studies courses offer students critical perspectives on such basic questions of the social order as assumptions about gender roles and gender identity.

As a relatively small department in the College of Liberal Arts, we provide students with a sense of community and opportunities to contribute directly to changing the campus climate. In a rigorous academic environment, women's and gender studies offers students a springboard for activism. Our internship program enables students to gain first-hand work experience across many fields.

A major or minor in women's and gender studies prepares students for careers where the changing roles of women are having a perceptible impact. Alumni go on to law school and graduate school in a variety of disciplines. Some have taken positions with social change or family service agencies, while others have found work in such fields as health care, journalism, education, human rights, social and environmental justice, and the arts.

02

Requirements for the Program

For the women's and gender studies minor, students must complete 20 credits of women's and gender studies courses with a grade of C- or better.
Courses taken pass/fail may not be used toward the minor.
No more than eight credits used to satisfy the requirements for another major may be used for the women's and gender studies minor.

Minor Requirements

The Women's and Gender Studies (WGS) minor requires students to complete 20 credits of WGS-approved coursework with grades of C- or better. Courses taken pass/fail may not be used toward the minor.

Course List
Code	Title	Credits
Required Courses
WGS 401W	Introduction to Women's Studies	4
or WGS 405	Gender, Power and Privilege
WGS 798W	Colloquium (normally taken at the end of the course sequence)	4
Electives
Select three (3) WGS-approved elective courses from the list below.		12
Total Credits		20

WGS-Approved Electives

Students may double count no more than two (2) courses between the WGS minor and a major.

Click here to view a list of additional courses offered and approved for the WGS major and minor as elective coursework.

Course List
Code	Title	Credits
WGS Courses
WGS 444A	Race Matters	4
WGS 505	Survey in Women's Studies	4
WGS 510	Framing Feminism: Gender Politics in Film	4
WGS 632W	Feminist Thought	4
WGS 795	Independent Study	1-4
WGS 796	Advanced Topics	4
WGS 797	Internship	4
WGS 798W	Colloquium	4
Additional courses approved for the WGS minor
ANTH 525	Anthropology of the Body: Fat, Fitness and Form	4
ANTH 625	Sexuality in Cross-Cultural Perspective	4
ANTH 685	Gender, Sexuality and HIV/AIDS in Africa	4
ANTH 750	Islam and Gender: Gendered Lives of Muslims	4
CLAS 550A	Identities and Difference in the Ancient World: Greek and Roman Women	4
CMN 567	Gender, Race, and Class in the Media	4
CMN 614	Gender, Race and Technology	4
CMN 685	Gendered Rhetorics	4
ENGL 575	Sex and Sensibility: The Rise of Chick Lit	4
ENGL 585	Introduction to Women in Literature	4
ENGL 728	Language and Gender	4
ENGL 778	Race and Gender in Film and Popular Culture	4
HIST 565	Women in Modern Europe	4
HIST 665	Themes in Women's History	4
INCO 505A	Becoming a Problem Solver	4
INCO 505I	Internship: Semester in the City (Boston) or Semester for Impact (NH)	8
INCO 682A	The Washington Center Career Readiness Seminar	4
INCO 682I	Washington DC Internship	4 or 8
ITAL 444B	Mamma Mia! Italian Motherhood from the Virgin Mary to Carmela Soprano	4
JUST 410	Sexual Harassment and Rape Prevention (SHARPP) Peer Advocacy	2-4
JUST 520	Girls Gone Bad: Delinquent Girls in Cultural Context	4
NURS 450	Making Babies: Technology, Nature, and Social Context	4
NURS 621	Maternal and Newborn Nursing	2
NURS 621C	Maternal Newborn Nurs Clin	2
PHIL 419	Race, Gender and Social Justice	4
PHIL 510	Philosophy and Feminism	4
POLT 511	Women & Politics	4
POLT 721	Feminist Political Theory	4
SOC 570	Sexual Behavior	4
SW 715	Affirming Practice with Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer+ People	4

Women's and Gender Studies, Minor - COLA, UNH