Coordinators:
Dr. Browyn Conrad
Office: 320 Russ Hall
Telephone: 620-235-4333
email: browyn@pittstate.edu
Women’s Studies is an interdisciplinary program that places gender at the center of analysis. Students learn how gender affects social relationships, artistic expressions, institutional structures, and national and international political, cultural and economic relations. While centrally concerned with gender dynamics, Women’s Studies has always explored the ways other dimensions of diversity, including race, ethnicity, nationality, class, sexual orientation, age, and ability shape the lived experiences of both women and men.
Minor in Women’s Studies
The Women’s Studies minor involves twenty-one credit hours, including a nine credit hour core emphasizing collaborative learning and critical thinking in a global, activist context. It complements a wide variety of majors, including English, Communication, History, Sociology, Justice Studies, Psychology, Family and Consumer Sciences, Education, and Business, and is an excellent preparation for careers in the non-profit sector or in private sector fields such as human resources, marketing, management, education, and law.
Core Courses (required) |
Hours |
| WOMEN 200 Introduction to Women’s Studies |
3 |
| WOMEN 399 Issues in Women’s Studies: Global Women's Issues |
3 |
| WOMEN 600 Senior Project in Women’s Studies |
3 |
| Total |
9 |
Elective Courses (from categories A, B and C) |
| Students must complete a minimum of one three-hour course from each of the following categories. One additional three-hour course must be chosen from either Category A or B, for a total of 12 hours of electives. Courses may not be repeated for credit. Students may not receive credit toward their major for more than one Women’s Studies cross-listed course. |
Category A: Science and Culture (Choose One) |
3 |
| BIOL 402 Topics in Biology: Women in Science |
3 |
| JUST 480 Women, Crime, and Justice |
3 |
| SOC 536 The Family and Society |
3 |
| SOC 569 Society and Sexuality |
3 |
| SOC 663 Women, Men, and Society |
3 |
Category B: Heritage and Aesthetics (Choose One) |
3 |
FCS 154 Dress and Culture or
FCS 455 History of Costume |
3 |
| HIST 608 Women in American History |
3 |
Category A or B (select one course from A or B above) |
3 |
Category C: Applications (Choose One) |
3 |
PSYCH 440 Topics in Psychology: (SART) or
PSYCH 740 Topics in Psychology: (SART) |
3 |
| JUST 530 Intimate Violence in the Justice System |
3 |
| |
12 |
| Total |
21 |
Other courses may be substituted for the above electives with the approval of the Women’s Studies Committee. For example, ENGL 771: Major Authors may sometimes concentrate on a noted female author. In such a case, this course would provide an acceptable substitute for those courses listed under Category B: Heritage and Aesthetics. Other courses that may occasionally be offered for Women’s Studies credit include ENGL 555 Topics in Literature, PSYCH 695 Field Work in Psychology and COMM 726 Media Analysis and Criticism. Courses approved for Women’s Studies credit will appear as Women’s Studies courses during enrollment. Students must seek advisement before substituting any approved Women’s Studies course for the above electives.
Certificate in Women’s Studies
The requirements for a certificate are 15 hours, including a 6 hour core consisting of Women 200 Introduction to Women’s Studies and Women 399 Issues in Women's Studies: Global Women’s Issues. With the approval of the Women's Studies Program Coordinator and Committee, 9 hours of departmental courses on women will supplement this core.
Both Women 200 Introduction to Women’s Studies, and Women 399 Issues in Women's Studies: Global Women’s Issues can be used to fulfill general education requirements for the social and behavioral sciences.
WOMEN 200. Introduction to Women’s Studies. 3 hours. Interdisciplinary survey focuses on women’s lives and experiences to investigate connections between gender and race, class, nationality, sexuality, and other cultural differences.
WOMEN 399. Issues in Women's Studies Global Women’s Issues. 3 hours. Interdisciplinary analysis of feminist theory and global women’s issues.
WOMEN 600. Senior Project in Women’s Studies. 3 hours. Individual study and field work in various settings appropriate to the analysis of gender and women’s issues. Includes a two credit hour field-work project. For Women’s Studies minors only. Prerequisites: WOMEN 200 Introduction to Women’s Studies and WOMEN 399 Issues in Women’s Studies: Global Women’s Issues. |
