HAVE YOU CONSIDERED COMBINING YOUR COMMUNICATION MAJOR WITH A WOMEN'S STUDIES MINOR?

Communication majors with a minor in Women's Studies may be better prepared for challenges of their professions; they will have taken a significant amount of course work focusing on the majority of the human population. These courses will be useful because many public relations firms, television stations, newspapers, and major corporations are interested in gender equity and cultural diversity. They are actively seeking employees familiar with the historical, cultural, and social contributions of women. The Women's Studies minor emphasizes the social roles of women in a world in which the ability to use language is critical to one's success, yet language, interpersonal communication, and rhetoric are significantly affected by gender and traditional social structures. The importance of gender differences and expectations for communicative effectiveness is well documented in a variety of professions.

A minor in Women's Studies offers Communication majors the opportunity to enhance professional skills by taking course work complementary to the Communication curriculum. Core and elective courses in Women's Studies can assist Communication students in developing a multi-disciplinary perspective on specific issues related to women, representation, and cultural diversity. Many Women's Studies courses are also writing intensive, enabling students to improve their persuasive writing and critical thinking skills. Students can also pursue personal interests by enrolling in special topics courses and independent study.

To earn a Women's Studies minor, students should take 18 hours of approved courses, including three core courses--WOMS 230, Women in Contemporary America, WOMS 235, Women Across Cultures and Centuries, and WOMS 432, Feminist Theory. Additional courses may be selected from a list of approved electives. Electives that may be of particular interest Communication majors include:

ANTH 361 Cross-Cultural Perspectives on Women
ANTH 468 Anthropology of Gender
ARTH 485D Topics in Art History: Images of Women
COMS 410 Communication and Gender
HIST 360 Race, Class, and Gender in American History
HIST 369 Women in United States History
HIST 413 Family, Sexuality, and Society since 1400
HIST 473 Topics in Women's History
ILAS 350 Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Studies
POLS 373 Women and Politics
SOCI 357 The Sociology of Gender
WOMS 390 Internship in Women’s Studies
WOMS 430 Special Topics in Women's Studies (e.g., African American Women, Women's
Stories, Women's Lives)
WOMS 434 Women, Men, and Language
WOMS 439 Independent Study in Women's Studies (e.g., on images of women in popular
culture)

A complete list of electives is available in the undergraduate catalogue.

For additional information about the Women's Studies minor, please call 753-1038.

Last Updated: August 7, 2007