Nursing majors with a minor in Women's Studies may be better prepared for challenges of their profession; they will have taken a significant amount of course work focusing on the majority of the human population. These courses will offer them insights into the significance of women's roles in family and society, which is important because women have traditionally made most health care decisions for their families. Women's Studies courses will also introduce Nursing students to needs of women that have often been ignored by social policy.

A minor in Women's Studies offers Nursing majors the opportunity to enhance interpersonal and professional skills by taking course work complementary to the Nursing curriculum. Core and elective courses in Women's Studies can assist Nursing students in developing a multi-disciplinary perspective on specific issues related to women, health, sexuality, marriage, family relations, and cultural diversity. 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 to Nursing majors include:

AHPH 306 Human Sexuality
COMS 410 Communication and Gender
FCNS 406 Global Food and Nutrition Issues
NURS 380 Nursing Care of Women
PSYC 424 Adolescent Development
SOCI 354 Families and Social Change
SOCI 357 The Sociology of Gender
SOCI 454 Racial and Ethnic Minority Family Systems
WOMS 390 Internship in Women’s Studies
WOMS 430 Special Topics in Women's Studies (e.g., Women’s Health Issues Across the Life Span)
WOMS 439 Independent Study in Women's Studies (e.g., on women's health care issues)

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