HAVE YOU CONSIDERED COMBINING YOUR POLITICAL SCIENCE DEGREE WITH A WOMEN'S STUDIES MINOR?

A Political Science major and Women's Studies minor is a great combination for students interested in pursuing a variety of careers. Political Science majors typically go on to careers in law, government, international relations, teaching, special interest and public service organizations, business, or journalism. In each of these areas, the skills and knowledge acquired in Women's Studies courses can provide students an edge in finding a job an excelling in it. Women's Studies courses emphasize the analytical, critical, and communication skills that employers seek. The interdisciplinary nature of Women's Studies prepares students to understand complex interrelationships of economic, political, legal and cultural institutions in our society. The ability to identify, comprehend, and analyze such complex connections is a key quality in each of the careers listed above.

A minor in Women's Studies also provides students with substantive knowledge that complements their comprehension of political institutions and processes. In recent years, those who study and practice politics have been paying increased attention to women as participants in global politics and as recipients of public policy. Courses in Women's Studies prepare students to understand and evaluate these political phenomena by focusing on the following: the historical and contemporary situation of women in the United States and abroad; the diversity among women; the impact of public policy, law, and economics on all aspects of women's lives; the complexity of power relations in politics and the workplace; and the ways that the social construction of gender influences the norms, values, and goals of public policy. Knowledge of these areas will benefit students pursuing an career in the public or private sector, whether it is practicing law, working for a governmental agency, teaching school, or consulting in the private sector.

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 Political Science 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 346 Women in Asian History
HIST 353 Women in African History
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
PHIL 365 Philosophy and Feminism
POLS 373 Women and Politics
SOCI 357 The Sociology of Gender
SOCI 487 Gender and Crime
WOMS 390 Internship in Women’s Studies
WOMS 430 Special Topics in Women's Studies (e.g., La Chicana, Geography of Women and
Children)
WOMS 434 Women, Men, and Language
WOMS 439 Independent Study in Women's Studies (e.g., on Women’s Political Movements)

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