A degree in Sociology with a minor in Women's Studies is a great combination for students interested in pursuing a variety of careers. Sociology students typically go on to careers in human resources, health and social services, probation, parole, other criminal justice occupations, research and teaching. In each of these areas, the skills and knowledge acquired in Women's Studies courses can provide students an edge in finding a job and 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 such areas as work and family issues; social policy legislation (e.g., wage discrimination, sexual harassment); communication between the sexes; racial and ethnic cultural differences; and differential treatment of the sexes within the criminal justice system. 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 provides students with substantive knowledge that complements their critical analysis of social structures and institutions. Courses in Women's Studies prepare students to understand and evaluate social phenomena as they are influenced by the historical and contemporary social, economic, and legal status of women, both in the United States and globally. Minors in Women's Studies also explore the cultural and cohort diversity among women; the complexity of gender-based power relations in the public and private realms; and the ways that the social construction of gender influences daily human interactions, including the norms and values of modern society.

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 Sociology majors include:

AHPH 306 Human Sexuality
ANTH 361 Cross-Cultural Perspectives on Women
ANTH 468 Anthropology of Gender
COMS 410 Communication and Gender
HIST 360 Race, Class, and Gender in American History
HIST 413 Family, Sexuality, and Society since 1400
ILAS 350 Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Studies
PHIL 365 Philosophy and Feminism
PSYC 424 Adolescent Development
SOCI 354 Families and Social Change
SOCI 357 The Sociology of Gender
SOCI 358 Racial and Ethnic Minority Families
SOCI 487 Gender and Crime
WOMS 332 Growing Up Female
WOMS 390 Internship in Women’s Studies
WOMS 434 Women, Men, and Language
WOMS 439 Independent Study in Women's Studies

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