Students working in the Astronomy Lab

Gender Studies Minor

The Gender Studies Minor is a unique offering that covers a wide variety of topics related to gender, women’s studies and sexuality taught by faculty from across the University.  This is the first time at the University that a minor of this type has been offered, and it is an opportunity that students will not generally find at community colleges.  The minor offers courses from Psychology, Education, Health and Human Performance, English, History, Anthropology, Sociology, and Art so students can limit the focus of their studies or take courses from a wide variety of disciplines.

Students in this standard 18-hour minor will take two required courses:

Gender Studies 300 (GDRS 300) Fundamentals of Gender Studies.  This course introduces students to the major issues and approaches to studying gender and provides a core foundation for further cousework in the gender studies minor.

Gender Studies 400 (GDRS 400) Topics in Gender Studies .  A special topics course in gender studies.  This course is designed to allow the student to explore particular issues/topics  in gender studies in more depth.  Topics and disciplines will vary.  May be repeated once for credit as topic changes.

Topics in the minor include a variety of already existing courses, all of which have a strong gender component.  These include:

  • Anth 2351  World Cultures
  • Eng 358  Language and Society
  • HHPH 385  Current Issues in Health
  • Hist 497 Religion in Early American History
  • Hist 497 Witchcraft in Salem
  • Psy 2306 Psychology of Human Sexuality
  • Soc 316  Courtship, Mate Selection, Marriage and Family Patterns
  • Art 497 Women in Art
  • Eng 355 Women Writers (Can be repeated when topics vary)
  • Eng 497 Gender Theory;
  • GDRS 300 Fundamentals in Gender Studies (required)
  • GDRS 400 Topics in Gender Studies (required)
  • Hist 329 History and Gender in Modern Europe
  • Hist 439 Women and Gender in U.S. History

Courses currently under development:

  • Gender and Culture
  • Gender Issues in Sport
  • Gender Issues in Spanish Literature (taught in English)
  • Gender Narratives
  • Women in Higher Education
  • Women in Science Fiction
  • Women and the Law

Courses offered Fall semester:

  • Anthropology 2351 World Cultures
  • Sociology 316 Marriage and Family Patterns
  • Eng 497-01E Feminist Rhetoric
  • Hist 407 Modern America, 1850-1920

Winter Mini Course:

  • HHPH 385 Current Issues in Health

For faculty and Students interested in Gender Studies: 

You might also be interested in the Women’s Leadership Community.  If you have ever wanted to explore the topics of women’s leadership, gender identity, and civic engagement, the Women’s Leadership Living Learning Community (LLC) in Pride Rock Hall is a fit for you.  Students in this community will have the opportunity to develop relationships with faculty, staff, community members and peers passionate about these topics.  Women’s Leadership LLC partners include faculty from the Gender Studies Minor in the College of Humanities, Social Sciences and the Arts, and the Leadership Engagement and Development (L.E.A.D) Department.  LLC members will receive a copy of the Common Reading book How Remarkable Women Lead (Barsh, Cranston, and Lewis, 2011), and be assigned to live in the Women’s Leadership LLC hall in Pride Rock for the 2013-2014 academic year.  Interested students and Gender Studies faculty may contact Christina.Wan@ tamuc.edu

For more information regarding the Gender Studies minor, contact Dr. Linda Matthei, Linda.Matthei@tamuc.edu , Ferguson Social Sciences 218, 903.886.5169