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Requirements for a minor in Women's and Gender Studies

The Women's and Gender Studies minor requires a minimum of 15 semester hours, including WGST 2322 and 12 additional hours selected from among a list of courses approved for the Women's and Gender Studies Program. At least 9 hours must be advanced.

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Requirements for majoring in Women's and Gender Studies

Qualified students can major in Women's and Gender Studies by pursuing an Individualized Major in the Liberal Arts with a focus on Women's and Gender Studies Studies.

The purpose of this major is to allow qualified students with a strong interest in women's role in culture and society, or of gender issues more generally, to achieve both a deeper and broader knowledge of the interdisciplinary field of Women's and Gender Studies than the minor permits. As with all individualized majors, the requirements by which it is defined are few and general so that the student may tailor the program to meet her or his specific interests and needs.

A Faculty Supervisory Committee composed of the Coordinator of the program and two additional WGST faculty members approve the student’s program, oversee the student’s progress, and certify completion of the major.

Course Requirements for such a major with a focus in Women's and Gender Studies

WGST 4303 Internship in Women's and Gender Studies

This internship is an elective within the women’s studies minor, adding a policy and applied component to the existing scholarly curriculum. The internship offers students experience with organizations serving women or addressing women’s and gender issues, as well as with varied potential careers, or volunteer opportunities in the community. For more information about locating and preparing for internships, click here.

This is primarily an off-campus experiential course, based in community organizations. The experience will reflect the goals and activities of the particular organization hosting the intern. Typical organizations that would sponsor internships might include Planned Parenthood, Women’s Museum, Genesis House, Girls Inc., Vogel Alcove, Echo Theater, Family Place, Girl Scouts, YWCA, or the Women’s Resource Center.

The student will meet periodically with the faculty sponsor at intervals to be determined at the onset of the internship, to review the student’s journal, which should report and reflect on each experience with the community organization. The student will also be expected to meet with the faculty sponsor to discuss plans for the final report, and to review the report.

Since students will be working with organizations serving women and addressing women’s and gender issues, they will become sensitized to ways in which gender affects the structure and meaning of daily life in the United States. They will also be exposed to important cultural dilemmas and debates surrounding gender. The internship experience is intended to develop leadership skills, and to provide role models of women’s involvement in public policy for young women who may in turn then serve in this capacity.

Course objective:

To give students familiarity and experience with organizations serving women and addressing women’s and gender issues in the community

Prerequisites:

Faculty sponsorship and approval of community organization are required. Students must have at least sophomore standing and appropriate introductory course preparation, such as WGST 2322 or substitute, with WGST Director approval.

Topical outline of the course:

The internship will follow guidelines established by the faculty sponsor, student, and community organization:

  1. The faculty sponsor and student initially would meet to discuss the scope of the internship, determine the appropriate organization, and determine a relevant reading list
  2. The faculty sponsor and student would meet with the supervisor at the community organization to discuss parameters of student involvement and set goals for the internship.
  3. The faculty sponsor and student set a schedule of periodic meetings, at which the student will submit journal reports
  4. The faculty sponsor will contact the community organization to evaluate the student’s participation periodically during the semester.

Methods of evaluation ( tests, papers, etc.):

The student will prepare a final report of at least 15 pages, based on readings and the internship experience, on a topic established early in the internship. The paper should demonstrate the student’s critical ability to relate the practical experience of the internship to scholarship in women’s studies. Journal and the paper will each count for approximately 50% of the grade. A minimum of eight hours weekly of work per semester would be expected for a 3-hour course.

Principal readings or other materials

Readings will vary by faculty and organization. For example, if the internship involved working at a battered women’s shelter, the student might read:

Both the women’s studies program and the women’s center have extensive publication collections accessible to students, and supplementing library holdings.

Contact information:

Beth Newman
Director of Women’s Studies Program
Southern Methodist University
214-768-2753
bnewman@smu.edu