Minor in Gender Studies
Learn how and why notions of “masculinity” and “femininity” have changed.
About this Program
The Sarah Isom Center for Women and Gender Studies in the College of Liberal Arts offers a Gender Studies minor for both undergraduate and graduate students.
The interdisciplinary course of study helps students understand how and why notions of “masculinity” and “femininity” have changed at different times and in different cultures. Analysis of gender also includes attention to other social categories such as race, ethnicity, class, nationality, ability, age, and sexual orientation.
Students can select from courses taught by some of the best and most innovative teachers fin the departments of African American Studies, Classics, English, History, Modern Languages, Political Science, Philosophy & Religion, Psychology, Sociology and Anthropology, and Southern Studies.
- For Undergraduate Students The undergraduate minor is flexible to allow students to pursue their own interests within the broad field of gender studies. They may choose an optional emphasis in Sexuality and Queer Studies.
- For Graduate Students Only students already accepted for graduate study at UM by their home departments are eligible for the Gender Studies graduate minor. The minor indicates that the student has an area of concentration and specialization in Gender Studies with an interdisciplinary focus.
On this Page…
Program Information
Program Type
Minor
Area of Study
Interdisciplinary Programs
School
Degree
Program Location
Required Credit Hours
18
Academic Requirements
Undergraduate students in the Gender Studies minor complete 18 credit hours.
Required Course
- GST 201: Intro to Gender Studies
Select 15 credit hours
- G St 103: Women In Antiquity
- G St 107: Intro to Gender & Sexuality in the South
- G St 112: Women and Power in Ancient Times
- G St 201: Introduction to Gender Studies
- G St 202: Introduction to Queer Studies
- G St 301: Topics in Gender and Culture
- G St 303: The Family
- G St 304: Men, Women, and Greek Life
- G St 311: Women and the Goddess in Asian Religions
- G St 324: Men and Masculinities
- G St 325: Sociology of Gender
- G St 326: Saints and Sexuality
- G St 327: Genocide and Women
- G St 328: African American Feminist Thought
- G St 329: Queer Playwriting and American Culture
- G St 330: Queer Rhetorics
- G St 333: Theories in Gender
- G St 337: The South and Sexuality
- G St 344: Women and Politics
- G St 348: Women Who Ruled in European History
- G St 349: Society and the Sexes in Modern Europe
- G St 350: Gender and Sexuality in Cinema
- G St 352: Hemispheric Voices: Women Writers of Am.
- G St 353: Gender and Sexuality in the Media
- G St 356: Women in the Rabbinic Tradition
- G St 357: Women in the South
- G St 360: Psychology of Human Sexuality
- G St 363: Gender in Latin America
- G St 364: Gender/Sexuality in East Asian History
- G St 366: Sex, Gender, and the Bible
- G St 368: Feminism, Women, and Religion
- G St 382: Intro to Gender and Sexuality Studies
- G St 383: Studies in Gender and Feminism
- G St 384: Studies in Gay and Lesbian Lit/Theory
- G St 385: Women in Literature
- G St 386: Gender on Film
- G St 390: Feminist Philosophy
- G St 391: Women, Gender & the Environment
- G St 395: Topics in Gender Studies on Location
- G St 396: Exploring the Feminist Nonprofit
- G St 399: Special Topics in Gender Studies
- G St 402: Advanced Queer Studies
- G St 414: Race, Place, and Space
- G St 418: African American Women's History
- G St 421: Readings in Black Feminism
- G St 423: Black Women's Enterprise & Activism
- G St 424: Women and Avant-garde Performance
- G St 425: Religion, Gender, and Sexuality
- G St 427: US Sexuality History
- G St 428: U.S. Women's History
- G St 429: U.S. Gender History
- G St 433: Theories of Gender and Sexuality
- G St 438: Language, Gender, and Sexuality
- G St 442: Feminist Rhetorics
- G St 454: Women in Southern History
- G St 482: Renaissance Women Writers
- G St 488: Special Topics Gender/Sexuality Studies
- G St 489: Power, Knowledge, and Gender
- G St 490: Special Topics in Queer Theory
- G St 491: Special Topics in Gender and Literature
- G St 496: Gender Studies Capstone
- G St 497: Internship in Gender Studies
- G St 498: Special Topics in Gender Studies
- G St 499: Directed Readings in Gender Studies
- G St 565: Psychology of Gender
- G St 596: Queer Mississippi
- G St 599: Directed Readings in Gender Studies
Undergraduate students in the Gender Studies minor with the Sexuality/Queer Studies emphasis includes the required G St 201 and 5 courses from the following list:
- G St 202: Introduction to Queer Studies
- G St 324: Men and Masculinities
- G St 337: The South and Sexuality
- G St 353: Gender and Sexuality in the Media
- G St 359
- G St 380:
- G St 384: Studies in Gay and Lesbian Lit/Theory
- G St 433: Theories of Gender and Sexuality
- G St 438: Language, Gender, and Sexuality
- G St 460
- G St 490: Special Topics in Queer Theory
Only students already accepted for graduate study at UM by their home departments are eligible for the Gender Studies graduate minor.
Graduate students in the Gender Studies minor complete 12 credit hours, of which 6 must be outside of the student's home department. Students cannot apply thesis or dissertation hours and no more than 3 hours can be Directed Readings.
- G St 600: Gender Studies Methodology
Three Courses in Gender/Women's Issues:
- Soc 525:
- Psy 561: Cross-Cultural Training
- His 660: Readings - Gender History of Modern Europe
- His 690: Readings - Gender and Power in Latin America
- Engl 694:
- Span 565: Spanish American Women Writers
- other courses with approval
A Word From the Director
"Gender studies is a critical practice that provides analytic tools to see the varied ways that gender and sexuality influence our world, our knowledge, and our sense of identity. We encourage our students to test these tools in the real world and to question everything—including the very methodology we introduce to them. The critical skills they learn serve them well in a variety of professions. Some become writers and designers; some go to professional school in law and medicine; some turn to public policy; some go on to graduate degrees; some embrace advocacy and activism; some create nonprofit organizations. What gender studies students share is a keen analytic intelligence and an ethical commitment to a better world."
Jaime Harker
Director of the Sarah Isom Center for Women and Gender Studies and Professor of English
Enhance your Academic Experience with an Internship
According to national surveys, employers are more likely to hire college graduates who have:
- had professional internships,
- worked with people from diverse backgrounds on community service,
- collaborated with peers on projects,
- taken multiple courses with significant writing,
- produced a senior project or thesis, and
- studied abroad.
These experiences are about core liberal arts skills of thinking, communicating, interpersonal skills, and understanding the world around us. Showcase and enhance these skills in an internship opportunity for that first step into the professional world.