Director: Ann Austin
WWW: http://www.usu.edu/womenstudies/
The Women and Gender Studies Program provides a broad base of study that addresses the intersecting issues of gender, age, race, ethnicity, class, regionalism, nationalism, and sexual identity as they affect women and men. Traditional disciplines are reexamined through the lens of gender, introducing students to new scholarship on gender and expanding their understanding of the differential experiences between and within the genders.
An interdisciplinary academic program, Women and Gender Studies is unique at Utah State University in bringing together women and men of all ethnicities and sexual identities to explore the many ways in which gender influences our lives and world views. Each semester, WGS courses are taught by faculty members from a variety of disciplines, and new special topics courses are offered frequently. Courses focus on the role of gender in human culture, examining the dynamics of sex roles and gender ideals, both historically and in the present. WGS courses engage in the study of femininities and masculinities from many perspectives and disciplines, as well as the social forces that construct these gender identities.
Students may enroll in individual courses or apply coursework toward either a minor or Area Studies Certificate in WGS. At least 50 percent of the WGS coursework must be taken at USU. The Alison Comish Thorne scholarship is awarded to a WGS undergraduate student each year.
Area Studies Certificate in Women and Gender Studies (3.0 GPA)
Students desiring to explore WGS in depth may want an area studies certificate. To receive the certificate, students must complete 24 credits of courses from the list below or from the course list published each semester and earn a minimum grade point average of 3.0 in these courses. With preapproval of the WGS director, as well as a signed contract with a WGS faculty member, other courses may be applied toward the certificate if at least 50 percent of the class material is directly related to gender issues or if students complete a gender-related project in order to earn 50 percent of their grade in that course. Courses must be taken from at least three different academic areas; no more than 12 credits can be counted from a single discipline. Courses may come from major, minor, or University Studies programs. Area studies certificates may be earned by undergraduate and graduate students. Forms for the area studies certificate may be obtained in Taggart Student Center 302 or at the Center for Gender Programs, Taggart Student Center 315.
Return to: