Gender, Women, and Sexuality Studies, BA

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Pathways
Curriculum

Gender, women, and sexuality studies creates a critical framework for a systematic re-examination of the concept of gender from historical, economic, political, social, and cultural perspectives. The components of the major include interdisciplinary core courses that survey research methods and scholarship, and a selection of elective courses drawn from a variety of disciplines. Classes offered in gender, women, and sexuality studies examine the rich and complex intersections of gender, sexuality, race, and class from a variety of cross-disciplinary perspectives.

The gender, women, and sexuality studies department and courses address one or more of the following issues: (1) the importance of becoming familiar with contemporary feminist theoretical frameworks, methodologies, issues, and topics, and their relation to traditional disciplines; (2) recognizing the importance of focusing on issues of gender, race, class, and sexuality and the connections among them; (3) broadening and enriching analytic skills while drawing on the interdisciplinary perspectives of gender, women, and sexuality studies; (4) understanding the diversity of women’s experiences in the United States and abroad.

Students may pursue only a gender, women, and sexuality studies major, or a double major with another discipline. Students may also take advantage of the dual degree in gender, women, and sexuality studies and social work.

Students should discuss with the program director any course substitution issues, as well as how to count courses in disciplines outside the College of Arts and Sciences.

Pathways

Pre-Occupational Therapy Pathway

Gender, women, and sexuality studies majors who wish to apply for admission to Widener’s graduate occupational therapy program should take the following courses (note the most recent courses are factored into the prerequisite requirements):

BIOL 121 - Anatomy and Physiology I 4 Credit(s) and
BIOL 123
BIOL 122 - Anatomy and Physiology II 4 Credit(s) and
BIOL 124
CHEM 105 - General, Organic, and Biochemistry 3 Credit(s) and
CHEM 106 - General, Organic, and Biochemistry Laboratory 1 Credit(s)
PHYS 121 - Fundamentals of Physics I 4 Credit(s) and
PHYS 143 - College Physics I Laboratory 1 Credit(s)
PSY 105 - Introduction to Psychology 3 Credit(s)
PSY 211 - Infants, Children and Adolescents 3 Credit(s)
PSY 212 - Adulthood and Aging 3 Credit(s)
PSY 225 - Abnormal Psychology 3 Credit(s) and
PSY 385 - Statistical Methods With Spss Laboratory for Psychology 4 Credit(s)
SOC or ANTH elective (1 course)

Pre-Physical Therapy Pathway

Gender, women, and sexuality studies majors who wish to apply for admission to Widener’s graduate physical therapy program should take the following additional courses (note the most recent courses are factored into the prerequisite requirements):

BIOL 121 - Anatomy and Physiology I 4 Credit(s) and
BIOL 123
BIOL 122 - Anatomy and Physiology II 4 Credit(s) and
BIOL 124
BIOL 230 - Biology of Cells and Genes 4 Credit(s)
CHEM 101 - Introduction to Chemistry I 3 Credit(s) and
CHEM 103 - Introduction to Chemistry Laboratory I 1 Credit(s)
CHEM 102 - Introduction to Chemistry II 3 Credit(s) and
CHEM 104 - Introduction to Chemistry Laboratory II 1 Credit(s)
PHYS 121 - Fundamentals of Physics I 4 Credit(s) and
PHYS 143 - College Physics I Laboratory 1 Credit(s)
PHYS 122 - Fundamentals of Physics II 4 Credit(s) and
PHYS 144 - College Physics II Laboratory 1 Credit(s)
PSY 105 - Introduction to Psychology 3 Credit(s)
PSY 385 - Statistical Methods With Spss Laboratory for Psychology 4 Credit(s) and
One other PSY elective
SOC or ANTH elective

Curriculum

Required Courses (9 credits)

GWS 101 - Introduction to Gender, Women, & Sexuality Studies 3 Credit(s) *
SOC 257 - Sex and Gender in Society 3 Credit(s)
GWS 355 - Feminist Theories and Methodology 3 Credit(s)
or
a course with a significant feminist theory component, chosen in consultation with the program director 3 Credit(s)

Electives (18 credits)

Students select six courses from the following alpha-numeric course list. At least three courses must be from humanities, and two courses must be from the social sciences; two of the courses from humanities and all courses from social sciences must be upper-level courses.

AH 350 - Women and Art 3 Credit(s)
CJ 230 - Domestic Violence and the Justice System 3 Credit(s)
CJ 245 - Women and Criminal Justice 3 Credit(s)
CJ 260 - Victimology 3 Credit(s)
COMS 345 - Gender & Communication 3 Credit(s)
CSCI 126 - Women in Computing 3 Credit(s)
EC 315 - Women, Men, and Work 3 Credit(s)
ENGL 122 - Literature and Critical Writing— Gender and Genre (W) 3 Credit(s)
ENGL 123 - Literature and Critical Writing: Literature of the Gay and Lesbian Experience (W) 3 Credit(s)
ENGL 125 - Literature and Critical Writing: Identities and Voices in American Literature (W) 3 Credit(s)
ENGL 145 - World Literature 3 Credit(s)
or
HUM 200 - Literature of the Non-Western World 3 Credit(s)
ENGL 314 - Genre Studies: Graphic Narrative 3 Credit(s)
ENGL 356 - Victorian Literature 3 Credit(s)
GWS 188 - Special Topics in Gender, Women, and Sexuality Studies 1-3 Credit(s)
GWS 239 - Women and Development in Latin America 3 Credit(s) (service learning course)
or
SOC 239 - Women and Development in Latin America 3 Credit(s) (service learning course)
or
ANTH 239 - Women and Development in Latin America 3 Credit(s) (service learning course)
GWS 288 - Special Topics in Gender, Women, and Sexuality Studies 1-3 Credit(s)
GWS 388 - Special Topics in Gender, Women, and Sexuality Studies 1-3 Credit(s)
GWS 395 - Practicum 3-6 Credit(s)
GWS 409 - Senior Capstone 3 Credit(s)
GWS 499 - Independent Study 3-6 Credit(s)
HIST 104 - Women in the Western Tradition 3 Credit(s)
HIST 321 - Women in the World Wars 3 Credit(s)
HIST 326 - Sex and Gender in European History 3 Credit(s)
HIST 351 - History of Women in America to 1870 3 Credit(s)
HIST 352 - History of Women in America Since 1870 3 Credit(s)
HIST 371 - Women and Work in the 20th Century United States 3 Credit(s)
HIST 386 - Samurai Japan: 1192–1868 3 Credit(s)
HIST 395 - Sex, Love, and Family in China 3 Credit(s)
HUM 313 - Selected Topics in Literature and Film 3 Credit(s)
PSY 206 - Psychology of Women 3 Credit(s)
PSY 305 - Psychology of Women, Men, & Work
SOC 204 - Social Problems 3 Credit(s)
SOC 212 - Sexualities 3 Credit(s)
SOC 215 - The Family 3 Credit(s)
SOC 240 - Gender and International Development 3 Credit(s)
SOC 275 - African and African American Women in Society 3 Credit(s)
SOC 227 - Social Movements and Social Change 3 Credit(s)
SW 225 - Women’s Issues Across the Life Span 3 Credit(s)
SW 270 - Human Sexuality 3 Credit(s)

Related Fields (9 credits)

Three courses from related disciplines to be determined in consultation with the director of gender, women, and sexuality studies.

Total Credits: 36

*Counts for general education distribution credit.