2025-2026 Academic Catalog

Jun 27, 2025

2025-2026 Academic Catalog

Women’s and Gender Studies Minor

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Women’s and Gender Studies Overview

Clark launched its Women’s Studies program in 1979. In spring 2006, the university approved the Women’s and Gender Studies (WGS) major. The WGS major provides students with a solid foundation in women’s studies and gender analysis, introduces them to a range of disciplinary approaches to women and gender, and helps them to develop an area of specialization within the field. Courses stress the importance of social ideas and relationships such as those shaped by gender, sexuality, ethnicity, race, and class to better understand individual and collective experiences, past and present.

The WGS Program is supported by more than forty affiliated faculty from the humanities, social sciences, visual and performing arts, management, and the sciences. Students wishing to declare a major or minor in WGS should schedule a meeting with one of our affiliated faculty, or meet with the WGS Director to select an adviser. Because of the interdisciplinary program structure, students are required to minor in another field (or are strongly encouraged to double major) in order to reinforce connections with existing majors. For more information, please visit the Women’s and Gender Studies Program website.

Minor Requirements

Women’s and Gender Studies minors must take a minimum of six (6) WGS courses. The minor requirements are distributed over three components as follows:

One Core Course in Women’s and Gender Studies:

WGS 110 - Introduction to Women’s and Gender Studies
Four Elective Courses carrying a WGS attribute, with at least two courses at the 200-level. It is recommended that these include both social sciences and humanities courses.
One Advanced Research or Internship Credit selected in consultation with a WGS adviser. The research credit may be taken as an advanced research seminar or directed study designed around a special project, and may overlap with a capstone course required for the student’s minor or second major with the approval of the other department. Internships must be organized through Career Services for academic credit.

Core Courses

The Core Courses in Women’s and Gender Studies introduce students to the fundamental questions and concepts of the field, past and present. Students should aim to take WGS 110 - Introduction to Women’s and Gender Studies early in the program to define their topical areas of interest and guide advanced course selection.

WGS 110 - Introduction to Women’s and Gender Studies

Elective Courses

WGS minors must take four (4) Elective Courses, with at least two courses at the 200-level.

Elective Courses are intended to expose students to a breadth of disciplinary perspectives on women and gender studies. WGS Elective Courses are taught by WGS affiliates in the Departments of English; Geography, History, International Development and Social Change; Language, Literature and Culture; Management; Philosophy; Political Science; Psychology; Sociology; and Visual and Performing Arts. It is recommended that students choose Elective Courses from both the social sciences and humanities.

* Note that special topics or capstone courses in other departments may carry a WGS attribute when the topic is relevant to Women’s and Gender Studies (for example, PSCI 289 - Advanced Topics in International Relations - Capstone Seminar). Always check the course grid for the titles of advanced topics and capstone seminars each semester.

Asian Studies

English Language and Literature

Genocide and Human Rights

Geography

History

International Development, Community and Enviornment

Jewish Studies

JS 125 - Changing Images of King David

Language, Literature, and Culture

Peace and Conflict Studies

PECO 101 - Introduction to Peace Studies

Philosophy

PHIL 254 - Women Philosophers in the Early Modern Period

Political Science

Psychology

Sociology

Visual and Performing Arts

Research Course

All WGS majors and minors must take one Research Course. The research requirement may be satisfied by (1) taking an advanced research capstone seminar offered in WGS or offered by another department, taught by a WGS faulty affiliate, (2) an Independent/Directed Study (WGS 299) designed around a special project supervised by a WGS faculty affiliate, or (3) a one-credit academic internship (WGS 298). Students may register for WGS 298 Internship, WGS 299 Directed Study, or the designated course number assigned by the department hosting the advanced research seminar or capstone course.

The Research Course is intended to be a culminating research or practical experience that allows students to apply their knowledge and skills gained through WGS courses, and should be directly related to the student’s WGS Specialization or topical areas of interest. Students should plan to complete their research course during their junior or senior year, and must request pre-approval from their faculty adviser.

* Note that special topics or capstone courses in other departments may carry a WGS attribute when the topic is relevant to Women’s and Gender Studies (for example, PSCI 289 - Advanced Topics in International Relations: Gender and Conflict - Capstone Seminar). Always check the course grid for the titles of advanced topics and capstone seminars each semester.

Women’s and Gender Studies Faculty

Program

María Acosta Cruz, Ph.D.
Michael Addis, Ph.D.
Belén Atienza, Ph.D.
Denise Humphreys Bebbington, Ph.D.

Dianne Berg, Ph.D.
Asha Best, Ph.D.
Parminder Bhachu, Ph.D.
Elizabeth Blake, Ph.D.
Nigel Brissett, Ph.D.
Michael Butler, Ph.D.
Cynthia Caron, Ph.D.
Jack Delehanty, Ph.D.
Eric DeMeulenaere, Ph.D.
Gino DiIorio, M.F.A.
Anita Fábos, Ph.D.
Odile Ferly, Ph.D.
Ellen Foley, Ph.D.
Beth Gale, Ph.D.

Cyril Ghosh, Ph.D.

Jessica Glazier, Ph.D.
Abbie Goldberg, Ph.D. - Director

Mandy Gutmann-Gonzalez, M.F.A.
Danielle Hanley, Ph.D
Betsy P. Huang, Ph.D.
Dolores Juan-Moreno, Ph.D.
Lisa Kasmer, Ph.D.
Thomas Kuehne, Ph.D.
Nina Kushner, Ph.D.

Melinda Marchand, Ph.D.
Deborah Martin, Ph.D.
Deborah Merrill, Ph.D.
Nicole Overstreet, Ph.D.
Jie Park, Ph.D.
Jennifer Plante, M.A.
Amy Richter, Ph.D.
Juan Pablo Rivera, Ph.D.
Laurie Ross, Ph.D.
Kourtney Senquiz, Ph.D.
Gohar Siddiqui, Ph.D.
Heather Silber Mohamed, Ph.D.
Valerie Sperling, Ph.D.
Andrew Stewart, Ph.D.
Ora Szekely, Ph.D.
Shelly Tenenbaum, Ph.D.
Rosalie Torres Stone, Ph.D.
Kristen Williams, Ph.D.
Kristina Wilson, Ph.D.

Emeriti

Margaret Arndt, D.B.A.
Sarah Buie, M.F.A.
Carol D’Lugo, Ph.D.
Judith DeCew, Ph.D.
Cynthia Enloe, Ph.D.

Patty Ewick, Ph.D.
Rachel Falmagne, Ph.D.
SunHee Kim Gertz, Ph.D.
Susan Hanson, Ph.D.
Serena S. Hilsinger, Ph.D.
Fern Johnson, Ph.D.
Dorothy Kaufmann, Ph.D.
Sharon Krefetz, Ph.D.
Virginia Mason Vaughan, Ph.D.
Dianne Rocheleau, Ph.D.
Robert Ross, Ph.D.
Barbara Thomas-Slayter, Ph.D.

Alice Valentine, Ph.D.

Women’s and Gender Studies Courses

Courses offered within the last 3 Academic Years