Program Coordinator/Contact
Rebecca A. Kuehl, Associate Professor/Women, Gender, & Sexuality Studies Program Coordinator
College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences
Pugsley Center 115, Box 2218
605-688-4171
Program Information
Women, Gender, & Sexuality Studies is an interdisciplinary minor program that prepares students to recognize gender and sexuality as socio-cultural constructs that intersect with other aspects of identity. Students learn how gender and sexuality shape people’s lived experiences, resulting in better engagement with others. These “soft skills,” such as self-awareness, adaptability, and interpersonal skills, are increasingly in demand by employers. Students are academically credentialed to analyze how institutions and policies influence and reinforce power inequities and cultural expectations about gender and sexuality. The culmination of the minor is a student-driven independent study, where students engage in critical inquiry using theoretical and methodological lenses grounded in gender and sexuality studies.
Students are able to take courses with award-winning faculty educators across a wide range of academic units and disciplines. The minor is a great complement for almost any major, including majors within the College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences, which requires a minor for graduation. The minor allows students to deeply consider and value diverse experiences as they work toward promoting equity and gender justice in the world.
Student Learning Outcomes
Graduates with a minor in Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies will be able to:
- Recognize gender and sexuality as socio-cultural constructs that intersect with race, ethnicity, ability, nationality, and socio-economic status, among other aspects of identity;
- Analyze how institutions and policies influence and reinforce power inequities and cultural expectations about gender and sexuality; and
- Engage in critical inquiry using theoretical and methodological lenses grounded in gender and sexuality studies.
Academic Requirements
Eighteen hours with a “C” or better in each course are required for the minor.
Various departments periodically offer courses related to women, gender, and/or sexuality studies and may be used as electives with approval by the program coordinator.
Course Delivery Format
Program courses are taught on campus, online, and in field based settings.
Student Support and Engagement Opportunities
The program provides enriching opportunities in classroom, campus, and community spaces, bringing exciting speakers to campus, especially during Women’s History Month in March, co-sponsoring films, creative readings, science panels, and facilitating opportunities for activism. The program also sponsors the annual Dr. April Brooks Women of Distinction Awards.
