Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies Minor

Program Coordinator/Contact

Jason McEntee, Director
School of English and Interdisciplinary Studies
Pugsley Center 301, Box 2218
605-688-5191

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 professional 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.

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.

Course Delivery Format

Program courses are taught on campus, online, and in field based settings.