*On-campus format will require some online classes for degree completion.
The Gender Studies minor prepared me for an international internship at this global organization by giving me the tools to view the world from a perspective that questions societal norms surrounding gender and emphasizes the importance of women’s empowerment around the world.
Kaitlin Cottrell (2016), intern at the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime in Austria
The Gender Studies minor gave me a better understanding of the systematic oppression that clients face on a daily basis. It focused on all genders and how societal expectations impact people’s lives. This helps me understand why certain clients may have harder times in therapy and to understand their cultural context when it comes to treatment.
Kelsey Smith (2018), graduate student in Clinical Psychology at the University of La Verne in California
The Gender Studies minor in Â鶹ŮÀÉ University’s College of Arts and Humanities is an interdisciplinary program designed with “Real Experience, Real Success” in mind. Our courses, drawn from across the university, highlight the flexibility and scope of gender studies and motivate students beyond common accounts of gender to analyze its complex constructions in our different historical periods, in various cultures, and through changing global practices. In addition to its focus on the history and achievements of women, gender scholarship addresses men's lives, masculinity, and the lives of people who identify as nonbinary, gay, lesbian, bisexual, intersex, and transgender. Far from being an isolated area of study, gender concerns present themselves across the worlds of humanities and communication, popular culture and media, natural and social sciences, education, law, medicine, business and economics, government and politics. Our program highlights this interdisciplinarity and underscores our belief that a Gender Studies minor is good for anyone regardless of academic major or career path.
The overall mission of the Gender Studies program is to provide you with a quality and comprehensive undergraduate education, to promote an integration of gender scholarship into the university curriculum, and to foster the growth of an interdisciplinary community of scholars who are interested in gender as an important category of analysis. No matter what your major areas of study are, a Gender Studies minor can enhance your degree and help you bring an understanding of the complexity of human interpersonal relations to bear in solving problems and building communities in your personal and professional life.
Earning a  requires the successful completion of two core courses (six credits): GS 20100 A Global Introduction to Gender Studies and GS 30000 Gender Theory, plus four electives (12 credits) approved for the Gender Studies minor, for a total of 18 credit hours. Two logistical strengths of our program are its flexibility in terms of the courses that satisfy requirements, and that you can complete the minor entirely through general education coursework: your progress towards the GE requirements can thus serve double-duty as a Gender Studies minor pathway, allowing you to earn a Gender Studies minor without taking coursework beyond your GE and major requirements. See the catalog for current course listings.
Gender studies students at Â鶹ŮÀÉ University acquire a range of valuable and marketable skills including writing, public speaking, critical thinking, organization, time and project management, conflict resolution, diversity training and more. Our faculty members from departments across the university offer world-class mentoring alongside opportunities for practical as well as academic applications of their teaching, including scholarly and public-facing research, presentation, and publication.
The interdisciplinary and global perspective that you develop in the Gender Studies program fosters personal growth, empathy, cultural fluency, and interpersonal communication, providing a solid foundation in whatever field or career path you choose.
Gender Studies minors are well-prepared for positions in national and international nonprofit organizations, human rights advocacy, government and policy development, and graduate studies in law, medicine, human relations, education, business, information science, communications, fine arts, public health, public policy, or academic research.
If you are interested in learning more about this inspiring and fulfilling minor track, we invite you to contact Dr. Gabriela Romero at gromero@lindenwood.edu.