Women's, Gender & Sexuality Studies, Minor

Introduction

Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies expands the traditional base of a liberal arts and sciences education by focusing on women’s and LGBTQIA+ community contributions, roles and perspectives that are otherwise omitted from traditional curriculum offerings. WGSS engages feminist and queer practice to further the understanding and analysis of gender and sexuality. Faculty from all schools within the University take a holistic and interdisciplinary approach to the study of women, gender, and sexuality in WGSS courses offered through both General Studies and degree-granting academic programs.

Participation in the program can lead to a minor in Women’s, Gender and Sexuality Studies, which is noted on a student’s academic transcript. All Women’s, Gender and Sexuality Studies courses are open to any student at Stockton University.

Program Organization

 A minor in Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies is awarded to those students who complete 21 credits of WGSS coursework, including:

• Women, Gender, and Sexuality, a four-credit course offered every fall and spring semester, either as GAH 2358/1039 or GSS 2358, that serves as an introduction to the study of women’s, gender, and sexuality studies and to feminist and queer scholarship and activism.

• 12 credits of study (three courses) chosen from the list of courses approved by the Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies faculty and based in feminist and queer studies. The list of approved courses is available on the WGSS website. A range of elective courses is offered each semester from across the university.

• Seminar in Feminist Theory (GIS 3614), a 4-credit course focusing on primary source readings in feminist and queer theories. This integrative seminar covers how people create, interpret and evaluate knowledge claims about the world.

• WGSS Capstone-Portfolio (WGSS 4800), a 1-credit course that serves as the culmination of students’ WGSS course of study. This course is usually taken in the student's penultimate or final semester, and after completing or concurrently with GIS 3614.

Students interested in pursuing a minor in Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies are encouraged to contact the WGSS Coordinator for further information, and to inform their preceptor. A Declaration or Change of Minor must be submitted digitally through the GoStockton portal.

Students should work with their preceptor to select from the Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies offerings each semester. These can be viewed on the list of courses with the WGSS Attribute, which is posted online prior to pre-registration. Students wishing to transfer an elective should contact the WGSS Coordinator or their preceptor. Course descriptions for the offerings listed above appear with other courses of the same acronyms online.  In addition to the above courses and WGSS electives, faculty may offer a variety of independent studies.

Special Opportunities

WGSS provides multiple high-impact learning opportunities for students, including activist projects, service-learning experiences, and opportunities to submit papers and projects for academic conferences, awards, internship and research funding through the University and the New Jersey Women’s and Gender Studies Consortium.

Up-to-date information about special opportunities can be found on the WGSS website and the WGSS Facebook Page.

Career Opportunities

A WGSS minor provides students with skills and knowledge including expertise in finding, analyzing, and using information on contemporary social issues, an understanding of gender, sexuality, race, culture and social class difference, and experience with analyzing inequality and acting to create change. These skills enhance preparation for a wide variety of careers, such as employment in activism and advocacy, communication and media, counseling, education, economics, finance, government, journalism, management, marketing, nursing, personnel and equity/diversity management, political campaigns, public health, policy, research, and social work. Experience in women’s, gender, and sexuality studies also provides preparation for employment opportunities such as women’s and LGBTQIA+ legal and political projects; work with women’s, trans*/nonbinary and LGBQ+ health collectives, social services and hotlines; career and credit counseling; and work with businesses owned by women and LGBTQIA+ people.

Full details about the curriculum are accessible on the Women’s, Gender and Sexuality Studies website.