Major & Minor Programs
Women's and Gender Studies Major
What will you take away from a major in WGS? Our WGS program will teach you to form your own opinions regarding important issues – including power, justice, family, sexuality, gender roles, race and class – and how to act on them. It will encourage and empower you to examine the world and determine the ways in which you can make a difference. Ultimately, it will help you become a more engaged and responsible citizen for the 21st century.
WGS is definitely not your typical major. This is one of the few disciplines that teaches you to excel in the community as well as the classroom. WGS majors become leaders in their academic pursuits and in their activism. That’s because our program uses the curriculum as a lens for examining an array of vital issues. Want a context for understanding why only 15 percent of the world’s leaders are women, or why some cultures limit women’s property rights? Check out WGS. Want to learn the ways in which mass media reinforces gender roles? WGS can help you understand that, too.
In WGS, we discuss complex cultural issues – from historical to contemporary controversies – and teach students to think on their feet. Why should this matter? Because the study of women and gender can give you advantages that are crucial in college and beyond. Certainly it can strengthen your abilities in writing, critical thinking, oral presentation, teamwork and leadership – all skills that are vital to success in today’s evolving job market. But equally important is the perspective you’ll gain. Our program emphasizes the value of diversity, and of relationships and coalition building. And this field is unique in preparing students to communicate across differences in background and viewpoint. Few areas of study accomplish this so directly.
Women's and Gender Studies Minor
Through the College of Charleston’s Women’s and Gender studies minor, you’ll be able to devote yourself to the study of women and gender in different cultures, contexts, and time periods. The program also explores the intersections of gender, class, race, ethnicity, age, religion, and sexuality. We discuss complex cultural issues—from historical to contemporary controversies—and teach students to think on their feet and develop a range of analytical approaches.
The professors who teach in this program — more than 60 in all — represent a variety of academic interests, specialties and disciplines, including English, theatre, biology, philosophy, history, political science, communication, physical education, art history, Hispanic studies, anthropology, psychology, and more.
You’ll also have tremendous latitude in selecting courses. Therefore, you can easily structure the minor to complement your major field of study.
But most importantly, the experience and knowledge you will gain by choosing the minor in Women’s and Gender studies can give you a distinct advantage for future employment or graduate study. Not only does this program introduce you to relevant social issues, it also fosters critical thinking, develops strong verbal writing and research skills, encourages social advocacy, emphasizes diversity, and gives you valuable, real-life experience.