Major: The Women's and Gender Studies
major is a multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary complementary
major. Conferral of a baccalaureate degree with a major in
Women's and Gender Studies requires completion of a second major from
any discipline in the university. Students are encouraged to
declare both majors simultaneously and to plan a program aware of the
possibilities for applying individual courses to both majors. The
Women's and Gender Studies major allows application of courses from the
second major and for general university requirements (Core I and Core
II) to the Women's and Gender Studies major.
D. Capstone Experience: Women's and Gender Studies and Vocation -- four (4) semester hours
This requirement can be satisfied in three ways:
1. WMGS Service Learning -- four (4)
semester hours total of WMGS 491: Independent Study:
Service Learning- SR
Service learning refers to those broad or introductory experiences with groups, in agencies or organizations that enable the student to gain awareness, to develop ideas, and to pursue social justice. Students identify a faculty sponsor approved by WMGS, arrange for a service learning experience through the Center for Public Service or directly with the site of the service, then develop, with the approval of the WMGS sponsor, a learning contact that includes learning objectives specific to women, feminism, or gender. Service learning contracts also require the approval of the agency or ogranization supervisor.
2a. WMGS Internship -- four (4) semester hours total of WMGS 495: Internship- SR
Internships are pragmatic, employer based experiences in which students apply knowledge they've already acquired, build competence, and test values in settings like those in which they may seek employment. Students identify a faculty member approved by WMGS, arrange for an internship through the Center for Public Service or directly with the site of the service, then, with the approval of the WMGS sponsor, develop a learning contract that includes learning objectives specific to women, feminism, or gender. Internship learning contracts also require the approval of the agency or organization supervisor.
2b. WMGS Intership concurrent with another, non-WMGS internship --
Two (2) semester
hours of WMGS 495, plus at least two internship
semester hours from
another discipline.
Some fields of study allow or require students to complete an internship in which they integrate knowledge, demonstrate skills and act upon values learned in the classroom with current practice in an agency or organizational setting. For such an internship to count toward the WMGS major, students must select a faculty member approved by WMGS and develop a learning contract that pertains to the internship in the other major but reflects WMGS skills, knowledge, and applications. The student must then arrange for two additional internship credits in WMGS 495 with the sponsoring WMGS faculty member. Internship learning contracts also require the approval of the agency or organization supervisor and the PLU faculty member supervising the internship within the discipline. Earning credits from both WMGS and another department may not always require additional hours at the site, but the learning contract will require additional research, reading and writing to incorporate content specific to women, feminism, or gender.
Requests for credit towards the Women's and Gender Studies major and minor from transfer courses must be approved by the Women's and Gender Studies Executive Committee. Submit syllybus and course assignments to the Women's and Gender Studies chair. At least 17 hours of the major and 10 hours of the minor must be completed at PLU.