| Faculty | Major | Capstone | Minor | Approved Courses |
253.535.7296
www.plu.edu/~womenstu
At the core of the Women's and Gender Studies (WMGS) program at PLU
is a vibrant, diverse, and supportive community of feminist women and
men, working to enhance and reinforce the individual goals and
strengths of each student. This multiplicity of resources and
talents allow our courses to draw upon many different academic areas,
explore themes such as gender and sexual identity, emphasize critical
examination of racism, classism, and other forms of inequity and
discrimination, and focus on the pursuit of social justice.
Women's and Gender Studies courses offer critical analysis of
traditional social institutions, such as religion, arts, science, law,
education, medicine, and the family, and their relationship to each
person's gender, sexual identity, class, and race. Reflecting the
importance of dialogue and collaboration in feminism, classroom
activities include a rich mix of group-based projects, discussion, and
other forms of inquiry. The multidisciplinary nature of our
program invites Women's and Gender Studies students to sample many topics and
learn through a variety of intellectual and life experiences, from
reading the literatures of under-represented communities to creating
visual artwork, visiting a prison for women, and learning how to
initiate, mediate and engage in an ongoing discourse about challenging
issues.
The Women's and Gender Studies senior capstone exemplifies our
program's emphasis on combining inquiry with experience. For the
capstone, each Women's and Gender Studies major works with faculty mentors to
design an internship or service learning project that fits creatively
her or his unique vocational and academic interests. One student
with a background in nursing or biology, for example, might work in a
program that offers pre-natal care for low-income women, while another
student with expertise in social work and public policy might assist an
organization working to reduce domestic violence, or a
student interested in feminist theater could work with the Women's
Center to shape PLU's annual production of "The Vagina Monologues"!
The Women's and Gender Studies program gives students the
important tools, resources, and language needed for personal
empowerment, especially useful since it is easy to feel overwhelmed and
resigned in the face of injustices. Upon completion
of this program, each PLU Women's and Gender Studies graduate is prepared to
creatively and effectively pursue social justice in her or his own
way. As teachers, scientists, volunteers, artists, writers,
entrepreneurs, or family members, our graduates are making positive
changes in the way gender and sexual identity are understood globally
in the 21st century. We invite you to join our community of
scholars and agents of social change.
Faculty: Women's and Gender Studies Executive Committee: Kraig, Chair; Barot, Breazeale, Gregson, Hughes, Lisosky, Sklar, Taylor.
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.
Students are required to complete a minimum of four upper-division courses in the program core and electives to receive a major in Women and Gender's Studies.
Students must take one class each from the following four areas (one each from Group A and B under Women & Feminism and also from Group C and D under Gender Sexuality):
Students must complete two additional courses beyond the core courses required. These may be selected from:
This requirement can be satisfied in three ways:
Service learning refers to those broad or introductory experiences with groups, in agencies or organization that enable the student to gain awareness, to develop ideas, and to pursue social justice. Student identify a faculty sponsor approved by WMST, 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 WMST 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 organization supervisor.
Internships are pragmatic, employer based experiences in which students apply knowledge they've already acquired, build competence, and test values in setting like those in which they may seek employment. Students identify a faculty member approved by WMST, arrange for an internship through the Center for Public Service or directly with the site of the service, then, with the approval of the WMST sponsor, develop a learning contract that includes learning objectives specific to women, feminism or gender. Internship learning contacts also require the approval of the agency or organization supervisor.
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 WMST faculty member. Internship learning contracts also require the approval of the agency or organization supervisor and the PLU faculty member supervising internship within the discipline. Earning credits from both WMGS and another department may not always require additional hours at the site, but the learning contact will require additional research, reading and writing to incorporate content specific to women, feminism or gender.
The Women's and Gender Studies Executive Committee must approve requests for credit toward the WMGS major and minor from transfer courses. Submit syllabus 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.
Students must complete two additional courses beyond the core courses required. These may be selected from: