Minor in Women and Gender Studies
The Women and Gender Studies minor is an 18-unit sequence well-adapted for combination with many existing majors. The nine units of requirements, six units of stipulated electives and three units of free electives provide a grounding in feminist perspectives and theory. It also provides an opportunity to acquire background on feminist issues in a number of disciplinary and interdisciplinary fields (e.g., history, psychology, sociology, literature, cultural studies).
A minor in Women and Gender Studies can be useful in conjunction with many majors (e.g. Journalism, Human Sexuality, Counseling, Anthropology, Health Education, Nursing, Sociology).
Students wishing to declare Women and Gender Studies as their minor need to:
- complete a Request for Declaration of Undergraduate Minor (PDF)
- submit that form along with a copy of their SF State unofficial transcript to the undergraduate advisor via email (must use SFSU email)
It is recommended that students also check in with the WGS advisor once per semester for academic advising.
The minor offers students majoring in other areas a coherent supplementary program in Women and Gender Studies and requires a total of 18 units:
- WGS 200: Introduction to Women and Gender Studies (3 units)
- WGS 300GW: Politics of Gender, Race, and Nation (3 units)
- Four additional WGS electives (12 units)
Note:
- core classes (WGS 200 & WGS 300GW) cannot be taken CR/NC
- only 6 units toward the minor can be taken CR/NC
- up to 3 units may be lower-division (classes 100-299)
- on approval of adviser, up to 3 units may be taken outside the WGS department (either in another department at SFSU or from another college/university)
Minor in Disability Studies
The minor in Disabilities Studies provides students with twelve units from courses in a wide range of disciplines that are connected to each other through their attention to disabilities. Students will acquire knowledge about critical theories, historical and contemporary events, and accessible principles. They will apply their knowledge to identify and resist structural and interpersonal ableism, while simultaneously contributing to a more just and inclusive society.
Disability intersects with all aspects of life, and that translates into all academic fields: architecture, technology, engineering, economics, art, recreation, history, literature, philosophy, social work, public health, intersections with race, gender, nation, language, and many others.
The Minor in Disability Studies will produce mindful learners who can increase accessibility for everyone, disabled and non, while also uprooting the institutions and ideologies that disempower disabled people. Students in the minor identify how ableism is entrenched within American society, and at the same time, they have opportunities to celebrate disabled joy and community while promoting social justice.
Program Learning Outcomes
- Use critical theories in the history of disabilities and the field of Disabilities Studies to identify and resist ableism.
- Learn principles of accessibility and other skills to build leadership, advocacy, and social engagement in creating a more just and inclusive society.
- Examine ways in which systems inhibit and promote full participation of people with disabilities.
- Gain knowledge and skills necessary to promote change among individuals, communities, and organizations.
The minor require 12 units, with a minimum of 6 upper-division units are required to complete the minor.
All coursework used to satisfy the requirements of the minor must be completed with a minimum grade point average of 2.0.
Lower-Division Courses (6 units)
- Select Two:
- ENG 256: Disability and Literature (3 units)
- RRS 220: Race and Dis/Ability (3 units)
- WGS 220: Introduction to Feminist Disability Studies (3 units)
Upper-Division Courses (6 units)
- Select Two:
- CMX 504: From Superman to the Supercrip: Comics and Disability (3 units)
- HIST 484: Disability and Culture in the U.S. (3 units)
- KIN 537: Movement for Individuals with Severe Disabilities (3 units)
- PHIL 383: Ethics in Medicine (3 units)
- RPT 410: Therapeutic and Inclusive Recreation (3 units)
- SPED 630: Inclusive Education: Empowerment and Equity in Diverse Schools (3 units)
- SPED 662: Education of Deaf/Hard of Hearing Children (3 units)
- SPED 675: Working with Families of Young Children with Disabilities (3 units)
- WGS 563: Gender, Sexuality, and the Politics of Disability (3 units)
Minor in Feminist Health Justice
The 15-unit Minor in Feminist Health Justice is a complement to a variety of campus undergraduate majors such as public health, women & gender studies, sexuality studies, nursing, ethnic studies, biology, geography, social work, political science, counseling, psychology, or other health sciences, social sciences or policy-driven majors.
Within the Minor in Feminist Health Justice, the program offers three areas of focus:
- Social determinants feminist theory and implications for health
- Health equity and social justice praxis
- Politics and policy – analysis, and strategies for changing policies relevant to health, gender, and equity.
Students take a core course in each of these areas, then choose two electives. Electives from related fields will be considered on advisement as related to student's needs and interests. Advisor approval is required for courses not listed below.
All coursework used to satisfy the requirements of the minor must be completed with a minimum grade point average of 2.0.
Program Learning Outcomes
- Analyze the effects of power inequities by engaging and synthesizing feminist theory and theories of health and health equity.
- Identify and analyze how oppression and marginalization take shape within health outcomes, health care organizations, and public health, and how social movements approach and confront these dynamics.
- Discuss the implications of gender, race, sexuality, ability, and other forms of difference to public health policy and praxis.
- Demonstrate the ability to integrate knowledge about power and social difference to research projects across disciplines.
The minor require 15 units, with a minimum of 6 upper-division units are required to complete the minor.
All coursework used to satisfy the requirements of the minor must be completed with a minimum grade point average of 2.0.
Core Courses (9 units)
Select one course from each category.
| Class Number | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| PH 210 | Personal and Social Determinants of Health | 3 |
| WGS 200 | Introduction to Women and Gender Studies | 3 |
| WGS 220 | Introduction to Feminist Disability Studies | 3 |
| WGS 280 | Introduction to Feminist Science Studies | 3 |
| Class Number | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| ETHS 500 | Introduction to Race, Ethnicity, and Health | 3 |
| PH 414 | Women's Health | 3 |
| PH 520 | Structural Oppression and Social Foundations of Health | 3 |
| WGS 593 | Gender, Health, and the Environment | 3 |
| Class Number | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| PH 450 | Public Health Policy | 3 |
| RRS 571 | Women, Race, and Class | 3 |
| WGS 511 | Women and Violence | 3 |
| WGS 515 | Gender, Race, and Reproductive Justice | 3 |
Electives (6 units)
Select two courses in consultation with an advisor. Courses listed above not used to fulfill core requirements can be used as electives.
| Class Number | Title | Units |
| AA S 591 | Asian American Community Health Issues | 3 |
| AFRS 370 | Health, Medicine, and Nutrition in the Black Community | 3 |
| AIS/WGS 420 | Native Genders and Feminism | 3 |
| GEOG/PH 434 | Geographies of Health and Health Care | 3 |
| LTNS 210 | Latina/o/x Health Care Perspectives | 3 |
| LTNS 500 | Latina/o Community Mental Health | 3 |
| PH 210 | Personal and Social Determinants of Health | 3 |
| PH 410 | Public Health Systems | 3 |
| PH 520 | Structural Oppression and Social Foundations of Health | 3 |
| PHIL 383 | Ethics in Medicine | 3 |
| PLSI/SXS/WGS 470 | The Politics of Sex and Reproduction | 4 |
| PLSI/USP 480 | Introduction to Urban Policy and Analysis | 4 |
| PLSI 614 | Seminar: Politics of Abortion in the United States | 3 |
| RRS 304 | Decolonize Your Diet: Food Justice and Gendered Labor in Communities of Color | 3 |
| RRS 460/COUN 450/SXS 460 | HIV and AIDS Impacts and Resistance Among Communities of Color | 3 |
| SOC 469 | Gender and Society | 4 |
| SOC 476 | Medical Sociology | 3 |
| SXS/SOC 601 | Sexuality, Ethnicity, and Health | 3 |
| USP/LABR/PLSI 570 | Urban Health Policy | 3 |
| WGS 300GW | Gender, Race, and Nation - GWAR | 3 |
| WGS 514 | Women and the Prison Industrial Complex | 3 |
| WGS 578 | Feminist Environmental and Climate Justice | 3 |