Undergraduate Minor
The program offers an interdisciplinary undergraduate minor with courses drawn from the humanities, fine arts, and social and health sciences. Typically twelve to fifteen undergraduate courses are offered each semester. Topics include: Women's Health, Gender and Work, Gender and Science, Women in Politics, Women in Literature, Feminist Philosophy, Psychology of Women, Gender and Film, and Women Writers and Artists. The undergraduate minor is open to all students regardless of major.
As well as discussing women's history on local, national, and global scales, women's studies coursework emphasizes concepts of gender analysis applicable to media, medicine, natural sciences, social sciences, art, and literature. Learning extends beyond the classroom to personally and socially important questions. Students who complete the minor may, among other things, pursue graduate studies, or work in the public and private sectors with a focus on women's issues.
Explanation of Minor
The critical perspective of women's studies establishes gender as a fundamental category of social and cultural analysis, linking gender with class, race, ethnicity and sexual identity to analyze the diversity of women's experience. The University of Houston's Women's Studies Program seeks to provide equal opportunities and is open to all students without regard to sex, race, color, religion, sexual identity, national origin, age, handicap, or veteran status. The University is committed through the Women's Studies Program to bringing its expertise to the analysis and investigation of women's roles, problems, needs, history and contributions to humankind.
The Women's Studies minor is housed in the College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences (624 AH) and is administered by Dr. Elizabeth Gregory. A minor in Women's Studies consists of eighteen (18) hours in designated women's studies courses (15 advanced hours + WOST 2350). At least twelve (12) of the eighteen hours must be taken in residence. A minimum 2.00 grade point average is required for all courses attempted in the minor.
The interdisciplinary nature of this minor requires that students not confine course work to any one department or college. A minimum of nine (9) hours of approved coursework (including WOST 2350) from Humanities and a minimum of six (6) hours of approved coursework from Social Sciences must be taken. Click here Women's Studies Courses to view a partial listing of regularly offered coursework which counts toward the minor. In addition, courses listed in each semester's schedule are considered approved courses for the minor, even though those courses may not appear on the list. A maximum of six (6) hours approved transfer substitutes will be accepted toward the minor.*
* No more than six (6) semester hours in a student's major may apply to a minor in Women's Studies.
How to Apply for the Minor
Individuals interested in a Minor in Women's Studies can come by the Women's Studies Office, Room 624 Agnes Arnold Hall, or may contact the student advisors Holle Canatella or Kristi Keen at 713-743-3214. You can also e-mail us at wost@uh.edu.
Why Minor
Top 10 Myths about the Women’s Studies Minor
- MYTH: No boys allowed.
FACT: You don’t have to be a woman to participate in the Minor, to be a feminist, or to be an activist for women’s issues. Further, Women’s Studies seeks to foster compassion for both sexes. - MYTH: Women’s Studies only talks about white women.
FACT: Women’s Studies is a diverse field that explores race, class, gender and sexuality in complex ways. - MYTH: This will not help me in my career.
FACT: The Women’s Studies Minor opens up many career opportunities, even to jobs you might think have nothing to do with women’s studies. (Examples: Social Work, Health Sciences, Law, Business, Education, Psychology, etc.) - MYTH: All feminists are the same.
FACT: No two feminists are alike. Feminism is also a diverse concept that represents a number of different interests. - MYTH: I have to be a liberal arts major.
FACT: ANY major can have a Women’s Studies minor. - MYTH: Women’s Studies is only about suffragists and bra-burners.
FACT: Once again, Women’s Studies is a diverse field. It is interdisciplinary and multi-faceted. You’ll meet a few suffragists and bra-burners, along with many other women and theoretical frameworks. - MYTH: It will take too long.
FACT: The WOST minor is an 18 hour minor. You can use up to 6 hours of your major for your minor (in other words, those classes can count twice!). It won’t take too long. You might even be surprised that courses you have already taken might count toward the minor. - MYTH: I won’t be able to meet other students in Women’s Studies.
FACT: The Society for the Study of Women and Gender will not let that happen! This organization is directed by students for students to encourage collaboration and activism. - MYTH: Women’s Studies is all talk and no action.
FACT: Women’s Studies is very action oriented. At UH, you will have numerous opportunities to participate in social justice and community service activities. - MYTH: I have to think a certain way to take these classes.
FACT: The minor does not aim to attract a certain “type” of people. Your opinions will be welcomed and challenged in this setting.
Link to Courses
View a full list of regularly and currently offered courses.
Petitioning a Course for Approval
Courses that are not-crosslisted but deal with over 50% women or gender in topics, assignments, and readings may be petitioned for credit for the minor. Adhere to the following process:
1. Print a “General Petition” from the Academic Forms website.
2. Fill in sections A and B of the petition completely.
3. Have your professor sign section C.
4. Attach a course syllabus to the completed and signed petition and bring it to the Women’s Studies office, AH 624.
5. WOST will complete the remaining steps and contact you when the process is finished.
NOTE: Only courses 3000 level or above count for the WOST minor.
Link to Scholarships
Women's Studies also has a number of scholarships that are available only to minors.
