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Undergraduate Course Catalog 2015-2016

College of Liberal Arts

» http://cola.unh.edu


Women's Studies (WS)

» http://cola.unh.edu/womens-studies

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Coordinator: Marla A. Brettschneider
Professor: Marla A. Brettschneider
Affiliate Professor: Sarah Redfield
Associate Professor: Carol B. Conaway
Affiliate Associate Professor: Sarra Lev, Mary M. Moynihan
Assistant Professor: Courtney Marshall
Affiliate Assistant Professor: Eden Wales Freedman, Sharon Gershoni, Jing Huang, Nancy Nield, Meghan Schrader
Affiliate Faculty: Jane Stapleton
Lecturer: Joelle Ryan, Tamsin Whitehead
Core Faculty: Amy Boylan, Holly R. Cashman, Katie Edwards, Diane P. Freedman, Robin Hackett, Marc W. Herold, Lori Hopkins, Delia C. Konzett, Mary Malone, Svetlana Peshkova, Janet L. Polasky, Mary E. Rhiel, Judy Sharkey, Reginald A. Wilburn

The UNH women’s studies program provides students with an understanding of the status of women and gender roles in various cultures and historical eras. Students learn the use of gender as a category of analysis, and increase their knowledge of women’s contributions to many fields and the roles gender plays in them. Women’s studies courses offer students critical perspectives on such basic questions of the social order as assumptions about gender roles and gender identity and the ways cross-cutting phenomena such as racism, heterosexism, religion, ableism, and ageism are a part of them.

A major or minor in women’s studies prepares students for careers where the changing roles of women, and gender more broadly, have a perceptible impact. Many women’s studies graduates go on to law school and graduate school in a variety of disciplines. With a women's studies degree, students often take positions with social change or family service agencies, and in fields such as politics, communications, community organizing, education, affirmative action, healthcare, and human resources.

Women’s Studies Major
The women’s studies major requires students to complete 40 credits of major-approved coursework with grades of C- or better and an overall grade point average in major courses of 2.00 or higher.

The following three courses are required:

The remaining seven courses may be chosen in consultation with a WS faculty adviser according to the following guidelines:

At least five courses for the major must be taken at the 600 level or above. Only two 400-level courses may be used to satisfy major requirements. The Discovery Program capstone requirement is to be fulfilled by taking one of the following: WS 798 or WS 799.

WS topic courses include WS 444s, WS 505s, and WS 798s:

444 Inquiry Courses
WS 444, Trans/forming Gender
WS 444a, Race Matters
WS 444b, Score: Gender & Diversity in Sports
WS 444c, On the Roads to Equality
WS 444d, Cyborgs, Avatars, and Feminists: Gender in the Virtual World

505 Surveys
How Do We Look? Gender, Race & Sexuality in Visual Culture
Sustainability & Spirituality
Feminist Activism
Race, Class, and Gender in the Media
19th Century Black Women in New England
Fashion This!
Global Sex Industry
Race, Gender and Environmental Justice
Queer Sustainability

798 Colloquiums
Feminist Studies in Film
Women’s Fiber Arts Traditions
Feminism and Queer Theory
Conflicts within Feminism
The Body
Jewish Feminism, Politics & Culture
Feminist Autobiography
Global Feminist Issues
Women, Work, and Policy
Black Women in America
Black Feminist Thought
Queers & Kin
Women in Prison
Contemporary American Memoir: Autobiography/Theory
Dreamgirls: Dancing on the Pages of Diva (Auto)biographies
Transgender Feminism
Theater as a Provocative Act
Black Women's Memoir

For a list of currently-approved cross-counted offerings from other departments, please check the department website.

A practicum, internship course, or research with faculty is strongly recommended.

Major department courses may not be used to satisfy Discovery category requirements, unless women’s studies is your second major. First and second majors may double count no more than two courses between the WS major and another major or minor.

Candidates for a degree must satisfy all of the University Discovery Program requirements in addition to satisfying the requirements of each individual major program. Bachelor of arts candidates must also satisfy the foreign language proficiency requirement. ASL: COMM 401 AND COMM 402 may be used to satisfy the language competency requirement.

Women’s Studies Minor
For the women’s studies minor, students must complete 20 credits of women’s studies courses with a grade of C- or better. Courses taken pass/fail may not be used toward the minor. No more than eight credits used to satisfy the requirements for another major may be used for the women’s studies minor. Students electing the women’s studies minor must complete WS 401, Introduction to Women’s Studies, or WS 405, Gender, Power, and Privilege, and WS 798, Colloquium in Women’s Studies, normally taken at the beginning and end of the course sequence, respectively.  It may be possible to substitute WS  795, WS 797, WS 796 and WS 799, for WS 798 with permission from a women's studies adviser. Additionally, students must complete three other women’s studies courses, either program courses or those that are cross-counted with other departments. 

Students who wish to major or minor in women’s studies should consult with the coordinator or academic/student services assistant, 203 Huddleston Hall, (603) 862-2194.

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