Overview

The Minor in Gender Studies brings awareness among students of the importance of gender in understanding issues related to social change, social justice, human rights, gender inequalities, and others. Through interdisciplinary courses, students are armed with the knowledge, tools, and practical experience to incorporate gender into various field emphases such as conflict resolution, diplomacy, human rights, education, politics, and others.

The Program builds a foundation of knowledge on and interest in gender issues. The variety in courses might fall within the interest of students majoring in Political Science, International Affairs, Social Work, Migration Studies, Journalism, Literature, and Business to mention a few.

Mission

The Minor in Gender studies falls within one of LAU’s core missions namely commitment to civic engagement, the advancement of scholarship, and the education of the whole person. It also complements the Institute for Women’s Studies in the Arab World (IWSAW)’s mission that strives to promote gender equality through academic research and intellectual rigor as well as social activism. The Program provides students with an interdisciplinary education that combines the knowledge, experience, practical skills, and tools that are needed to understand gender studies, address its complexities, and counter the prevalent gender misconceptions through academic research and civic engagement. It will also prepare students for graduate studies.

Program Objective

The Minor in Gender Studies aspires to

1. provide theoretical knowledge, interdisciplinary competencies, and practical skills, which facilitate the pursuit of graduate work in Gender Studies or other related fields, and
2. pursue careers in governmental and non-governmental organizations, ministries, as well as national, regional, and international agencies focusing on development and humanitarian work across a broad range of sectors.

Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of this Program, students will

• analyze critically the major theories and concepts in gender studies and the various research methodologies appropriate to inter-disciplinary inquiry,
• evaluate recent advances in gender issues and their impact on society,
• demonstrate ability to analyze complex gender issues and explain how gender infiltrates all disciplines,
• integrate a gender perspective into academic and professional endeavors, and
• utilize effective communication skills and leadership techniques.

Curriculum

For a Minor in Gender Studies, a student must complete a minimum of 18 credits as follows:

Core Courses (9 cr)

• SOC215 Introduction to Gender Studies (3 cr)
• WOS313 Women in the Arab World: Sociological Perspectives (3 cr)
• WOS311 Issues & Debates in Feminist Theory (3 cr)

Elective Courses (9 cr)

• WOS412 Representations of Women in the Arts & the Media (3 cr)
• WOS312 Women and Economic Power (3 cr)
• POL201 Introduction to Political Science (3 cr)
• POL231 Introduction to Human Rights (3 cr)
• POL252 Fundamentals of Conflict Resolution (3 cr)
• POL357 Globalization and Political Change (3 cr)
• PJE201 Cross-Cultural Communication and Conflict (3 cr)
• SWO201 Introduction to Social Work (3 cr)
• SWO311 Social Problems, Stratification & Marginalization (3 cr)
• SWO313 Family and Child Welfare (3 cr)
• SWO411 Sustainable Community Development: Theories & Practice (3 cr)
• SWO210 Introduction to Community Development (3 cr)
• SOC321 Sociology in the Arab World (3 cr)
• ENG283 Language and Gender (3 cr)
• ENG376 Gender in Literature (3 cr)
• JSC224 Social Media (3 cr)
• COM312 Communication and Gender (3 cr)