Overview

The Minor in Gender Studies raises students’ awareness 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.

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 Arab Institute for Women (AiW)’s mission 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 needed to understand gender studies, address its complexities, and counter prevalent gender misconceptions through academic research and civic engagement. It also prepares students for graduate studies.

Program Educational Objectives

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.

Student Outcomes

Upon completion of this program, students will:

1. Analyze critically the major theories and concepts in gender studies and the various research methodologies appropriate to inter-disciplinary inquiry,
2. Evaluate recent advances in gender issues and their impact on society,
3. Analyze complex gender issues and explain how gender infiltrates all disciplines,
4. Integrate a gender perspective into academic and professional endeavors, and
5. Utilize effective communication skills and leadership techniques.

Curriculum

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

• Core Courses (6 credits)
• Elective Courses (12 credits)

Core Courses (6 credits)

• SOC215 Introduction to Gender Studies (3 cr.)
• WOS313 Women in the Arab World: Sociological Perspectives (3 cr.)

Elective Courses (12 credits)

• LAS209       Doing Gender: Contextual Approaches (3 cr.)
• POL231       Introduction to Human Rights (3 cr.)
• POL437O    Gender Negotiations Mediation and Conflict Resolution (3 cr.)
• SOC488D    Fundamentals of Gender Discrimination (3 cr.)
• SOC488E    Gender Equality in the Workplace (3 cr.)
• WOS311      Issues & Debates in Feminist Theory (3 cr.)
• WOS312      Women and Economic Power (3 cr.)
• WOS412      Representations of Women in the Arts & the Media (3 cr.)