Twin Cities campus
 
Twin Cities Campus

Feminist and Critical Sexuality Studies Minor

Gender, Women and Sexuality
College of Liberal Arts
Link to a list of faculty for this program.
Contact Information
Department of Gender, Women, and Sexuality Studies, 425 Ford Hall, 224 Church Street SE, Minneapolis, MN 55455 (612-624-6006)
Email: gwss@umn.edu
Website: http://www.gwss.umn.edu
  • Program Type: Graduate minor related to major
  • Requirements for this program are current for Fall 2023
  • Length of program in credits (doctoral): 15
  • This program does not require summer semesters for timely completion.
The graduate minor program in Feminist and Critical Sexuality Studies is located in the Department of Gender, Women, and Sexuality Studies (GWSS). The minor is designed for students with widely flexible interests and academic aims looking for advanced graduate academic training in feminist and critical sexuality studies. The program is also designed to provide an interdisciplinary graduate program in GLBTQ studies.
Program Delivery
  • via classroom (the majority of instruction is face-to-face)
Prerequisites for Admission
Special Application Requirements:
Students interested in the minor are strongly encouraged to confer with their major field advisor and director of graduate studies, and the Feminist and Critical Sexuality Studies director of graduate studies regarding feasibility and requirements. Students must submit a letter of application to the Director of Graduate Studies in the Department of Gender, Women and Sexuality Studies articulating a clear relationship between their doctoral research and the goals, curriculum, and scholarly resources of the minor. A focus or strong interest in interdisciplinary work is preferred. A prerequisite undergraduate major or minor in gender, women and/or GLBTQ/sexuality studies is preferred. General knowledge of relevant scholarship in some combination of previous coursework, research and writing, and/or organizational activity/experience is expected.
For an online application or for more information about graduate education admissions, see the General Information section of this website.
Program Requirements
Use of 4xxx courses towards program requirements is not permitted.
All coursework applied to the minor must be taken on the A-F grade basis. The minimum cumulative GPA for minor field coursework is 3.75.
Required Courses (3 credits)
Select one of the following courses in consultation with the Feminist and Critical Sexuality director of graduate studies:
GWSS 8108 - Genealogies of Feminist Theory (3.0 cr)
GWSS 8109 - Feminist Knowledge Production (3.0 cr)
Electives (12 credits)
Select courses from the following in consultation with the Feminist and Critical Sexuality director of graduate studies. Other courses may be applied with director of graduate studies approval.
GWSS 5104 - Transnational Feminist Theory (3.0 cr)
GWSS 5190 - Topics: Theory, Knowledge, and Power (3.0 cr)
GWSS 5290 - Topics: Biology, Health, and Environmental Studies (3.0 cr)
GWSS 5406 - Black Feminist Thought in the American and African Diasporas (3.0 cr)
GWSS 8103 - Feminist Theories of Knowledge (3.0 cr)
GWSS 8210 - Seminar: Feminist Theory & Praxis (3.0 cr)
GWSS 8220 - Seminar: Science, Technology & Environmental Justice (3.0 cr)
GWSS 8230 - Seminar: Cultural Criticism and Media Studies (3.0 cr)
GWSS 8250 - Seminar: Nation, State, and Citizenship (1.0-3.0 cr)
GWSS 8260 - Seminar: Race, Representation and Resistance (3.0 cr)
GWSS 8270 - Seminar: Theories of Body (3.0 cr)
GWSS 8490 - Seminar: Transnational, Postcolonial, Diaspora (3.0 cr)
Program Sub-plans
Students are required to complete one of the following sub-plans.
Students may not complete the program with more than one sub-plan.
Doctoral
  
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GWSS 8108 - Genealogies of Feminist Theory
Credits: 3.0 [max 3.0]
Typically offered: Every Fall
Two-semester seminar. First term: debates in gender theory; intersections of gender theory with critical race theory, post-colonial theory, sexuality theory, social class analysis. Second term: inter-/multi-disciplinary feminist research methodologies from humanities/social sciences. prereq: Feminist studies PhD or grad minor student or instr consent
GWSS 8109 - Feminist Knowledge Production
Credits: 3.0 [max 3.0]
Typically offered: Every Spring
Two-semester interdisciplinary seminar. First term: debates in gender theory; gender theory, critical race theory, post-colonial theory, sexuality theory, social class analysis. Second term: inter-/multi-disciplinary feminist research methods from humanities/social sciences. prereq: Feminist studies PhD or grad minor student or instr consent
GWSS 5104 - Transnational Feminist Theory
Credits: 3.0 [max 3.0]
Typically offered: Fall Odd Year
Third World and transnational feminisms. Interrogating the categories of "women," "feminism," and "Third World." Varieties of power/oppression that women have endured/resisted, including colonization, nationalism, globalization, and capitalism. Concentrates on postcolonial context.
GWSS 5190 - Topics: Theory, Knowledge, and Power
Credits: 3.0 [max 3.0]
Typically offered: Fall Odd, Spring Even Year
Topics specified in Class Schedule.
GWSS 5290 - Topics: Biology, Health, and Environmental Studies
Credits: 3.0 [max 3.0]
Typically offered: Periodic Fall & Spring
Topics specified in class schedule.
GWSS 5406 - Black Feminist Thought in the American and African Diasporas
Credits: 3.0 [max 3.0]
Course Equivalencies: Afro 4406/Afro 5406/GWSS 4406/
Typically offered: Periodic Spring
Critically examines spatiality of African descendant women in Americas/larger black diaspora. Writings from black feminist/queer geographies, history, contemporary cultural criticism. Recent black feminist theorizing.
GWSS 8103 - Feminist Theories of Knowledge
Credits: 3.0 [max 3.0]
Typically offered: Periodic Fall
Interdisciplinary seminar. Feminist approaches to knowledge and to criticism of paradigms of knowledge operative in the disciplines. Feminist use of concepts of subjectivity, objectivity, and intersubjectivity. Feminist empiricism, standpoint theory, and contextualism. Postmodern and postcolonial theorizing.
GWSS 8210 - Seminar: Feminist Theory & Praxis
Credits: 3.0 [max 9.0]
Typically offered: Every Fall & Spring
Topics in feminist theory.
GWSS 8220 - Seminar: Science, Technology & Environmental Justice
Credits: 3.0 [max 6.0]
Typically offered: Periodic Spring
Topics related to science, technology, environmental justice.
GWSS 8230 - Seminar: Cultural Criticism and Media Studies
Credits: 3.0 [max 6.0]
Typically offered: Periodic Spring
Topics in literature, film, art.
GWSS 8250 - Seminar: Nation, State, and Citizenship
Credits: 1.0 -3.0 [max 6.0]
Typically offered: Periodic Fall & Spring
Topics related to nation, state, citizenship.
GWSS 8260 - Seminar: Race, Representation and Resistance
Credits: 3.0 [max 6.0]
Typically offered: Every Spring
Race, racialization, racial justice as related to representation/struggles for social/economic justice. Intersectional analysis of power, politics, ideology/identity. Queer of color critique, women of color feminisms, critical sex/body positive approaches. prereq: Grad student
GWSS 8270 - Seminar: Theories of Body
Credits: 3.0 [max 6.0]
Typically offered: Periodic Fall & Spring
How body is configured in many social arenas. Legal decisions, public policy, medical research, cultural customs. Examine how attitudes toward male/female bodies influence social myths/discourses about social policy/change.
GWSS 8490 - Seminar: Transnational, Postcolonial, Diaspora
Credits: 3.0 [max 6.0]
Typically offered: Every Fall & Spring
Graduate topics in comparative/global studies.