Women’s & Gender Studies Concentration

Program Overview

The women's and gender studies concentration is a multidisciplinary program that focuses on the analysis of gender as a category, with attention to the social construction of gender identity and gender relations and the intersection of gender with other categories, including race, class, and sexuality. The women's and gender studies program values student engagement with feminist discourses and practices and seeks to help students understand representations and realities of gender in multicultural and global contexts. The concentration is not a major but complements many majors and career goals.

Requirements for Concentration

Women's and gender studies concentrators choose from many disciplines to complete their concentration requirements. The concentration consists of 18 hours of coursework, including either an internship or an independent study. Only six credits may be selected from the same academic discipline.

Internships & Opportunities

Women’s and gender studies concentrators engage in internships at a wide range of organizations depending on their interests and needs. Internships are available with both state and private nonprofit organizations, including Iowa Coalition Against Domestic Violence, Iowa Coalition Against Sexual Assault, Dress for Success, Young Women's Resource Center, Planned Parenthood of the Heartland, and American Civil Liberties Union of Iowa.

Career Options

The women’s and gender studies concentration is not a major, but complements a student's major. A concentration in women’s and gender studies can be valuable in many different fields, including government, nonprofit agencies, non-governmental organizations, education, human resources, social work, counseling, law, health care, and the arts.

Student Organizations & Activities

Student organizations of special interest to women’s and gender studies concentrators include Student Activists for Gender Equality (SAGE), Drake University Voice of Choice (DUVOC), La Fuerza Latina, El Ritmo Latino, Coalition of Black Students, and Rainbow Union.

For more information on faculty and courses, visit the department page at www.drake.edu/wgs.

[back]