Overview
In the gender studies minor program at Saint Joseph’s University, you will explore how gender intersects with race, ethnicity, class, sexuality, gender identity and other factors to create system-wide structures and individual-level psychologies.
What is the Gender Studies Minor?
Gender studies is an interdisciplinary field that investigates the social construction of gender in societies, polities, economies, the arts, and cultures in the United States and around the world. At Saint Joseph’s, our interdisciplinary gender studies minor allows you to explore issues related to gender and equality from the perspective of various disciplines. Gender, therefore, creates opportunities and constraints for individuals based on their particular identities within specific sociopolitical settings.
Ways to Study Gender Studies
Choose your gender studies minor courses from an approved list of offerings from a variety of disciplines including courses in the arts, humanities, social sciences, education, health studies and business.
Regardless of your major, a gender studies minor helps you to develop a new way of understanding and interacting with your school, family, social and future professional environments, all of which are diverse settings where equality and justice claims are increasingly important. Some common additional areas of study that students interested in the gender studies minor also pursue include:
What Can I Do with a Minor in Gender Studies?
The gender studies minor at Saint Joseph’s University prepares students for a successful career by encouraging critical thinking and creative problem solving, two essential skills for any career. The future of all industries requires professionals who have an understanding of diversity, equity and inclusion. With your major, you may be looking to prepare for a career in business, healthcare or education, but no matter what your future may hold, a gender studies minor can add an important credential.
Many gender studies minors go onto graduate school or pursue careers in the following sectors:
- Business
- Healthcare
- Journalism
- Politics
- Ministry
- Social services
How Will Saint Joseph’s University Prepare Me for My Future Career?
Through coursework and extracurricular activities, gender studies minors are often involved in efforts to bring about a more equitable world. They may be engaged in internships in Philadelphia or Washington D.C., service, clubs, advocacy and research. Saint Joseph’s gender studies students take what they have learned in the classroom and apply it to real-world experiences, including:
- Working for local, state and national politicians or government offices,
- Attending the annual NEW Leadership™ summer institute,
- Researching as a Summer Scholar with a faculty mentor,
- Interning at the Clery Center, Women’s Campaign International or Women Against Abuse,
- Getting involved on campus with Hawk Hub, SJU Pride, the Rape Education Prevention Program or the Women’s Leadership Initiative.
These types of experiential learning opportunities will not only allow you to enhance your understanding of gender as it interacts with other identities, but will allow you to be a part of the efforts to create a more equitable future. A minor in gender studies will help you develop a lifelong, career-spanning skill of developing a lens for appreciating and analyzing daily lives, entertainment choices, career aspirations, familial interactions and the broader sociopolitical world.
Program Co-Directors
