Overview
Drawing upon a variety of traditional disciplines—such as philosophy, psychology, sociology, literature, and the arts—Women’s and Gender studies offers students an opportunity to learn how women and men of various racial, ethnic, economic, and sexual identities are affected by the construction of gender and theories of sexual difference.
Because women’s and feminist scholarship has so dramatically altered our way of thinking about and understanding the world, students in this discipline perform a cross-disciplinary germination of ideas that complements and informs every academic field and profession, making it an ideal double major. Combining theory and practice, Women’s and Gender Studies allows students to explore cultural, political, and historical contexts for understanding sex and gender in light of social justice and human rights concerns.
Interested students may develop a course of study built around the Women’s and Gender Studies theme by drawing from appropriate courses from the various disciplines at New England College. Following the publication “Guidelines for Submitting an Individually Designed Major (IDM) Proposal,” students will work with the Women’s and Gender Studies Coordinator to design the major. The completed proposal will be presented to the Academic Standards Committee for their approval before mid-term of the first semester of the junior year. First-year students are not eligible to submit IDMs.
