Gender & Women's Studies

Undergraduate Courses

See Topnet for Class Meeting Schedule

 

Fall 2026

Core Courses:

GWS 200 Introduction to Gender and Women’s Studies
Required for the minor
Drawing on historical perspectives and cultural analysis, this course examines such topics as women and work, violence against women, family, and the social construction of gender, sexuality, race, and class. Colonnade/Statewide General Education Code E-SB | SB

 

Approved Electives:

GWS 375 American Masculinities
Survey of the meanings of manhood in the United States, including historical, social, economic, cultural, and political influences on the development of masculine identity. Colonnade/Statewide General Education Code K-SY Prerequisite(s): 21 hours of Foundations and Explorations Courses, or junior status

AFAM 393 African American Literature
Study of literature by African American writers. Prerequisite(s): Lit 200

DANC 360 Dance In Culture  (Honors Section Available)
Survey of world dance forms, emphasizing social, cultural and aesthetic principles
defining these forms. Gender, racial, political and religious orientations shaping dance history are examined. Colonnade/Statewide General Education Code K-SC

ENG 324 Queer Music  (Honors Section Available)
*DW exception appeal needed
A survey of music and lyrics created by, about, and for the LGBTQIA+ community, including historical, social, economic, cultural, and political influences on the development of queer music. The course content will focus on musical works based on literature, including vocal, choral, theatrical, and film music from antiquity to the present day. Students will study music as a system and explore how queer artists have shaped this system over time. Colonnade/Statewide General Education Code K-SY
Prerequisite(s): 21 hours of Foundations and Explorations Courses, or junior status

FACS 311 Family Relations F2F and Web Course
Study of issues affecting individual and family well-being. Interpersonal relationships and communication skills necessary to achieve quality of life are
addressed. Colonnade/Statewide General Education Code SB

FACS 495 Family & Relationship Violence Web Course
A study of the dynamics underlying interpersonal violence and theoretical perspectives regarding the etiology of violent behavior. Analysis of behaviors indicative of violent relationships and various treatment modalities as they are applied to individuals and families are emphasized.

FLK 373 Folklore & Media Web Course
Variety and characteristics of folklore in the media including newspapers, television, magazines, comics, movies, photographs, cartoons, and advertisements. Colonnade/Statewide General Education Code K-LG Prerequisite(s): 21 hours of Foundations and Explorations Courses, or junior status

FLK 388-703 Foodways
*DW exception appeal needed
Exploration of the relationship between food and culture. Colonnade/Statewide General Education Code K-LG

FILM 369 Intro to World Cinema
Examines cinema in several regions including China, India, Europe, Middle East, Africa, and Latin America. Viewing of representative films accompanied by background readings on history/culture. Note: Permission of instructor.

HIST 453 American Women’s History  (Web Course)
Social, cultural, and political history of American women from pre-colonial times to the present.

PH 365 Human Sexuality (Web Course)
Examines sociological, physiological, and psychological aspects of human sexuality in relation to family life, courtship, marriage, reproduction, education, and aging. Includes information on sexual assault, sexually transmitted infections (STIs), and
HIV/AIDS. Colonnade/Statewide General Education Code K-SC

PS 373 Minority Politics
A study of the contemporary status and efforts made by African Americans, Hispanics and other minority groups to organize for political action; discusses political and socioeconomic constraints on the development of that power. Colonnade/Statewide General Education Code K-SC Prerequisite(s): 21 hours of Foundations and Explorations Courses, or junior status

PSYS/PSY 350 Social Psychology  F2F in BG + Delivered synchronously to Owensboro, Glasgow, ETown
A general introduction to social psychology for majors and non-majors in psychology. The psychology of how people think about and relate to others. Topics include love, altruism, aggression, conformity, behavior in groups, leadership, intergroup conflict, prejudice, and persuasion. Colonnade/Statewide General Education Code K-SC | SB

PSY 355 Cross-Cultural Psychology F2F and Web Course
Examines the impact of culture on major principles, theories, and applications of psychology, including social behavior, gender, communication, development and abnormal psychology. Involves interacting with people from diverse cultural backgrounds.

RELS 341 Religion and the Environment
Examines different world religions' beliefs about the environment as well as their adherents' attitudes and actions concerning climate change and other issues. Colonnade/Statewide General Education Code K-LG Prerequisite(s): 21 hours of Foundations and Explorations Courses, or junior status

SMC 310 Media Diversity
Explores journalistic coverage of diversity in terms of race, culture, gender, and sexual orientation in a number of mass media areas including newspaper, radio, television, film, video games, digital media, advertising, and public relations. Colonnade/Statewide General Education Code K-SC  Prerequisite(s): 21 hours of Foundations and Explorations Courses, or junior status

SOCL 220 Marriage/Family (Web Course)
Analysis of the family institution, its structure and function and the dynamics of social change in family interaction and organization. Note: Consent of
instructor. Colonnade/Statewide General Education Code K-SC | SB

SOCL 359 Sexuality and Society  F2F and On Demand Course
Sociological examination of issues, debates, and research on pornography, prostitution, sexual orientation, and sex and the law.

SOCL 435 Family Violence (On Demand Course)
A sociological perspective on family violence in the United States, emphasizing child abuse and intimate partner violence. Research, theory, laws, treatment and prevention are analyzed.

THEA 375 Topics in Drama  (Theatrical Adaptations of History/ Honors section Available)
Topics-based course focusing on a particular area of dramatic theory and/or literature.