Women's Studies courses

The following courses are optional electives in the Women's Studies Program. You can find complete course descriptions in our current course catalog (which can either be downloaded as a PDF or browsed/searched online).

ENG 247: Women in Literature, 19th Century
ENG 248: Women in Literature, 20th Century
HEC 121: Gender Issues in Human Ecology
HIS 131: Women in American History
HUM 119: Women in the Pioneer Valley
PSY 225: Psychology of Women
PSY 259: Psychology of Oppression

WST 115: Introduction to Women's Studies

WST115 is a required course in the Women's Studies program. It is primarily a discussion class with an emphasis on an interdisciplinary approach to examining women's lives. Videos, readings, guest lecturers, discussion prompts, short lectures and small group work and exercises are used to facilitate class discussion.

The course is intended to raise a series of questions and introduce students to women's studies. By taking women's experience and interests as central, what can we learn about the cultural consequences of the gender division and organization of social life? Possible readings include essays, poetry, short stories, critiques of theories, historical analysis, and research studies about women and men's lives are used. Readings are taken from varied sources such as Listen Up: Voices from the next feminist generation and Women: Images and Realities: A Multicultural Anthology

Women's Studies (Liberal Arts Option)