Women’s and Gender Studies

Ripon College’s minor in Women’s and Gender Studies offers students the opportunity to uncover and understand the effects of gender categories and sex roles on our history, knowledge, cultures and individual experiences. To that end, Women’s and Gender Studies is resolutely interdisciplinary and trans-disciplinary, drawing on the insights of a new generation of scholars and teachers that encourages analysis of all

gender roles in critical and creative ways.

The minor allows students to take classes in disciplines including Sociology, History, English, Anthropology, amongst others, and culminates in a senior project where students work closely with a faculty member in a small seminar to produce a sizable work of scholarly or creative significance.

Faculty

Courses & Requirements

In order to earn a minor in Women’s and Gender Studies, students must complete eighteen credits in the discipline. Course listings and more details are available in the PDF below:

Course Guide: Women’s and Gender Studies

Advising

Ripon College encourages all students to embrace a Four-Year Career Development Plan. This plan is based on the premise that career planning is a development process that involves learning and decision-making over an extended period of time.

First Year

Incoming students are assigned a Faculty Mentor based on their interest area(s). Please see the FACULTY tab under your major area;
All Freshman are required to enroll in a First-Year Seminar, which is designed as a transition from high school to college learning, providing an interdisciplinary introduction to the liberal arts and the pursuit of in-depth study;
Freshman are encouraged to meet the career development staff early on and complete interest and skills inventories, and self-assessment tools; and,
Attend the pre-Fall Break “Major Fest” to explore the various major options and career tracks.

Third Year

Assume leadership positions in on-campus clubs and organizations;
Participate in mock interviews with the Career Development Office;
Attend the Wisconsin Foundation of Independent Colleges Job Fair in February and other relevant career fairs;
If relevant, begin to research potential graduate school programs and take the appropriate entrance exam(s);
Continue to meet regularly with your Faculty Mentor;
Continue to build a solid network and a list of work references, and build your resume;
Consider off-campus study: Semester and/or alternative Spring Breaks;
Continue to job shadow; and,
Gain further career experience associated with your education during the academic year and as part of a summer job or internship.

Second Year

Get involved with on-campus clubs and organizations, athletic teams and/or intramural sports;
Attend the pre-Fall Break “Major Fest” to explore the various major options and career tracks;
Declare a major;
Meet regularly with your Faculty Mentor or match your interests with a faculty member in your major department. Determine which professors have areas of expertise most similar to your interests. Talk to people in the academic department to find out about faculty research, scholarly, and creative interests;
Attend on-campus career workshops;
Work with the Career Development Office to create an approved resume;
Job shadow people involved in various careers and professions of interest; and,
Gain further career experience associated with your education during the academic year and as part of a summer job or internship.

Fourth Year

Complete a Senior Capstone/Thesis in your major area(s);
Continue to meet regularly with your Faculty Mentor;
Perfect your interviewing skills;
Expand your existing network of contacts;
Finalize your resume and prepare cover letter;
Build a credential file in the Career Development Office;
Interview with on-campus recruiters;
Set-up informational interviews with target companies;
If relevant, apply to graduate school programs, and if necessary, re-take entrance exams; and,
Practice career goal-setting.

What can I do with a Women’s and Gender Studies minor?

Women’s and Gender Studies provides students with a focus to their liberal arts and sciences programs that can lead to careers and graduate programs in a variety of fields. It often provides a background for further work in other disciplines of the social sciences, humanities, and biological sciences, as well as for professional careers in government, business, law, social services, and other fields.

Recent graduates have taken many paths, including graduate school programs in Information Science and Library Studies. Others have moved directly into the professional workforce in public relations, human resources, community outreach, and other careers.

Academics | Women’s and Gender Studies