Liberal Arts – Women & Gender Studies Option, Associate of Arts

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The Women and Gender Studies Option within the Liberal Arts major analyzes the category of gender and explores how gender shapes the lives of both women and men. Students in this option will become better equipped to analyze and respond to messages about masculinity and femininity, and perhaps even create new ones. Students will explore how women and men learn their gender roles, how they rebel against these roles, and how these roles intersect globally with race, ethnicity, class, sexual orientation, and religion. Interdisciplinary in nature, this program will foster students’ analysis of gender by weaving together the tools of history, philosophy, psychology, sociology, cultural studies, and literary studies. Graduates of this Option can go on to major in Women and/or Gender Studies at four year institutions, they can major in a variety of other fields (Psychology, Sociology, English, Communications, etc.), or they can go directly into the workplace.

Graduates are able to:

understand the relationship between gender and society, making them more competitive in a workplace
think critically and communicate effectively, orally and in writing
examine how gender impacts all aspects of our culture
understand gender as it relates to race, class, and sexual orientation

Raritan Valley Community College Associate of Arts (AA) and Associate of Science (AS) degree programs are designed to comply with the New Jersey Community Colleges General Education Foundation which supports transfer of courses to NJ Public four-year colleges and universities. Students who intend to transfer to a NJ college or university can further improve the transfer of courses by using the Recommended Transfer Program (RTP) feature in NJTransfer.org.

Curriculum – A.A. Degree

First Semester

ENGL 111 - English Composition I 3 Credits
Mathematics 3-4 Credits ^1,2
Foreign Language 3 Credits ³
PSYC 103 - Introduction to Psychology 3 Credits
WGST 110 - Introduction to Women and Gender Studies 3 Credits

Second Semester

ENGL 112 - English Composition II 3 Credits
Technological Competency 3-4 Credits ²
Foreign Language 3 Credits ³
FITN 115 - Dynamics of Fitness & Wellness 1 Credit ⁴
SOCI 101 - Introduction to Sociology 3 Credits
Option Elective 3 Credits ⁵

Third Semester

COMM 110 - Interpersonal Communication 3 Credits
Science (lab) 4 Credits ²
History 3 Credits ⁶
Option Elective 3 Credits ⁵
Free Elective 3 Credits ⁸

Fourth Semester

Mathematics 0-4 Credits ^2,9or
Science 0-4 Credits ^2,9
History 3 Credits ⁶
Appreciation of the Arts 3 Credits ⁷
Option Elective 3 Credits ⁵
Free Elective 3 Credits ⁸

Total Credits 61 - 65

¹ Mathematics by official Placement Test. Students may not take courses below placement level. Exceptions by permission of department chairperson.

² Select a course from the appropriate category of the General Education list. For the Math, Science and Technological Competency General Education requirements, students must take a minimum of 12 credits. This must include one lab science course, one math course, and satisfaction of the technological competency requirement by either passing the technological competency test (no credit) or taking a technological competency general education course. If a student passes the technological competency test, another course must be selected from Math, Science or Technological Competency General Education, so that the student has earned at least 12 credits in those categories.

³ A two-semester sequence is required. Placement by examination is required for students who wish to continue studying a language previously studied. Students may not take courses below their placement level. For more information, see Foreign Language Placement Testing & Degree Requirements .

⁴ FITN 142 Elements of Physical Fitness or FITN 146 Exercise Physiology & Body Mechanics may be substituted.

⁵ Option electives include: ENGL 215 LGBT Literature , ENGL 290 Women in Literature , ENGL 291 Masculinity in Literature , PSYC 203 Psychology of Women and Gender , PHIL 210 Feminist Philosophy , SOCI 202 Marriage and Family , and CRMJ 204 Women and Minorities in the Criminal Justice System .

⁶ Choose from the following History Courses: HIST 101 World Civilization I , HIST 102 World Civilization II , HIST 201 US History: Beginnings to 1877 , HIST 202 US History: 1877 to Present .

⁷ Select a course from the appropriate category of the General Education list.

⁸ Any college level course.

⁹ If the student has already completed 12 credits in the Math, Science and Technological Competency categories, no course is needed here.