Drexel University’s minor in Gender and Sexuality Studies offers students a unique opportunity to explore a broad array of interests in understanding how gender and sexuality have changed and developed over in time in their meaning, constructions, contexts and practices. The methodologies and conceptual frameworks that have come out of the field—such as queer theory, trans studies, feminist philosophies and reproductive justice—enable students to make sense of our current moment with the critical tools that work toward social transformation and justice.

The minor reflects the interdisciplinary mission of the College of Arts and Sciences and is taught by faculty from different departments within the college and across the university. Each course explores the dynamics of gender, sexuality, race, ethnicity, class, ability, nationality and other zones of experience to help develop fields like history, literature, sociology, anthropology, philosophy, political science and film and media. The program offers an increasing number of courses in the field, including Introduction to Queer and Trans Studies; Masculinities; Introduction to Feminisms; and Gender and Black Popular Culture. The curriculum also includes cross-listed courses such as Retail Intersections: Social and Cultural Issues; Gender and Society; and Sex and Race in Films and Pedagogy.

In classes and through pursuing their own research, students focus on gender and sexuality as key categories of political, social and cultural analysis. The Gender and Sexuality Studies program encourages students to develop the skills necessary for engaging in the challenges of contemporary life and to apply those skills to a wide range of fields such as public health, law and digital media.

About the Minor