Women's and Gender Studies Program overview

The field of women's and gender studies places the experiences and perspectives of women at the center of analysis and also considers how gender intersects with other factors, such as race and class, to shape all of our lives. Founded upon the integration of theory and practice, and of critique and imagination, women's and gender studies brings approaches from other disciplines and fields into conversation with each other and with critical theories about gender and power to address and improve the lives of women and, by extension, of children and men.

Inspired by both feminist and Marianist traditions, the Women’s and Gender Studies Program at the University of Dayton promotes:

• integration, collaboration, and personal engagement in learning;
• the development and dissemination of critical thinking for social justice;
• the appreciation and protection of human dignity and diversity
• and leadership through responsibility and service to community.

The women's and gender studies program offers an interdisciplinary major as well as a minor. Students also have the option of electing “women and culture” for their general education cluster requirement.