Women's Studies

The Institute of Women's Studies offers the Minor program in Women's Studies to undergraduate students majoring in political science and psychology. The minor is open to all students from across the university. Through integrating the field of women’s studies, the program aims to promote an essential and important scholarly area of enquiry into the process of knowledge production in different academic fields. The minor program aims to enhance students’ conceptual ability and research capacity to analyze and explain the varieties of power relations in society, in ways that will contribute to their theoretical and research capabilities, and in relation to gender and other issues in Palestinian society.

  • Equipping students in the social sciences with integrated knowledge from the field of women’s and gender studies, in ways that become essential for their analysis and understanding of their specialization, as well as, as a tool for analysis, development, and planning in the community.
  • Enhancing students' intellectual and analytical abilities in discussion, debate, and criticism of community issues related to Arab and Palestinian society.
  • Developing research capacity of students in social issues in the field of women's studies and gender.
  • Enhancing students' conceptual abilities in engaging gender as an analytic crosscutting issue as well as their abilities to undertake gender mainstreaming in development and community planning.
  • Providing scholarly knowledge, academic skills and experience required for students from the field of women's studies relevant for governmental and non-governmental institutions working in the areas of development and/ or women/gender.
  • Students are equipped with specialized academic knowledge in women’s and gender studies.
  • Strengthened analytic and research capabilities and expertise of staff employed in development institutions, particularly in terms of the skills of gender-based analysis and planning.
  • Students acquire critical thinking and analytical skills in a range of women and gender studies issues and frameworks.
  • Students are capable to produce research of benefit to the community; both scholarly as well as practice and policy oriented.
  • Students are encouraged to continue their academic interest and enroll in postgraduate studies in women's studies and gender
  • Contributions are made to the ongoing development of theoretical and practical level knowledge in regard to the Palestinian, Arab and international context of women’s issues and society.
  • Women’s organizations and institutions working on women/ gender related issues
  • Social work, mental health, psychology and family counseling institutions
  • School Counselors
  • Palestinian Authority ministries and units, especially development, political and economic ministries.
  • The Ministry of Women’s Affairs, in particular, on analysis and determining the gaps and different issues related to gender as well as planning at the national level to empower women
  • Research centers and institutions, especially those focused on economic development or social issues.
Requirements for the minor in women’s studies (24 credit hours)

a. Core courses (12 credit hours)

Course No.

Course Title

Prerequisite(s)

WOMS231

Introduction to Women’s Studies

 

WOMS232

Women In Arab Society

 

WOMS236

Feminist Methodologies

 

WOMS331

History Of Feminism

 

 

b. Elective courses (12 credit hours)

Course No.

Course Title

Prerequisite(s)

WOMS233

Women In The Family

 

WOMS234

Woman In Psychology

 

WOMS235

Women In Media

 

WOMS332

Women In Development

 

WOMS333

Feminist Political Thought

 

WOMS334

Feminism, Political Economy And Globalization

 

WOMS437

Special Topic