Guide to a GLBT Major or Minor at AU

There are many opportunities for students to study GLBT issues in classrooms! These topics are discussed in many classes in the Anthropology, Sociology, and Women and Gender Studies Departments as well as others. Although we don't currently offer a GLBT major or minor, students who are interested in GLBT studies can create their own interdisciplinary program. If you are considering this option, we encourage you to check back here soon, as we will be updating our guidelines and suggestions for creating an interdisciplinary major or minor in GLBT Studies. Please stop by and speak with Mindy Michels in order to get the most updated version of this guide.

Guideline For an Interdisciplinary Major/Minor in Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgender Studies
This is an abbreviated version of our in-office resources. Please stop by to get the most up-to-date resources. This guide should only serve as the beginning of your program development, and you should make sure that you are in contact with your academic advisor in order to comply with current academic regulations.

In order for a student to create a major or minor in Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgender (GLBT) Studies, it is important to know that to fulfill the requirements, it is going to involve a lot of legwork, time, and dedication. Nevertheless, it is possible for an interested student to major in GLBT Studies. Although American University does not offer many courses directly related to gay and lesbian issues, there is enough room for an interested student to adjust the curriculum through independent studies with professors, additional assignments for classes, courses through the consortium, and/or direct communication with professors to incorporate gay and lesbian issues into the coursework. A student will need to uphold frequent contact with his/her faculty advisors in order to assess the applicability of courses to the major/minor requirements. Despite the needed dedication, a student will find a major/minor in GLBT Studies very insightful into contemporary issues in society.

Requirements For Interdisciplinary Major

As a first step, a student must fulfill the same requirements of all majors at AU:

University Requirements
A total of 120 credit hours
6 credit hours of college writing
3 credit hours of college mathematics of the equivalent by examination
General Education Requirements
A total of 30 credit hours, consisting of one foundation course and one second-level course in an approved sequence from each of five curricular areas
No more than 6 credit hours may be taken in the same discipline

The next needed requirement is that a student must:
Take a total of 36 credit hours with grades of C or better. 27 out of these 36 credit hour requirements must be of the upper level. It is advisable for a student to take at least two 500-level courses, unless this is otherwise not possible.

In addition to the above credit requirements, a student must complete at least 6 credit hours in two independent study courses or senior seminar. They must work with one of the major advisors in order to do so. As a substitution, a student can take an internship course, co-op, or a 500-level seminar with the major advisor's permission.

Basically, this leaves a lot of independent maneuvering for a student to fulfill the requirements. There are couple courses that focus specifically on GLBT topics that have been offered through special topics courses each year. While these are not in the formal curriculum, they have been offered for a number of years running. These include:

COMM-516 - Gay and Lesbian Documentary
WGST-350 - Lesbian and Gay Cultures

There are also a number of courses offered at American University that incorporate gay and lesbian topics into the coursework. With almost all of the courses listed below, it is recommended that the student contact the professor to make sure that the courses taken relate to gay and lesbian studies. For almost all of these classes, a student must individually construct course assignments in order to study issues related to queer studies. The following is a list of courses that usually have a direct link to gay and lesbian issues and a student can take in order to fulfill the above 36 credit hour requirements:

Course Number - Course Title
ANTH - 215 - Sex, Gender & Culture
ANTH - 431 - Taboos
GOVT - 215 - Civil Rights & Liberties*
GOVT - 445 - Equal Proection
LIT - 364 - The Literature of AIDS*
PSYC - 430 - Human Sexual Behavior*
SOCY - 350 - Social Problems in a Changing World*

In addition to these above classes, there are a number of courses that have a relation to gay and lesbian issues, but where GLBT issues are not necessarily directly incorporated in the coursework. Students who want to take any of these courses should consult with the professors of these courses and also their advisors before taking these courses. Additional coursework and class work construction towards queer issues will most likely be required.

Course Number - Course Title
ANTH 342 - Women & Work
ANTH 532 - Culture Change
BIO 220 - The Case for Evolution
BIO 356 - Genetics
GOVT 315 - Elections & Voting Behavior
GOVT 407 - Feminist Political Theory
HIST 215 - Social Forces That Shaped America
HIST 220 - Women in America
HIST 318 - Nazi Germany
HIST 319 - Holocaust
HIST 371 - Ideology, Culture & American Politics
HIST 376 - Radical Traditions
JLS - 206 - Justice & Deviant Behavior
JLS - 211 - Contemporary Issues in Amer. Law Enforcement
JLS 307 - Justice, Law & Constitution JLS 308 - Justice Morality & the Law
JLS 404 - Gender & the Law
LIT - 315 - Poetry Of Dickinson & Whitman
PHIL 221 - Philosophy, Politics & Society
PSYC 350 - Child Psychology
PSYC 360 - Evolution of Behavior
PSYC - 420 - Adolescent Psychology
PSYC 456 - Controversial Issues in Psychology
RELG 170 - Intro to New Testament
RELG 220 - Religious Thought
SOCY 100 - American Society
SOCY 205 - The Family
SOCY 210 - Inequality: Class, Race, Ethnicity
SOCY 352 - Women, Men and Social Change
SOCY 360 - Individual Identity and Social Change
SOCY 372 - Law, Rights, & Society

A student may also be interested in creating an independent study with an American University professor. This is one of the most effective ways that a student can ensure insightful study into gay and lesbian topics. Students should note the professor's area of specialty when creating an independent study course. The following is a list of American University professors who have indicated that they would be interested in working with a student on GLBT related independent study:

(As of Spring 2000)
Bill Leap - Anthropology
Joan Gero - Anthropology
Cymene Howe - Anthropology
David Vine - Anthropology
Helen Langa - Art History
Cathy Schaeff - Biology/Genetics
Lynne Arneson – Biology/ Genetics
Rodger Streitmatter - Communication
Pat Aufderheide - Film

Amy Oliver - Foreign Language and/or Women/Gender Studies
Eileen Findlay - History
Richard McCann - Literature
Ellen Feder - Philosophy
Cathy Schneider - SIS
Christine Chin - SIS
Bette Dickerson - Sociology
Gay Young – Sociology
Celine Marie Pascal - Sociology
Salvador Vidal-Ortiz - Sociology
Karen O'Conner - SPA

In addition to doing independent studies, a student can also take full advantage of the Washington Consortium. Through the Consortium, a student may take courses at neighboring universities and receive credit for these courses.

The University of Maryland - College Park
It is highly recommended that a student take advantage of the plethora of courses available at the University of Maryland. Because the University of Maryland offers a full-degree program for Gay & Lesbian Studies, the list of gay/lesbian related course work is extensive. Please see the attached printout of courses offered at UM.

Catholic University of America
School of Social Science
SSS 326/526 Societal Oppression & Cultural Diversity

Georgetown University

The George Washington University

Howard University

George Mason University
COMM 399-1 Studies in Gay & Lesbian Communication
Professor Bruce Joffe, email: prof@pubpartners.com