Gender Studies - Lewis & Clark College Quick Links Apply Visit Alumni Library Giving The Source Newsroom Majors Art (Studio) Art History Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Biology Chemistry Classics Computer Science Computer Science and Mathematics Data Science Economics English Environmental Studies French Studies German Studies Hispanic Studies History International Affairs Mathematics Music Philosophy Physics Political Science Psychology Religious Studies Rhetoric and Media Studies Sociology and Anthropology Student-Designed Major Theatre World Languages Minors Art and Art History Artificial Intelligence Asian Studies Chemistry Chinese Classics Computer Science Cybersecurity Dance Data Science Earth System Science Economics Education English Entrepreneurial Leadership and Innovation Environmental Studies Ethnic Studies French Studies Gender Studies German Studies Health Studies Hispanic Studies History Japanese Latin American and Latino Studies Law and Policy Mathematics Middle East and North African Studies Music Neuroscience Philosophy Physics Political Economy Political Science Religious Studies Rhetoric and Media Studies Russian Theatre
The Argonauts author Maggie Nelson was one of the keynote speakers at the 2019 Gender Studies Symposium.
The 2020 Gender Studies Symposium cochairs at the keynote dinner.
Home / Academics / Gender Studies Gender Studies With a gender studies minor, you will gain a background in gender analysis and feminism, offering you opportunities to engage with classics of the field. Plus, our location in Portland—a city known for its dynamic feminist and LGBTQ+ communities—provides easy access to internships and employment. Majors Art (Studio) Art History Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Biology Chemistry Classics Computer Science Computer Science and Mathematics Data Science Economics English Environmental Studies French Studies German Studies Hispanic Studies History International Affairs Mathematics Music Philosophy Physics Political Science Psychology Religious Studies Rhetoric and Media Studies Sociology and Anthropology Student-Designed Major Theatre World Languages Minors Art and Art History Artificial Intelligence Asian Studies Chemistry Chinese Classics Computer Science Cybersecurity Dance Data Science Earth System Science Economics Education English Entrepreneurial Leadership and Innovation Environmental Studies Ethnic Studies French Studies Gender Studies German Studies Health Studies Hispanic Studies History Japanese Latin American and Latino Studies Law and Policy Mathematics Middle East and North African Studies Music Neuroscience Philosophy Physics Political Economy Political Science Religious Studies Rhetoric and Media Studies Russian Theatre Why Choose a Minor in Gender Studies? Our program will engage you in the political and philosophical exploration of strategies for transforming coercive and unequal gender systems. Minoring in gender studies will not only provide you with an expanded range of resources for understanding self and society, but also help you cultivate a love for lifelong learning—the best preparation for your life after Lewis & Clark. Apply Visit What You’ll Study Our courses in the gender studies minor examine the formation of racialized ideas of gender, explore constructions of sexuality, and analyze gender systems through historical perspectives as well as groundbreaking, emerging work. Lewis & Clark’s global curriculum and overseas study programs encourage you to examine the intersections of gender, race, class, and other axes of power and identity in a variety of cultures. You will also analyze images and vocabularies of gender expression that shape cultural representations, and explore how art both conforms to and resists categories of gender and sexuality. Outside the classroom, the annual Gender Studies Symposium is organized by a committee of students with support from faculty and staff. This multiday, interdisciplinary event addresses complex topics through a focus on gender and sexuality, including care, security, power, space, law, religion, science, and more. Scholars, students, public figures, writers, artists, and community members come together for a series of workshops, lectures, performances, panel discussions, and a student-curated art exhibit. Our program also develops critical workshops that respond to current issues as a way to facilitate discussion between the larger student body and Portland, and we regularly engage in critical dialogue featuring speakers who are experts in their field. Students may satisfy a gender studies elective with an internship. Past internship sites include Girls Inc., Sexual & Gender Minority Youth Resource Center (SMYRC), Cascade AIDS Project, and NARAL Pro-Choice America. Curriculum Connect With Lewis & Clark After you hit submit, we will follow up with information about L&C, and you will have the opportunity to share a bit more about yourself. Loading...
Favorite Class
Feminist Theory with Associate Professor Kim Brodkin
The course readings were captivating, and class discussions and assignments allowed my classmates and I to engage in these vital and fascinating conversations with nuance and respect. I always say this class broke my brain and rebuilt it, and I continue to grapple with the ideas and discourse of this class a year later.
Feminist Theory with Associate Professor Kim Brodkin
The texts we engage with are deeply fascinating, moving, heartbreaking, and compelling, and I feel that this served as the perfect capstone for my gender studies experience and L&C.
Getting to spend an entire semester diving into the work of one author, especially one as complex and popular as Wilde, allowed me to really understand the readings in relation to both his life and the larger societal context. I also really enjoyed getting to write a research paper at the end of the semester and learn a lot more about something that had interested me during the course.
Feminist Theory with Associate Professor Kim Brodkin
Feminist Theory introduced me to a wide range of literature in Feminist and Queer studies that I engage with in my other courses and in my life. There are pieces we read that I still think of new questions about to this day! This is a great class to take if you are interested in reading a wide range of contemporary and classic theory about gender and sexuality.
Genders and Sexualities in a Global Perspective with Professor Kim Cameron-Domínguez and Gender and Aesthetic Expression with Professor Therese Augst
Because of the amazingly interdisciplinary way that the gender studies program at Lewis & Clark is run, these two classes allowed me to bring my other interests of international affairs and German language and culture into conversation with the topics of gender and sexuality.
Immigration and Asylum Law with Professor Elliott Young
We not only learned about the history that has contextualized the current immigration and asylum legislation, but we also learned about real asylum cases and worked to write expert witness statements about those cases throughout the semester.
Feminist Theory with Associate Professor Kim Brodkin or Decolonizing Anthropology with Associate Professor Oren Kosansky
Feminist Theory was amazing because it is the gender studies minor capstone course, so we were able to have really exciting and thought-provoking discussions. Decolonizing Anthropology’s teachings have stuck with me and have often made me take a step back to view things from a decolonial lens.
Art and Ecology with Associate Professor Cara Tomlinson
As an artist, I often find myself feeling guilty when creating art that utilizes chemical dyes or processes. This class allowed me to explore how to sustainably go about dyeing clothes, making pigments, and so much more in a way that centered what the land/waste provides for us.
Political Economy of Black Labor with Assistant Professor Kim Cameron-Dominguez
Kim is a fantastic professor whose classes I would recommend to anyone. This class was simultaneously my favorite and the most challenging class I have ever taken. Kim really pushes her students to think critically about topics in a new way. Although this was intimidating, it ultimately led to a very gratifying experience.
Biology, Core Concepts: Mechanisms with Professor Tamily Weissman-Unni
It was one of the first classes I’d been in where we were having conversations about diversity and discrimination in the STEM fields. It was really great to have an enthusiastic professor who cared about the material and our understanding of it.
African American Literature with Associate Professor Kristin Fujie
Professor Fujie facilitates discussion in a purposeful and inclusive manner that encourages students to make connections between different texts and timelines. I often find myself connecting information I have learned in this class with my other courses.
Complement Your Education With One of These Majors Students from nearly every major across the arts, humanities, social sciences, and math/natural sciences have minored in gender studies. The most popular majors for our gender studies minors are biology , English , psychology , and sociology and anthropology . What Students Are Saying About Lewis & Clark I love that gender studies is an interdisciplinary program because you get to work with lots of professors from different departments. It gives you this fantastic opportunity to collaborate with people you otherwise may never have taken a class with. August van Nieuwenhuysen BA ’25 Biology | Gender Studies | Tustin, California More about August I have enjoyed having two minors in gender studies and Hispanic studies because these classes have helped inform what I want to study in my history major and how I want to engage with the different periods that I study. Molly Gibbons BA ’24 History | Gender Studies and Hispanic Studies | Missoula, Montana More about Molly I feel like my gender studies minor has broken my mind and rebuilt it in the most incredible way. It has provided me with new perspectives through which to view myself and the world around me, and has improved my skills in critical analysis and writing. Zoë Smith BA ’25 Psychology | Gender Studies | Elk Grove, California More about Zoë What Can You Do With a Minor in Gender Studies? Our alumni use their minor in gender studies in a variety of careers in nonprofit organizations, academia, and advocacy work. Many go on to pursue advanced degrees in anthropology, law, public health, and other disciplines. Dedicated Faculty Our expert professors are your expert mentors. You will learn directly from faculty (no graduate assistants here!) that are nationally recognized in their fields of study and who love to work with and learn from their students. Your professors will inspire you to be a thoughtful and passionate participant in a diverse world. Your small classes will support you as you explore new ideas, find your voice, and speak your truth. Meet the Professors Living in the third most creative city in America means that our students have access to a vibrant artistic community right at their doorstep. Associate Professor of Theatre and Department Chair Rebecca Lingafelter More about Rebecca I absolutely love how connected L&C students are—to each other, to our campus community, to their own communities, to their professors, to their fields of study, and to their personal passions and interests. Associate Professor of Hispanic Studies Magalí Rabasa More about Magalí The liberal arts take students (and professors) outside their academic comfort zones and encourage them to engage the world from a variety of disciplinary perspectives. Professor With Term of Classics and Chair of the Classics Program Gordon Kelly More about Gordon 52 nationalities represented in our undergraduate student body 4-5-6 Lewis & Clark’s 4-5-6 Commitment can help you make the most of your future. 29+38 Lewis & Clark offers 29 majors and 38 minors . 2,139 As of fall 2024, there are 2,139 degree-seeking students enrolled at Lewis & Clark College. 16% first-generation students at Lewis & Clark College Invest in Yourself A private liberal arts education is often more affordable than you think . Last year, Lewis & Clark distributed over $74 million in assistance from institutional, federal, state, and private sources. Additionally, we’re so confident that our first-year students will graduate in four years with their bachelor of arts degree that if you don’t, we’ll cover the extra semester of tuition . Find Your People Students can join a variety of student-run organizations that relate to their gender studies minor, like the Feminist Student Union , Gender Studies Symposium , and Queer Student Union. Many of our minors also work with the Office of Health Promotion and Wellness as peer sexual health educators. Don’t see what you’re looking for on the club list ? Start something new and build your own community of peers! Where Lewis & Clark Will Take You L&C encouraged my natural sense of curiosity, developed my research abilities, and pushed me in my writing: all skills I’ve found essential in my current role. My supervisor has told me that they can clearly see the benefits of my liberal arts education in the way I think about things. Ashleen Smith BA ’23 English | Classics | Madras, Oregon More about Ashleen The most important thing I learned while at L&C was how to communicate my ideas and questions most articulately. By that I mean not only how to write clearly, but also how to speak in class and engage with my peers. Smith “S.” Yarberry BA ’16 English More about Smith “S.” Featured News Rabasa Honored Again: Continuing the Legacy of Inclusion and Advocacy Magalí Rabasa Honored with 2026 Kristi Williams Staff & Faculty Award For the second time in four years, Associate Professor of Hispanic Studies Magalí Rabasa has been recognized for her unwavering commitment to student advocacy and social justice. Read the story More News and Events → Melanie Kohnen Associate Professor of Rhetoric & Media Studies mkohnen@lclark.edu 503-768-7614 Like us on Facebook Instagram Admissions Academics Financial Aid Alumni
