History & Mission
The Women's and Gender Studies Department has a proud history and a prominent place on the Eastern Michigan University campus. Initiated in 1975, the department has grown from its roots offering the first minor in Women's Studies in the State of Michigan, to a well-respected and vibrant department boasting an undergraduate major and minor, and the state's only stand- alone Master of Arts in Women's and Gender Studies. In 2003, the Women's Studies Program added "Gender" to its name, and launched a minor in Queer Studies in 2013.
Our programs attract students - regionally, nationally, and internationally - who choose to study here because of our excellent faculty, small class sizes, and the opportunity for research and community involvement through course work and faculty mentoring, graduate assistantships, and student organizations. Curricula are flexible, so students can tailor their programs of study to individual career goals.
Although the Women's and Gender Studies department is housed in the College of Arts and Sciences, it is a model of interdisciplinary collaboration on the EMU campus, with over 25 Department Members from each of the five colleges - Arts and Sciences, Business, Education, Health and Human Services, and Technology - and the University Library.
Our student body is diverse in terms of age, gender and gender identity, race and ethnicity, country of origin, and socioeconomic status. We welcome you to explore these pages, and to apply to our undergraduate or graduate programs.
We also encourage our alumni and retired faculty to stay in touch with us. Like us on Facebook and follow us on Instagram.
The Women's and Gender Studies Department is part of the College of Arts & Sciences, located at 214 Pray-Harrold.