Students interested in diversifying their liberal arts degree can look forward to something new starting this fall semester – a Women’s and Gender Studies minor.

The idea for a minor started with CMU’s Association of Feminists.

“It is a really big deal for CMU,” Chani Capps, the club’s president, said. “It lends academic legitimacy to feminism. Most major universities started having programs like this in the ‘70s and ‘80s because it did just that.”

The minor incorporates coursework in several different departments, including history, literature, psychology and sociology.

Sociology professor Dr. Brenda Wilhelm is the faculty advisor for the Women’s and Gender Studies minor. According to Wilhelm and history professor Dr. Erika Jackson, the program had campus-wide support.

“The process was one of careful planning and execution,” Jackson said. “It was important to us that the program was interdisciplinary in its conception and as the process went forward, we were delighted to find that so many existing courses on campus already dealt with issues regarding the study of women and gender.”

“There really wasn’t [anyone opposed],” Wilhelm said. “It was a very smooth process. Everyone was supportive.”

Although, according to Wilhelm, a Women’s and Gender Studies minor is “good for someone in almost every major,” it is most beneficial for those pursuing a liberal arts degree.

“[It] emphasizes the ability to learn how to think independently, expand your horizons, and discover new perspectives,” Jackson said.

There are two required courses for the minor, English 330 (Women in World Thought and Literature) and Sociology 340 (Sex and Gender). The rest of the requirements include nine elective credits, six of which must be History and Psychology upper division courses. From there, students can choose three courses from a list of seven.

In order for students to qualify for graduation with a minor in Women’s and Gender Studies, Intent to Graduate forms must be turned in by September 15 if they plan to graduate in the Spring or by February 15 if they plan to graduate in the Fall of 2014.