The Women and Gender in Global Perspectives Program is an academic unit within International Programs and Studies (IPS) at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign that offers a graduate minor in Gender Relations in International Development (GRID). The GRID interdisciplinary minor is designed to give students the analytical and empirical skills needed to address global human security and gender equity issues in research and policy analysis, as well as daily life. In this age of global economic transformation, it is especially necessary for researchers and practitioners to examine who gains and who loses from new policies, to assess the disparities in the impacts of reforms on women, men, and children, and to study the successful strategies and policies that appear.
Admission to GRID Program
All graduate students at or entering the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign are eligible to sign up for the GRID interdisciplinary minor. Simply fill out the one-page admissions form and submit either by mail or in person to the WGGP Program.
Course Requirements for the GRID Interdisciplinary Minor
Core Seminar on Gender Relations in International Development WGGP 581 (cross listed as SocW 581/GWS 512 with the School of Social Work and Gender and Women’s Studies; offered annually in the spring semester).
Two courses from the approved GRID core electives. Additional related courses on women, gender, and development are offered by the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
Advising for the GRID minor is done by the Director of WGGP. The WGGP office monitors the GRID admission process and fulfillment of GRID minor requirements while the student's departmental academic advisor continues to advise and monitor for the satisfaction of their department's requirements.
A complete list of elective courses is available on the courses page (click here).
Resources
Faculty: The program draws upon an internationally recognized faculty representing a wide range of disciplines and cultural backgrounds.
Library Resources: The Women and Gender Resources Library is a major resource for international research on women. The library’s professional staff provides professional reference assistance and has the capability to generate computerized annotated bibliographies upon request.
GRID Students: The program facilitates contact with current and former GRID students who constitute a network of support and expertise.
The Women and Gender in Global Perspectives Program newsletter, Perspectives: Research Notes and News, is available online or in print by contacting the WGGP Program.