San Diego State University

Dec 21, 2024

2021/2022 University Catalog

2021/2022 University Catalog [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer and Plus Studies

Undergraduate Information
Graduate Information

OFFICE: Arts and Letters 317
TELEPHONE: 619-594-6924

Faculty

Faculty assigned to teach lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and plus studies courses are drawn from the colleges at San Diego State University. The program is housed in the College of Arts and Letters.

Program Director and Undergraduate Adviser: Marie E. Draz, Assistant Professor of Philosophy (B.A., Southwestern University; M.A., Ph.D., DePaul University)

Tenure and Tenure-Track Faculty:

Antwanisha V. Alameen-Shavers, Assistant Professor of Africana Studies (B.A., San Diego State University; M.A., The Ohio State University; Ph.D., Temple University)

Cristian R. Aquino-Sterling, Associate Dean, Diversity and International Affairs, College of Education; Associate Professor of Teacher Education (B.A., Fordham University; M.A. Columbia University; Ph.D. Arizona State University)

Godfried Asante, Assistant Professor of Communication (B.A., University of Minnesota, Morris; M.A. Minnesota State University, Mankato; Ph.D., University of New Mexico)

Pablo E. Ben, Associate Professor of History (Lic., Universidad de Buenos Aires, Argentina; M.A., Ph.D., University of Chicago)

Aaron J. Blashill, Associate Professor of Psychology (B.S., Central Michigan University; M.S., Ph.D., Saint Louis University)

Michael K. Borgstrom, Associate Professor of English (B.A., Santa Clara University; M.A., San Jose State University; Ph.D., University of California, Davis)

Jerel P. Calzo, Associate Professor of Public Health (B.A., University of California, Los Angeles; M.A., Ph.D. University of Michigan)

Monica J. Casper, Dean, College of Arts and Letters, Professor of Sociology (B.A., University of Chicago; Ph.D., University of California, San Francisco)

Barry Y. Chung, Dean, College of Education; Professor of Counseling and School Psychology (B.A., National Taiwan Normal University, Taiwan; Ph.D., University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign)

David P. Cline, Associate Professor of History (B.A., Macalester College; M.A., University of Massachusetts; Ph.D., University of North Carolina)

Catherine E. Clune-Taylor, Assistant Professor of Women’s Studies (B.A., M.A., University of Western Ontario, Canada; Ph.D., University of Alberta Canada)

Roddrick A. Colvin, Associate Professor of Public Affairs (B.A., Indiana University, Bloomington; M.P.A., Seattle University; Ph.D., University at Albany, State University of New York)

Heather L. Corliss, Professor of Public Health (B.A., University of Wisconsin; M.P.H., Ph.D. University of California, Los Angeles)

Alberto Esquinca, Associate Professor of Dual Language and English Learner Education (B.A., University of Texas, El Paso; M.A., Ph.D., University of Southern California)

Charles E. Goehring, Assistant Professor of Communication (B.A., University of California, San Diego; M.A., San Diego State University; Ph.D., University of Iowa)

Victoria C. González-Rivera, Associate Professor of Chicana and Chicano Studies (B.A., Oberlin College; M.A., University of New Mexico; Ph.D., Indiana University)

Keith J. Horvath, Associate Professor of Psychology (B.S., M.S., Ph.D., University of Wyoming)

Yetta Howard, Associate Professor of English and Comparative Literature (B.A., Boston University; M.A., Mills College; Ph.D., University of Southern California)

Amira J. Jarmakani, Professor of Women’s Studies (B.A., Duke University; M.A., Ph.D., Emory University)

Anna J. Kim, Assistant Professor of Public Affairs (B.A., Claremont McKenna College; M.A., University of California, San Diego; Ph.D., University of California, Los Angeles)

Minjeong Kim, Associate Professor of Sociology (B.A., The Ohio State University; M.A., Ph.D., University at Albany, State University of New York)

Kurt J. Lindemann, Professor of Communication (B.S., M.A., Eastern Michigan University; M.S., Illinois State University; Ph.D., Arizona State University)

Arianne E. Miller, Assistant Professor of Counseling and School Psychology (A.B., Wellesley College; M.A., New York University; Ph.D., Adelphi University)

Khaleel Mohammed, Professor of Religious Studies (B.A., Universidad Interamericana, Saltillo, Mexico; M.A., Concordia University; Ph.D., McGill University)

Cheryl M. O’Brien, Assistant Professor of Political Science (B.A., University of Notre Dame; M.A., Ph.D., Purdue University)

Walter D. Penrose, Jr. Associate Professor of History (B.S., California State University, Long Beach; M.Phil., Ph.D., City University of New York)

Nathian S. Rodriguez, Assistant Professor of Journalism and Media Studies (B.A., University of Texas of the Permian Basin; M.A., Kent State University; Ph.D., Texas Tech University)

Ronnee D. Schreiber, Associate Dean, College of Arts and Letters; Professor of Political Science (B.A., University of Pennsylvania; M.A., George Washington University; Ph.D., Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey)

Lianne Urada, Assistant Professor of Social Work (B.A., M.A., Ph.D., University of California, Los Angeles)

Allison A. Vaughn, Associate Professor of Psychology (B.A., California State Polytechnic University; M.A., San Diego State University; Ph.D., University of Utah)

Jess Whatcott, Assistant Professor of Women’s Studies (B.A., M.A., Humboldt State University; M.A., Ph.D., University of California, Santa Cruz)

Additional Faculty:
Matthew S. Kuefler, Professor of History (B.A., University of Alberta, Canada; M.A., Ph.D., Yale University)

Emeritus Faculty:
Edith Benkov, Ph.D., Professor of European Studies
Susan E. Cayleff, Ph.D., 1987-2020, Professor of Women’s Studies
William Eadie, Ph.D., Professor of Journalism and Media Studies
Patricia Geist-Martin, Ph.D., Professor of Communication
Huma Ahmed Ghosh, Ph.D., 1994-2020, Professor of Women’s Studies
Doreen Mattingly, Ph.D. 1995-2020, Professor of Women’s Studies
Esther D. Rothblum, Ph.D., Professor of Women’s Studies

Committee: Alameen-Shavers (Africana Studies), Aquino-Sterling (Teacher Education), Ben (History), Blashill (Psychology), Borgstrom (English), Calzo (Public Health), Casper (Sociology), Chung (Counseling & School Psychology), Cline (History), Clune-Taylor (Women’s Studies), Colvin (Public A airs), Corliss (Public Health), Draz (Philosophy), Esquinza (Education), Goehring (Communication), González-Rivera (Chicana and Chicano Studies), Horvath (Psychology), Howard (English and Comparative Literature), Jarmakani (Women’s Studies), Kim (Public Affairs), Kim (Sociology), Kueffler (History), Lindemann (Communication), Miller (Counseling and School Psychology), Mohammed (Religious Studies), O’Brien (Political Science), Penrose (History), Rodriguez (Journalism and Media Studies), Schreiber (Political Science), Urada (Social Work), Vaughn (Psychology), Whatcott (Women’s Studies)

Undergraduate Information

The Major

The interdisciplinary major in lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and plus (LGBTQ+) studies advances knowledge in sexual and gender identity, and increases understanding of the diverse cultural, historical, ethnic/racial, and contemporary experiences of people across sexualities. The focus is on the changing nature of same-sex desire, sexual behavior, and same-sex relationships from antiquity to the present. Courses focus on emerging LGBTQ+ subcultures and identities from a global perspective. From there, courses address scientific and psychological explanations of LGBTQ+ identities, LGBTQ+ literature, the institutions of law and government, education and the workplace, family, and healthcare. We will finish by looking at local and international LGBTQ+ movements, popular culture, and news media in the current day. Throughout the program of study, we will carefully consider the full range of genders, sexualities, races, ethnicities, classes, physical abilities, religions, and political persuasions that characterize current LGBTQ+ movements and communities.

Courses are designed to provide students with a comprehensive, integrated, and scholarly education. The major also exposes students to community service and activism via a large selection of internships, and to global sexuality issues via international experiences.

A degree in lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and plus (LGBTQ+) studies prepares students for a large variety of careers. Students majoring in lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and plus (LGBTQ+) studies can work in LGBTQ+ non-profit agencies, law, local and national politics, health care settings, counseling centers, journalism, news media, theatre, film, fine arts, and education. LGBTQ+ studies majors may go on to obtain graduate degrees, preparing for a career as an LGBTQ+ studies scholar. LGBTQ+ studies majors can also double-major to enhance their career opportunities.

Advising

Students are required to meet with the undergraduate adviser in order to declare the major. All students admitted to the university with a declared major in lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and plus (LGBTQ+) studies are urged to meet with the undergraduate adviser either prior to or during their first semester.

Impacted Program

The lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and plus (LGBTQ+) studies major is an impacted program. To be admitted to the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and plus (LGBTQ+) studies major, students must meet the following criteria:

Complete preparation for the major;
Complete a minimum of 60 transferable semester units;
Have a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.0.

To complete the major, students must fulfill the degree requirements for the major described in the catalog in effect at the time they are accepted into the premajor at SDSU (assuming continuous enrollment).

Major Academic Plans (MAPs)

Visit http://www.sdsu.edu/mymap for the recommended courses needed to fulfill your major requirements. The MAPs website was created to help students navigate the course requirements for their majors and to identify which General Education course will also fulfill a major preparation course requirement.

Graduate Information

General Information

San Diego State University is one of the few institutions in the United States to offer an undergraduate major, minor, and advanced certificate in lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and plus (LGBTQ+) studies.

LGBTQ+ studies is an interdisciplinary program, not affiliated with any one department. Courses offered include LGBTQ+ literature, history of sexuality, media and sexuality, psychology of human sexual behavior, sexuality in modern society, human diversity, and lesbian lives and cultures.