College of Arts and Sciences

Department of Race, Religion, Gender, and Multidisciplinary Studies

Welcome to the Department of Race, Religion, Gender, and Multidisciplinary Studies, formerly the Department of Liberal Arts and Sciences. The department offers two different undergraduate majors: the new African American Studies (AAS) option, and a Paired Minors option that allows students to combine two minors from the College of Arts and Sciences to create a multidisciplinary major. Also offering minors in Religious Studies, Women’s Studies, Cannabis and Culture, and AAS, the department prepares students for the complexity and diversity they will encounter in their careers and communities throughout their lives.

Please contact coordinator Dr. Betsy Perabo, BC-Perabo@wiu.edu, or advisor Ellen Poulter, E-Poulter@wiu.edu, if you have questions about the department's programs.

Why Get a Degree in Liberal Arts & Sciences?

A degree in the Liberal Arts and Sciences is an interdisciplinary degree emphasizing comparative critical thinking, communication, and the creative application of a broad range of methodologies and applied skills. Students choosing this option truly embody the spirit of a liberal arts education. A grounding in the liberal arts and sciences, combined with the development of skills and knowledge for a lifetime of learning, empowers individuals and prepares them to deal with complexity, diversity, and change. The curriculum provides students with a broad knowledge of the wider world, so crucial in our global society, and provides opportunities for in-depth study in specific areas of interest.