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Women’s, Gender & Sexuality Studies Major

Julie Winterich, Assistant Professor of Sociology & Anthropology, Coordinator
Lisa J. McLeod, Associate Professor of Philosophy

The Women’s, Gender and Sexuality Studies (WGSS) program is an interdisciplinary major that examines gender as a socially created identity and a system of inequality. Throughout the program’s courses, students analyze how gender intersects with sexuality, class, race, ethnicity, religion, disability and other categories of culturally created differences to understand how these intersections result in a range of experiences and meanings for people’s daily lives. The theories and methods in the program cross a variety of disciplines, but analyzing the complexities of systems of power and oppression in people’s daily lives is central to the major.

The program requires eight courses that focus on women’s lives, women of color, and gender and sexuality concepts and theories. Students can choose from a wide selection of courses across the curriculum to fulfill the major’s requirements. This dynamic curriculum allows students flexibility in choosing courses that most interest them while at the same time providing a solid training in gender theories and concepts. WGSS encourages experiential learning, internship opportunities, independent studies, and study abroad.

Degrees Offered

The Bachelor of Arts degree is offered in Women’s, Gender and Sexuality Studies.

Major Requirements

The Women’s, Gender and Sexuality Studies major is an interdisciplinary major that requires a second disciplinary major and an advisor in each.

Among the courses identified below, students are required to complete 8 credits at the 200 level, 8 credits at the 300 level, and 8 credits at the 400 level, one must be identified as IDS 400, to serve as a program capstone. Further, students must complete at least 3 courses (12 credits) focused on women of color in the U.S. or internationally (designated by the suffix (WoC).

Because the WGSS major is an interdisciplinary major, courses must be selected from at least two departments, with some courses in both the humanities and the social sciences. Other integrative experiences, internships, independent study or thesis, are encouraged.

Specific Course Requirements

Students must take a minimum of 32 credit hours (eight courses) in Women’s, Gender and Sexuality Studies in the following pattern:

  • Two introductory courses from: 8 credits
    • ENGL 151 Black Women’s History and Literature (WoC)
    • HIST 223 Gender and Power in U.S. History
    • PHIL 232 Philosophy and Gender
    • REL 222 Feminist Theologies
    • WGSS 110 Introduction to Women’s, Gender & Sexuality Studies (WoC)
  • Two courses focusing on the lives and experiences of women in different contexts from: 8 credits
    • ENGL 331 Black Women Writers (WoC)
    • FREN 311 The Francophone World (WoC)
    • HIST 268 History of Chinese Women (WoC)
    • HIST 343 Women in Modern Africa (WoC)
    • IDS 411 Gender & Development in Africa (WoC)
    • IDS 415 Understanding Eating Disorders
    • IDS 482 Ecofeminism and Environmental Justice (WoC)
    • JAPN 220 Women in Modern Japan (WoC)
    • PSY 351 Psychology and Gender
    • REL 317 Women in Tibetan Buddhism (WoC)
    • SOAN 330 Inequality in Latin America (WoC)
    • SOAN 432 Women of Color in the U.S. (WoC)
  • Two courses focused on gender theory and analysis from: 8 credits
    • ENGL 331 Black Women Writers
    • ENGL 400 Arab Women Writers (WoC)
    • IDS 415 Understanding Eating Disorders
    • IDS 418 Science, Sex and Nature
    • IDS 421 Border Crossings (WoC)
    • IDS 481 Notions of Beauty
    • IDS 482 Ecofeminism and Environmental Justice (WoC)
    • IDS 485 Arab and Islamic Feminisms (WoC)
    • PHIL 232 Philosophy and Gender
    • PHIL 336 Social and Political Philosophy
    • PSCI 305 Politics of Gender (WoC)
    • PSY 351 Psychology and Gender
    • REL 341 Liberation Theologies (WoC)
    • SOAN 267 Race and Gender in Media Focus (WoC)
    • SOAN 313 Sociology of Sex and Gender
    • SOAN 323 Gender, Health and Illness
    • SOAN 416 Gender and Sociology of the Body
    • THEA 262 Gay and Lesbian Cinema
  • Two courses focused on sexuality from: 8 credits
    • IDS 409 Gay, Lesbian and Queer Studies
    • IDS 418 Science, Sex and Nature
    • IDS 455 Human Sexuality
    • JAPN 220 Women in Modern Japan (WoC)
    • PHIL 231 Philosophy and Sexuality
    • PHIL 232 Philosophy and Gender
    • SOAN 234 Culture and Sexuality in Africa (WoC)
    • SOAN 313 Sociology of Sex and Gender
    • THEA 262 Gay and Lesbian Cinema

Total credit hours required for A.B. degree in Women’s, Gender and Sexuality Studies – 32 credits

First-year students should take ENGL 151 Black Women’s History and Literature, HIST 223, PHIL 232, REL 222 or WGSS 110 to begin the major.

Senior students should take a gender-related IDS 400 from the list above, as a capstone for the major.

Note: At any level, an internship or independent study may serve the function of one of the above courses. However, a student may count no more than two internships or two independent studies toward the major, and no more than two internships and independent studies combined. Approval from the program chair or one of the co-chairs shall be required for an internship or independent study to count for the major.