Major in Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies (WGSS)

Major Requirements (Bachelor of Arts)

The major in Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies (WGSS) requires a total of ten WGSS-designated courses (40 credits):

  • One introductory course:
    • WGSS 200 - Introduction to Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies
  • Two courses in Theoretical Inquiries, such as:
    • WGSS 381A - Latin American Sexualities - (Soc 380J, LACS 380C)
    • WGSS 381B - Feminst Theories - (PLSC 387F, HDEV 380P, PPL 380G)
    • WGSS 481A - Feminist & Diaporic Perf. Art - (AAAS 480,COLI 480P, AFST 480S, LACS 484A, PHIL 480B)
    • WGSS 481C - Queer Crit Legal Theory & Law - (PPL 487D, HMRT 488)
    • WGSS 481E - Trans-National Journeys: Dreams - (AFST 480N, COLI 483B, AAAS 480R, PHIL 480N)
  • Two courses in Social Justice, Social Movements, such as:
    • WGSS 282A - LGBTQ History - (HDEV 282A, HMRT 288Y)
    • WGSS 282C - Feminism & Translation - (LING 280H, TRIP 280B)
    • WGSS  382B - Sexualities In Society - (HDEV 357)
    • WGSS  382C - Lit. of N. Africa & M. East - (COLI 483E, ARAB 380E, AFST 462)
    • WGSS 482A - Social Justice - (LACS 480B, HDEV 400, HMRT 483X, SOC 480H)
  • Three courses in Critical Humanities and/or Critical Social Sciences, such as:
    • Critical Humanities
      • WGSS 283A - Queerness & Gender Film Culture - (ANTH 281G, GERM 281D, COLI 281K, CINE 285C)
      • WGSS 383B - Transnationalism & Film - (ENG 300A, COLI 331D, AAAS 380D, CINE 380G)
      • WGSS 383C - Indigenous Feminisms - (ENG 380D)
      • WGSS 383G - Women in Film: World Cultures - (THEA 389D)
  • Critical Social Sciences

    • WGSS 384B - Prisoner Writings & Activism - (LACS 380F, SOC 380K, AFST 380R, ENG 380Q, HMRT 389J, PPL 380F, HDEV 380K)

    • WGSS 384C - US War on Drugs & Latin America - (AFST 380C, LACS 380N, SOC 380I, HDEV 380I, PPL 380M)
    • WGSS 384E - Whiteness - (AFST 380H, SOC 380T)
    • WGSS 384I - Language & Gender - (TRIP 380L, LING 380V, ANTH 380X)
    • WGSS 484D - Sexuality Studies Seminar - (ANTH 514, ANTH 463)
  • Two General Topics courses, such as:

    • WGSS 380C - Sex and Law in the Modern U.S. - (HIST 380D, PPL 380B, HMRT 380F)

    • WGSS 380D - Race & Gender in Am Lit - (ENG 300I)

    • WGSS 380F - Sexual Trafficking, Sexual Trsm - (LACS 380D, SOC 342)

    • WGSS 380G  - Women in Ancient Theater - (THEA 389F, AMS 310)

    • WGSS 480A  - Feminist Cultural Stud Biomed - (GPH 480A)

    • WGSS 480G  - Gender and Violence in Africa - (PLSC 485X, PAFF 582, GMAP 518B, SOC 480J, GMAP 481E)

    • WGSS 480H - Gender and Masculinity - (SOC 480M)

The above courses must also meet the following requirements:

  • At least six courses (24 credits) must be at the 300 level or higher
  • At least three courses (12 credits) must be cross-listed, each with a different department
  • At least five courses (20 credits) must be taken at °®¶¹´«Ã½, including at least three courses (12 credits) at the 300 level or above, and at least one advanced course (4 credits) at the 400 level (e.g., a seminar, internship, or independent study course)
  • Students must receive a grade of "C" or higher for a course to be counted toward the major (courses taken Pass/Fail do not count)

Note: Some non-WGSS courses may be used to meet the above requirements if approved by the WGSS Committee or Program Director. Students should take 200-level courses before enrolling in more advanced 300- and 400-level courses.

For more information visit the or contact WGSS director, Dara Silberstein.