Requirements for Major and Minor in
Women's and Gender Studies

MAJOR

A major in Women's and Gender Studies consists of at least 30 credits in Women's and Gender Studies courses (core, co-listed, and cross-listed) with a grade of C- or better in each course, with a cumulative GPA of at least 2.0 in WGS courses. These credits must include at least 18 at the 300 level or above. All majors must complete WGS 201: Introduction to Women's and Gender Studies, WGS 301: Feminist Inquiries, and at least two other WGS core courses.

All majors must complete WGS 501: Senior Research Project, which will take the form of an individual research project with a faculty member of the student's choice; the student is responsible for finding an appropriate faculty member who is available to supervise the project and then must seek formal approval from the program director before proceeding with the project. The student must produce a substantial written report or research paper, the format of which will vary according to the nature of the project.

Women's and Gender Studies majors with a cumulative GPA of at least 3.5 in WGS courses and an overall GPA of at least 3.0 may earn departmental honors by completing WGS 505: Honors Thesis instead of the senior research project. Candidates for departmental honors are responsible for finding a faculty member who is willing to serve as thesis adviser and then must complete a thesis proposal of approximately 400 words which must be approved by the thesis adviser and then the program director. The format and length of the thesis will vary according to the nature of the project. Most students writing an honors thesis as part of their WGS major will take WGS 505 twice (for a total of 6 credits).

Minor in LGBTQ Studies
(Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer)

Spring 2012 - New Minor

View more information about this minor

Minor in Women's and Gender Studies

A minor in Women's and Gender Studies consists of at least 15 credits in Women's and Gender Studies courses (core, co-listed, and cross-listed) with a grade of C- or better in each course, with a cumulative GPA of at least 2.0 in WGS courses. These credits must include at least 9 at the 300 level or above. All minors must complete WGS 201: Introduction to Women's and Gender Studies , WGS 301: Feminist Inquiries , and at least one other WGS core course.

CORE COURSES

WGS 201: INTRODUCTION TO WOMEN'S AND GENDER STUDIES

How are our lives shaped by gender? This course introduces students to the ways in which Women's and Gender Studies as an interdisciplinary field examines conceptions of masculinity and femininity; gender relations; gender inequalities; the intersections of gender with other categories of identity such as class, race, sexuality, and stages in the life cycle; and the broad impact of gender on society (including political, legal, economic, and religious arenas).

WGS 301: FEMINIST INQUIRIES

This course examines the history of feminist thought, central issues in contemporary feminist theory, the emergence of feminist methodologies across a range of disciplines, and the ways in which feminist inquiry transforms our understanding of key issues across the curriculum.

WGS 305: QUEER STUDIES

This course examines gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, transsexual, and queer identities as they shape daily lives and experiences; the construction of alternative family structures; queer theory and its implications for our understanding of key issues across a range of disciplines; and current debates over the meaning and validity of sexuality as a way of understanding human sexual desire, emotions, and behavior.

WGS 315: GENDER, RACE, AND CLASS

This course examines the ways in which our conceptions and experience of gender, race, and class intersect in historical and contemporary cultures; it considers the impact of these intersections on individuals and society as a whole.

WGS 320: COMPARATIVE PERSPECTIVES ON GENDER AND SEXUALITY

A comparative study of gender identities, gender relations, and sexualities in different cultures and societies.

WGS 350: SPECIAL TOPICS IN WOMEN'S AND GENDER STUDIES

WGS 405: GENDER AND SEXUALITY IN CULTURAL CONTEXT

This course focuses on a particular cultural context to examine the ways in which cultural values shape our understanding and experience of gender and sexuality; how those values are produced and policed; and the impact of codes of conduct for gender relations on individuals and society as a whole.

WGS 410: GENDER, SEX, AND THE LAW

This course examines the impact of legal institutions and laws in shaping and regulating gender relations and sexual practices (including issues such as marriage, employment, reproduction, and political rights); the evolving relationship between legal codes and social values; and differences in the experiences of women and men as offenders, victims of crime, witnesses, and professionals within the justice system.

WGS 420: INTERPRETING BODIES

This course examines perceptions, representations, and regulation of the physical body as a gendered and sexual site, as a source of pleasure, as a means of social validation, and as an object of coercion.

WGS 450: SPECIAL TOPICS IN WOMEN'S AND GENDER STUDIES

WGS 499: INDEPENDENT STUDY

WGS 501: SENIOR RESEARCH PROJECT

All majors must complete an individual research project with a faculty member of the student's choice; the student is responsible for finding an appropriate faculty member who is available to supervise the project and then must seek formal approval from the program director before proceeding with the project . The student must produce a substantial written report or research paper, the format of which will vary according to the nature of the project.

WGS 505: SENIOR THESIS

Women's and Gender Studies majors with a cumulative GPA of at least 3.5 in WGS courses and an overall GPA of at least 3.0 may earn departmental honors by completing an honors thesis instead of the senior research project. Candidates for departmental honors are responsible for finding a faculty member who is willing to serve as thesis adviser and then must complete a thesis proposal of approximately 400 words which must be approved by the thesis adviser and then the program director. The format and length of the thesis will vary according to the nature of the project. Most students writing an honors thesis as part of their WGS major will take WGS 505 twice (for a total of 6 credits).