Women's, Gender & Sexuality Studies is an interdisciplinary program providing students with the opportunity to enrich their academic experience by examining the impact of gender and sexuality as organizing forces and cultural constructs in society. Students explore the meaning and application of such understanding to their own lives.
The program draws on new scholarship about women from different cultural and socioeconomic backgrounds to examine and analyze traditional models of thinking and to develop creative ways to explore the roles of women and their experiences. Theoretical and critical debates that have influenced modern gender and sexuality studies (including scholarship about queer identities, LGBTQIA+) are also an integral part of the curriculum. Students select courses cross-listed in Women’s, Gender & Sexuality Studies and other disciplines, including:
The 18-credit minor in Women's, Gender & Sexuality Studies also provides students with the opportunity to pursue independent study courses, with the approval of the program director, Kelly Marino, to complete the minor.
Having a minor in Women’s, Gender and Sexuality Studies (WGSS) has allowed me to take courses in various departments around campus to better understand and appreciate the complexities of gender and sexuality in our society. The skills I have learned through taking WGSS courses will benefit my career path in becoming a researcher and counselor!
Students in all majors with an interest in learning more about the subject matter can obtain a minor in Women's, Gender & Sexuality Studies. (Consider requirements, co-curricular activities, and career options below).
Throughout the academic year, we offer students the opportunity to interact with faculty through events such as informal meetings, special guest speaker lectures, panel discussions, round-table discussions, book discussions, research days and volunteering opportunities where the focus is on helping women and/or the LGBTQIA+ community.
There are a wide variety of options with a minor in Women’s, Gender & Sexuality Studies. It provides the background for students pursuing employment in both the public and private sectors, including nonprofits and NGOs, where women and girls make up most of the customer/client base or where gender, sexuality, and sensitivity to diversity are areas of concern. The minor can be used in careers such as social work, psychology, nursing, criminal justice, media, human resources, management, marketing and public relations.
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