Women, Gender and Sexuality Studies
Jane Geaney, Coordinator (Religion)
The women, gender and sexuality studies program is grounded in a) the analysis of gender and sexuality as historically emergent concepts and regions of human experience; b) the histories of political and social movements focused on the concerns, needs, and perspectives of women and sexualities minorities; and c) the theoretical and methodological frameworks of feminist analysis across the disciplines. Working in close consultation with an advisor, students may engage in a wide range of coursework emphasizing their specific areas of interest within the interdisciplinary field.
The Women, Gender and Sexuality Studies Major
Note: The grade point average of the coursework comprising the major must be no less than 2.00 with no course grade below C (2.0).
- WGSS 200 Introduction to Women, Gender & Sexuality Studies
- WGSS 489 Research Methods and Capstone Preparation
- WGSS 490 Senior Capstone Experience
- Seven additional units in WGSS or cross-listed courses. At least four of the seven courses must be above the 200 level, and no more than .5 unit of internship credit may be counted toward the major.
Students must develop their major course of study plan in consultation with their advisor/WGSS coordinator. Plans must be submitted in writing and kept on file. The procedure for submitting a plan can be found on the WGSS Web site.
Students are expected to fulfill all prerequisites necessary for courses within the major. Prerequisites do not count toward the major unless otherwise noted.
- Combined major in women, gender and sexuality studies and English literature
The Women, Gender and Sexuality Studies Minor
Note: The grade point average of the coursework comprising the minor must be no less than 2.00 with no course grade below C (2.0).
- WGSS 200 Introduction to Women, Gender & Sexuality Studies
- Four additional units in WGSS core or cross-listed from at least two different departments, including no more than .5 units of internship credit.
Students are expected to fulfill all prerequisites necessary for courses within the minor. Prerequisites do not count toward the minor unless otherwise noted.
Courses for Women, Gender and Sexuality Studies Credit
See the departmental listings for descriptions of the following courses offered for women, gender, and sexuality studies credit. Courses marked with an asterisk (*) may or may not carry women, gender, and sexuality studies credit in any given semester. Check with the instructor and the women, gender, and sexuality studies coordinator before enrolling in any course on this list. A comprehensive listing of courses is published each semester on the WGSS Web site and should be taken as the final arbiter for women, gender and sexuality studies credit.
- ANTH 300 Sexuality and Gender Across Cultures
- ANTH 379 Women in the Middle East
- ANTH 379 Peoples and Cultures of the Middle East
- ART 324 Contemporary Art and Architecture: Gender, Ethnicity, and Beyond
- BIOL 370 Women in Science
- CLSC 210 History of Early Medicine
- CLSC 304 The Feminine in Greco-Roman Literature
- CLSC 308 Women in Greece and Rome
- ECON 232 The Economics of Gender
- ENGL 203 Children's Literature
- ENGL 206 Selections in American Literature: Cult Reflections*
- ENGL 206 Natural Reflections in Fiction and Nonfiction
- ENGL 224 Great Novels: Deceit, Desire and the Novel*
- ENGL 225 Selected Fiction by Women
- ENGL 226 Love and War in Medieval Literature
- ENGL 230 Women in Modern Literature
- ENGL 335 Black Women Writers
- ENGL 358 African-American Women Writers
- ENGL 369 American Culture/American Film
- ENGL 389 Women and Creativity
- FREN 451 From Romanticism to Decadence
- FREN 497 ST: French Women Writers*
- GERM 471 Sexuality and German Society
- GERM 472 Multiculturalism, Identity, and Authorship in German Context (WGSS 379 when taught in English)
- HIST 100 Abigail Adams and Her Times *
- HIST 224 European Women and Gender before Suffrage
- HIST 280 Modern Africa
- HIST 299 Women and Gender in Africa
- HIST 300 Early American Women
- HIST 304 African-American Women's History
- HIST 321 History of Work in Europe
- HIST 380 Women and Gender in African History
- LAIS 475 Women and Writing in Latin America
- LAWE 740 Sexual Orientation and the Law (same as WGSS 379)
- LDST 305 Leadership in Community and Volunteer Organizations
- LDST 307 Leadership in International Contexts*
- LDST 386 Leadership in a Diverse Society
- LDST 390 Women's Movement
- LDST 390 Sex, Power, and Politics
- PHIL 221 Feminist Political Theories (same as WGSS 221)
- PHIL 358 Topics in Feminist Philosophy
- PHIL 363 Power and Politics
- PLSC 361 Politics of Social Welfare*
- PLSC 379 Women and Politics*
- PLSC 379 Power and Politics*
- PSYC 299 Diversity
- PSYC 449 Advanced Seminar: Psychology of Gender*
- PSYC 449 Advanced Seminar: Gender and Relationships
- RELG 244 Women in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam
- RELG 253 Body/Sex in World Religious Literature
- RELG 255 Queers in Religion
- RELG 262 Sacred Arts of Native America
- RELG 360 Goddess Traditions Ancient and Modern
- RELG 373 Witchcraft and its Interpretations
- RELG 374 Religion and the American Environment
- RELG 375 Cults, Communes, and Utopias of Early America
- RELG 394 ST: Women, Gender, Sexuality and World Religions*
- RHCS 295 Topics in Rhetoric: Doing History and Theory*
- RHCS 340 Culture and Communication
- RHCS 363 Rhetoric and Culture*
- RHCS 412 Politics of Rhetoric and Diversity
- RHCS 413 Rhetoric and Democracy
- SOC 303 Sociology of Families
- SOC 318 Social Stratification*
- SOC 319 Social Constructions of Gender and Sexuality
- SOC 379 Race, Class and Gender*
- SOC 379 Gender and Work
- THTR 370 Staging Gender
In addition, the courses listed below may be taken for WGSS credit if the student contracts with the professor to focus the independent work on gender or sexuality.
- ART 324 Artists Looking at Artists: Anxiety, Influence, and Inspiration
- ENGL 301 Literature of the Middle Ages
- ENGL 303 Chaucer
- ENGL 333 Literatures of South Asia
- ENGL 338 English Literature - Victorian Period
- ENGL 359 Contemporary American Literature
- LDST 205 Justice and Civil Society
- RELG 257 Native American Religions
- RHCS 295 Topics in Research: Ethnology
- THTR 119 Broadway Musical Theatre
- THTR 309 Theatre History I
- THTR 319 Theatre History II
Courses
WGSS 200 Introduction to Women, Gender & Sexuality Studies
WGSS 201 WILL Colloquium: Gender, Race and Activism
WGSS 221 Feminist Political Theories
WGSS 240 Sexual Violence and War
WGSS 250 Politics of the Body
WGSS 280 Women and Work
WGSS 301 WILL Senior Seminar
WGSS 302 Women and the Law
WGSS 303 Women in Television: Representations, Images and Stereotypes
WGSS 370 Sexual Orientation and the Law
WGSS 379 Selected Topics
WGSS 388 Individual Internship
WGSS 398 Independent Study
WGSS 399 Topics in Advanced Feminist Theory
WGSS 489 Research Methods and Capstone Preparation
WGSS 490 Senior Capstone Experience
