Gender, Women’s and Sexuality Studies

Gender, Women’s, and Sexuality Studies (GWST) is an interdisciplinary program offering diverse undergraduate and graduate coursework, a minor for undergraduates, support for faculty research and curricular development, and opportunities to collaborate with community and campus partners who are intrigued by how gender shapes the world. Faculty and courses from twelve departments across the university contribute to the program.

The minor is offered through the College of Arts and Sciences, but is open to all undergraduates regardless of major. In addition to two required courses in Gender and Women’s Studies (GWST 2113 Transnational Women's Studies (S) or GWST 2123 Introduction to Gender Studies (DH); GWST 4113 Feminist Theories or GWST 4503 Theorizing Men and Masculinities), students choose from GWST courses focusing on gender and women (6 hours), and from classes that complement gender and women’s studies (3 hours).

Students in Gender, Women’s and Sexuality Studies pursue research in the history of women, in theories of gender, in feminism, in the cultural construction of masculinity, and in the cross-cultural intersections of race, class, nationality and sexuality. Work in Gender, Women’s and Sexuality Studies can lead to and enrich a wide variety of careers, including nonprofit development, graduate training in humanities and the social sciences, education, curatorial administration, human resources, creative writing and reportage, international relations, publishing, public relations, and electoral politics and advocacy.