Share

Major

Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies offers a range of interdisciplinary courses. The major is administered by the Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies Faculty Steering Committee. Students design their major plans in consultation with the co-chairs, Annelise Orleck and Melissa Zeiger. Students interested in becoming majors should consult the co-chairs well in advance of their intended declaration of a major.

(10 COURSES)

MAJOR REQUIREMENTS FOR THE CLASS OF 2025 & EARLIER

Prerequisite

  • Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies 10: Sex, Gender, and Society

Requirements (9 additional courses)

  1. Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies 15: Roots of Feminism
  2. Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies 16: Contemporary Issues in Feminism
  3. Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies 80: (Senior Seminar)
  4. Six additional Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies Courses
  5. Concentration. In consultation with an adviser and the Chair, each student will include within the list of required courses an area of concentration consisting of at least three related courses. Some examples of possible areas of concentrations are Gender in Literature; Women in the Global South; Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Studies; Women's History; or Sex and Gender in Science.
  6. Diversity. Each student's major plan must include at least two courses that are clearly outside the area of concentration to provide diversity to the major.

Requirement 3 constitutes the culminating experience in the major.

(10 courses)

MAJOR REQUIREMENTS FOR THE CLASS OF 2026 & AFTER

2 GATEWAY COURSES

  • WGSS 1 Intersections
  • WGSS 2 Introduction to Queer Studies
  • WGSS 3 Global Race x Global Migration
  • WGSS 4 Introduction to Disability Studies

2 METHODS/FIELDS COURSES

Choose from the following options:

  • WGSS 12 Feminist/Queer Theories and Methods
  • WGSS 41.06 Transnational Feminism
  • WGSS 65.06 Radical Sexuality
  • WGSS 66 Introduction to Black Feminist Thought

2 ELECTIVES

Electives can be selected from any WGSS offering. 

1 CULMINATING EXPERIENCE

  • WGSS 80 Seminar in WGSS

3 CONCENTRATION COURSES

Possible areas of concentraion include:

  • Race and Intersectionality
  • Queer and Trans Studies
  • Transnational and Decolonial Feminisms
  • Women's and Feminist Histories, Movements, and Practices
  • Gender, Society, and Culture

If you wish to Major:

Schedule an appointment with the Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies Co-Chairs, Annelise Orleck and Melissa Zeiger.

Note: WGSS 07 (First-Year Seminars) cannot be counted towards a WGSS Major or Minor. Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies 98 and 99 (Honors Thesis) carry two credits toward degree requirements but count as only one credit toward major requirements.