The Gender, Sexuality, and Women’s Studies Major is designed for students who desire a thorough understanding of the history, theories, actions and issues constituting the interdisciplinary field of Gender, Sexuality, and Women’s Studies. The major provides students with a knowledge of the history and evolution of feminist theory and practice. It imparts to students an understanding of the feminist debates that take place in a multitude of disciplines and the role that these play in broadening and restructuring other disciplines.
The program situates Gender, Sexuality and Women’s Studies within a cross-cultural context and enhances students’ awareness of issues affecting women in different cultural, religious, ethnic, economic, and class settings. Gender, Sexuality and Women’s Studies empowers students to participate in transforming repressive cultural and political practices and to use their knowledge to create a personal and communal agenda aimed at social change. Our major also works effectively with a second major without unnecessary duplication of courses, but with the added intellectual enhancements and skills that come from thinking about gender, race, culture, sexuality and globalization in relation to other disciplinary topics and methodologies.
Gender, Sexuality and Women’s Studies empowers students to participate in transforming repressive cultural and political practices and to use their knowledge to create a personal and communal agenda aimed at social change. The major prepares students for postgraduate education in Gender, Sexuality and Women’s Studies and for careers in fields related to social services, education, psychology, communications and the media, the arts, law, health professions and community action work.
Consider a Double Major in Gender, Sexuality and Women’s Studies and Psychology!
Students in the dual majors of Psychology and Gender, Sexuality, and Women’s Studies have a clear professional pathway where they are able to put into practice the psychological theories and research methods that naturally intersect with issues of gender and sexuality. Our faculty encourages students to work from intersectional, critical, queer, and/or feminist lenses to diversify the perspectives historically omitted or overlooked in psychological science. Students explore such timely social issues as intersectionality in psychology, power, masculinity, sex and sexuality, LGBTQ+ issues, prejudice, allyship and activism, human emotion, workplace outcomes, and health disparities. Our graduates are well positioned to pursue both academic and non-academic career tracks in the mental health field with expertise in gender and sexuality.
Best of all, you can complete both majors in four years! Check out the 4-Year Roadmap!