The gender and women’s studies major and certificate provide a unique background for students seeking to analyze gender and other vectors of inequality, both historically and in contemporary society, as reflected through texts, social practices, and social institutions in the U.S. and abroad. Our graduates have gone on to provide this kind of analysis in fields like health policy, immigration law, social work, reproductive justice, educational administration, employment policy, medicine, architectural design, and media production.
The curriculum reflects the interdisciplinary nature of gender and women's studies, offering to all students an opportunity to study gender and women in such areas as literature, history, anthropology, sociology, education, law, biology, psychology, philosophy, political science, economics, and the arts. Department courses have been designed to fulfill breadth requirements in the appropriate divisions.
The undergraduate major is a 30-credit program and the certificate is a 15-credit program. The interdisciplinary nature of gender and women's studies lends itself to working well with and complementing many other programs and plans across campus.
Application
To become a gender and women’s studies major, students must first complete GEN&WS 101 Gender, Women, and Cultural Representation, GEN&WS 102 Gender, Women, and Society in Global Perspective, OR GEN&WS 103 Women and Their Bodies in Health and Disease with a grade of B or better. Then they must declare their intention to complete the gender and women's studies major with the undergraduate advisor.
University General Education Requirements
All undergraduate students at the University of Wisconsin–Madison are required to fulfill a minimum set of common university general education requirements to ensure that every graduate acquires the essential core of an undergraduate education. This core establishes a foundation for living a productive life, being a citizen of the world, appreciating aesthetic values, and engaging in lifelong learning in a continually changing world. Various schools and colleges will have requirements in addition to the requirements listed below. Consult your advisor for assistance, as needed. For additional information, see the university Undergraduate General Education Requirements section of the Guide.
| General Education |
* The mortarboard symbol appears before the title of any course that fulfills one of the Communication Part A or Part B, Ethnic Studies, or Quantitative Reasoning Part A or Part B requirements. |
College of Letters & Science Breadth and Degree Requirements: Bachelor of Science (B.S.)
Students pursuing a bachelor of science degree in the College of Letters & Science must complete all of the requirements below. The College of Letters & Science allows this major to be paired with either a bachelor of arts or a bachelor of science curriculum. View a comparison of the degree requirements here.
Bachelor of Science DEGREE REQUIREMENTS
| Mathematics | Two (2) 3+ credits of intermediate/advanced level MATH, COMP SCI, STAT Limit one each: COMP SCI, STAT |
| Foreign Language | Complete the third unit of a foreign language Note: A unit is one year of high school work or one semester/term of college work. |
| L&S Breadth |
|
| Liberal Arts and Science Coursework | 108 credits |
| Depth of Intermediate/Advanced work | 60 intermediate or advanced credits |
| Major | Declare and complete at least one (1) major |
| Total Credits | 120 credits |
| UW-Madison Experience | 30 credits in residence, overall 30 credits in residence after the 90th credit |
| Minimum GPAs | 2.000 in all coursework at UW–Madison 2.000 in intermediate/advanced coursework at UW–Madison |
Non–L&S Students PURSUING AN L&S MAJOR
Non–L&S students who have permission from their school/college to pursue an additional major within L&S only need to fulfill the major requirements and do not need to complete the L&S breadth and degree requirements above. Please note that the following special degree programs are not considered majors so are not available to non-L&S-degree-seeking candidates:
- Applied Mathematics, Engineering and Physics (Bachelor of Science–Applied Mathematics, Engineering and Physics)
- Journalism (Bachelor of Arts–Journalism; Bachelor of Science–Journalism)
- Music (Bachelor of Music)
- Social Work (Bachelor of Social Work)
REQUIREMENTS FOR THE MAJOR
Majors in gender and women’s studies are required to take foundational work in gender and women's studies, courses reflecting each of four approaches to knowledge (humanities, social science, theory, and biological or health sciences), one course from three of four issue areas (sexuality, disability and embodiment, race/ethnicity, and global), and a capstone seminar or thesis.
All majors complete a minimum of 30 credits in GEN&WS including: 1
INTRODUCTORY GEN&WS
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| GEN&WS 101 | Gender, Women, and Cultural Representation (only one of these courses may count toward the major) | 3 |
| or GEN&WS 102 | Gender, Women, and Society in Global Perspective | |
| GEN&WS 103 | Women and Their Bodies in Health and Disease | 3 |
| Total Credits | 6 | |
APPROACHES 2
1 course from each area:
Biology and Health
Explore health as both a physiological and a socio‐cultural experience, and recognize ways in which gender and other axes of social inequality influence health. Develop critical tools to place the medical field, scientific research, and public health and policy organizations into social contexts, and recognize how these institutions both can reflect and perpetuate dominant ideologies. Learn about feminist approaches to, and histories of, science, medicine, and health activism.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| GEN&WS/HIST SCI/MED HIST 524 | The Medical History of Sex and Sexuality | 3 |
| GEN&WS 530 | Biology and Gender | 3 |
| GEN&WS/HIST SCI/MED HIST 531 | Women and Health in American History | 3 |
| GEN&WS/HIST SCI/MED HIST 532 | The History of the (American) Body | 3 |
| GEN&WS 533 | Special Topics in Women and Health | 3 |
| GEN&WS 534 | Gender, Sexuality, and Reproduction: Public Health Perspectives | 3 |
| GEN&WS/INTL ST 535 | Women's Global Health and Human Rights | 3 |
| GEN&WS 536 | Queering Sexuality Education | 3 |
| GEN&WS/HIST SCI 537 | Childbirth in the United States | 3 |
Humanities
Engage with humanities-based theories, content areas, and methodologies as they relate to gender and women's studies. These include, but are not limited to, critical text analysis, discourse analysis, historical approaches and archival work, media studies, ethnography, and digital humanities. (GEN&WS courses with H, L or Z designations)
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| GEN&WS/SOC 200 | Introduction to Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer+ Studies | 3-4 |
| GEN&WS/LITTRANS 205 | Women in Russian Literature in Translation | 3-4 |
| GEN&WS/AFROAMER 221 | Introduction to Black Women's Studies | 3 |
| GEN&WS/AFROAMER 222 | Introduction to Black Women Writers | 3 |
| GEN&WS/ENGL 248 | Women in Ethnic American Literature | 3 |
| GEN&WS/ENGL 250 | Women in Literature | 3 |
| GEN&WS/LITTRANS 270 | German Women Writers in Translation | 3 |
| GEN&WS/RELIG ST 305 | Women, Gender and Religion | 3 |
| GEN&WS 310 | Special Topics in Gender, Women and the Humanities | 1-3 |
| GEN&WS/HISTORY 315 | Gender, Race and Colonialism | 3 |
| GEN&WS 319 | Study Abroad Special Topic: Gender, Women and the Humanities | 3-4 |
| GEN&WS/AFROAMER 324 | Black Women in America: Reconstruction to the Present | 3 |
| GEN&WS/AFROAMER 326 | Race and Gender in Post-World War II U.S. Society | 3 |
| GEN&WS 330 | Topics in Gender/Class/Race/Ethnicity (Humanities) | 3 |
| GEN&WS/CHICLA 332 | Latinas: Self Identity and Social Change | 3 |
| GEN&WS 340 | Topics in LGBTQ Sexuality | 3 |
| GEN&WS 342 | Transgender Studies | 3-4 |
| GEN&WS 343 | Queer Bodies | 3 |
| GEN&WS/HISTORY 346 | Trans/Gender in Historical Perspective | 3-4 |
| GEN&WS/ENGL 350 | Special Topics in Gender & Literature | 3 |
| GEN&WS/CLASSICS 351 | Women and Gender in the Classical World | 3-4 |
| GEN&WS/HISTORY 353 | Women and Gender in the U.S. to 1870 | 3-4 |
| GEN&WS/AFROAMER 367 | Art and Visual Culture: Women of the African Diaspora and Africa | 3 |
| GEN&WS 370 | Topics in Gender and Disability | 3 |
| GEN&WS 371 | Disability and Gender in Film | 3 |
| GEN&WS 372 | Visualizing Bodies | 3 |
| GEN&WS 373 | Gender & the Cultural Politics of Illness | 3 |
| GEN&WS/ENGL 401 | Race, Sex, and Texts (How to do things with writing) | 3 |
| GEN&WS 414 | Gender, Performance, and Sexuality | 3 |
| GEN&WS/THEATRE 415 | Introduction to Contemporary Feminist Theatre and Criticism | 3 |
| GEN&WS/COM ARTS 418 | Gender, Sexuality, and the Media | 3 |
| GEN&WS/ENGL 419 | Gender and Language | 3 |
| GEN&WS/FOLKLORE 428 | Gender and Expressive Culture | 3 |
| GEN&WS/AMER IND/ANTHRO/FOLKLORE 437 | American Indian Women | 3 |
| GEN&WS 441 | Contemporary Feminist Theories | 3 |
| GEN&WS 442 | Lesbian Culture | 3 |
| GEN&WS 445 | The Body in Theory | 3 |
| GEN&WS 449 | Special Topics in Feminism and Social and Cultural Theory | 3 |
| GEN&WS/PORTUG 450 | Brazillian Women Writers | 3 |
| GEN&WS/PORTUG 460 | Carmen Miranda | 3 |
| GEN&WS/ASIAN AM/ENGL 463 | Race and Sexuality in American Literature | 3 |
| GEN&WS/ASIAN AM/ENGL 464 | Asian American Women Writers | 3 |
| GEN&WS/FOLKLORE 467 | Women and Politics in Popular Culture and Folklore | 3 |
| GEN&WS/FOLKLORE 468 | Feminism, Folklore and Comparative Literature | 3 |
| GEN&WS/HISTORY 519 | Sexuality, Modernity and Social Change | 3 |
| GEN&WS/HIST SCI/MED HIST 524 | The Medical History of Sex and Sexuality | 3 |
| GEN&WS/HIST SCI/MED HIST 532 | The History of the (American) Body | 3 |
| GEN&WS/ENGL 545 | Feminist Theory and Women's Writing in English | 3 |
| GEN&WS 547 | Theorizing Intersectionality | 3 |
| GEN&WS/AFROAMER 624 | African American Women's Activism (19th & 20th Centuries) | 3 |
| GEN&WS/AFROAMER 625 | Gender, Race and the Civil Rights Movement | 3 |
| GEN&WS/AFROAMER 677 | Critical and Theoretical Perspectives in Black Women's Writings | 3 |
| GEN&WS/AFROAMER 679 | Visual Culture, Gender and Critical Race Theory | 3 |
Social Science
Engage with social-science-based theories, content areas, and methodologies as they relate to gender and women's studies. These include, but are not limited to, scientific and clinical research, statistical analysis, mixed-methods approaches, and theories of social change. (GEN&WS courses with S or Z designations)
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| GEN&WS/SOC 200 | Introduction to Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer+ Studies | 3-4 |
| GEN&WS/C&E SOC/SOC 215 | Gender and Work in Rural America | 3 |
| GEN&WS 280 | Honors Seminar: Studies in Gender, Sex, and Sexuality | 3 |
| GEN&WS 320 | Special Topics in Gender, Women and Society | 1-3 |
| GEN&WS/AFROAMER 323 | Gender, Race and Class: Women in U.S. History | 3 |
| GEN&WS 329 | Study Abroad Special Topic: Gender, Women in Society | 3-4 |
| GEN&WS 331 | Topics in Gender/Class/Race/Ethnicity (Social Sciences) | 3 |
| GEN&WS/AFROAMER 333 | Black Feminisms | 3 |
| GEN&WS 340 | Topics in LGBTQ Sexuality | 3 |
| GEN&WS/HISTORY 353 | Women and Gender in the U.S. to 1870 | 3-4 |
| GEN&WS/HISTORY 354 | Women and Gender in the U.S. Since 1870 | 3-4 |
| GEN&WS/HISTORY 392 | Women and Gender in Modern Europe | 3-4 |
| GEN&WS/COM ARTS 418 | Gender, Sexuality, and the Media | 3 |
| GEN&WS 420 | Women in Cross-Societal Perspective | 3 |
| GEN&WS/LEGAL ST 422 | Women and the Law | 3 |
| GEN&WS 424 | Women's International Human Rights | 3 |
| GEN&WS/LEGAL ST/SOC 425 | Crime, Gender and Justice | 3 |
| GEN&WS 426 | Women and Grassroots Politics Across the Globe | 3 |
| GEN&WS 427 | Global Feminisms | 3 |
| GEN&WS/POLI SCI 429 | Gender and Politics in Comparative Perspective | 3-4 |
| GEN&WS 441 | Contemporary Feminist Theories | 3 |
| GEN&WS/ANTHRO 443 | Anthropology by Women | 3 |
| GEN&WS 446 | Queer of Color Critique | 3 |
| GEN&WS 449 | Special Topics in Feminism and Social and Cultural Theory | 3 |
| GEN&WS/POLI SCI 469 | Women and Politics | 3-4 |
| GEN&WS 472 | 3 | |
| GEN&WS/SOC 477 | Feminism and Sociological Theory | 3 |
| GEN&WS/PSYCH 522 | Psychology of Women and Gender | 3 |
| GEN&WS 534 | Gender, Sexuality, and Reproduction: Public Health Perspectives | 3 |
| GEN&WS 536 | Queering Sexuality Education | 3 |
| GEN&WS/HIST SCI 537 | Childbirth in the United States | 3 |
| GEN&WS 546 | 3 | |
| GEN&WS/ED POL 560 | Gender and Education | 3 |
| GEN&WS/SOC 611 | Gender, Science and Technology | 3 |
Feminist Theory
Explore feminist theoretical approaches, both national and international.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| GEN&WS/AFROAMER 333 | Black Feminisms | 3 |
| GEN&WS 441 | Contemporary Feminist Theories | 3 |
| GEN&WS 445 | The Body in Theory | 3 |
| GEN&WS 446 | Queer of Color Critique | 3 |
| GEN&WS 449 | Special Topics in Feminism and Social and Cultural Theory | 3 |
| GEN&WS/SOC 477 | Feminism and Sociological Theory | 3 |
| GEN&WS 546 | 3 | |
| GEN&WS 547 | Theorizing Intersectionality | 3 |
ISSUE AREAS 2
Race/Ethnicity
Explore the role of race/ethnicity as a tool of creating, identifying, materializing, and solidifying human difference. These courses may explore the construction and deployment of race/ethnicity anywhere in the world.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| GEN&WS/AFROAMER 221 | Introduction to Black Women's Studies | 3 |
| GEN&WS/AFROAMER 222 | Introduction to Black Women Writers | 3 |
| GEN&WS/ENGL 248 | Women in Ethnic American Literature | 3 |
| GEN&WS/HISTORY 315 | Gender, Race and Colonialism | 3 |
| GEN&WS/AFROAMER 323 | Gender, Race and Class: Women in U.S. History | 3 |
| GEN&WS/AFROAMER 324 | Black Women in America: Reconstruction to the Present | 3 |
| GEN&WS/AFROAMER 326 | Race and Gender in Post-World War II U.S. Society | 3 |
| GEN&WS 330 | Topics in Gender/Class/Race/Ethnicity (Humanities) | 3 |
| GEN&WS 331 | Topics in Gender/Class/Race/Ethnicity (Social Sciences) | 3 |
| GEN&WS/CHICLA 332 | Latinas: Self Identity and Social Change | 3 |
| GEN&WS/AFROAMER 333 | Black Feminisms | 3 |
| GEN&WS/HISTORY 353 | Women and Gender in the U.S. to 1870 | 3-4 |
| GEN&WS/HISTORY 354 | Women and Gender in the U.S. Since 1870 | 3-4 |
| GEN&WS/AFROAMER 367 | Art and Visual Culture: Women of the African Diaspora and Africa | 3 |
| GEN&WS/AMER IND/ANTHRO/FOLKLORE 437 | American Indian Women | 3 |
| GEN&WS 446 | Queer of Color Critique | 3 |
| GEN&WS/PORTUG 460 | Carmen Miranda | 3 |
| GEN&WS/ASIAN AM/ENGL 463 | Race and Sexuality in American Literature | 3 |
| GEN&WS/ASIAN AM/ENGL 464 | Asian American Women Writers | 3 |
| GEN&WS 547 | Theorizing Intersectionality | 3 |
| GEN&WS/AFROAMER 624 | African American Women's Activism (19th & 20th Centuries) | 3 |
| GEN&WS/AFROAMER 625 | Gender, Race and the Civil Rights Movement | 3 |
| GEN&WS/AFROAMER 677 | Critical and Theoretical Perspectives in Black Women's Writings | 3 |
| GEN&WS/AFROAMER 679 | Visual Culture, Gender and Critical Race Theory | 3 |
Global
Explore aspects of gender in a comparative national frame. These classes may focus on the process of globalization or they may focus on gendered concerns in at least two national contexts.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| GEN&WS/HISTORY 315 | Gender, Race and Colonialism | 3 |
| GEN&WS/AFROAMER 367 | Art and Visual Culture: Women of the African Diaspora and Africa | 3 |
| GEN&WS 414 | Gender, Performance, and Sexuality | 3 |
| GEN&WS 420 | Women in Cross-Societal Perspective | 3 |
| GEN&WS 424 | Women's International Human Rights | 3 |
| GEN&WS 426 | Women and Grassroots Politics Across the Globe | 3 |
| GEN&WS 427 | Global Feminisms | 3 |
| GEN&WS/FOLKLORE 428 | Gender and Expressive Culture | 3 |
| GEN&WS/ANTHRO 443 | Anthropology by Women | 3 |
| GEN&WS/FOLKLORE 468 | Feminism, Folklore and Comparative Literature | 3 |
| GEN&WS/INTL ST 535 | Women's Global Health and Human Rights | 3 |
| GEN&WS/URB R PL 644 | International Development and Gender | 3 |
| GEN&WS 661 | Global Internship in Gender and Women's Studies | 1-6 |
Sexuality
Explore “sexuality” under the assumption that sexuality is not a natural or self-evident attribute or category, these courses demonstrate how sexuality has come to assume a variety of culturally specific but often contested meanings.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| GEN&WS/SOC 200 | Introduction to Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer+ Studies | 3-4 |
| GEN&WS 340 | Topics in LGBTQ Sexuality | 3 |
| GEN&WS 342 | Transgender Studies | 3-4 |
| GEN&WS 343 | Queer Bodies | 3 |
| GEN&WS/HISTORY 346 | Trans/Gender in Historical Perspective | 3-4 |
| GEN&WS/CLASSICS 351 | Women and Gender in the Classical World | 3-4 |
| GEN&WS 414 | Gender, Performance, and Sexuality | 3 |
| GEN&WS/ENGL 419 | Gender and Language | 3 |
| GEN&WS 446 | Queer of Color Critique | 3 |
| GEN&WS/ASIAN AM/ENGL 463 | Race and Sexuality in American Literature | 3 |
| GEN&WS/FOLKLORE 468 | Feminism, Folklore and Comparative Literature | 3 |
| GEN&WS/HISTORY 519 | Sexuality, Modernity and Social Change | 3 |
| GEN&WS/HIST SCI/MED HIST 524 | The Medical History of Sex and Sexuality | 3 |
| GEN&WS/HIST SCI/MED HIST 532 | The History of the (American) Body | 3 |
| GEN&WS 534 | Gender, Sexuality, and Reproduction: Public Health Perspectives | 3 |
| GEN&WS 536 | Queering Sexuality Education | 3 |
Disability & Embodiment
Examine the creation and evolution of different categories of embodiment and the experience of living through and as bodies These courses focus on gender and disability, exploring disability as a social category, a medical realm, a political identity, an analytical approach, and a lived experience.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| GEN&WS 343 | Queer Bodies | 3 |
| GEN&WS 370 | Topics in Gender and Disability | 3 |
| GEN&WS 371 | Disability and Gender in Film | 3 |
| GEN&WS 372 | Visualizing Bodies | 3 |
| GEN&WS 445 | The Body in Theory | 3 |
CAPSTONE
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Capstone course or Thesis Sequence: | 3-6 | |
| Capstone Seminar in Gender and Women's Studies | ||
| Senior Honors Thesis I and Senior Honors Thesis II | ||
| Senior Thesis I and Senior Honors Thesis II | ||
| Total Credits | 3-6 | |
RESIDENCE & QUALITY OF WORK
2.000 GPA in all GEN&WS and major courses
2.000 GPA on 15 upper-level major credits, taken in Residence 3
15 credits in GEN&WS, taken on the UW–Madison campus
NOTES
| 1 | A maximum three courses designated as Elementary level may apply in the major, overall. Directed Study courses typically do not count toward the minimum credits required in the major. |
| 2 | A single course may apply to both Approach and Issues but a course may not apply to more than one Approach and it may not more than one Issue area. |
| 3 | Courses in GEN&WS and approved for the major that carry the Intermediate- or Advanced-level designation are considered upper level in the major. |
RESEARCH IN THE MAJOR
Students interested in the doing research in Gender & Women's Studies are encouraged to incorporate coursework outside of Gender and Women’s Studies and develop a thesis (GEN&WS 691-GEN&WS 692 or GEN&WS 681-GEN&WS 682) in consultation with a member of the faculty. The thesis sequence would serve as the Capstone requirement in the major. In this case, the student may still take GEN&WS 640 Capstone Seminar in Gender and Women's Studies as an elective in the major.
HONORS IN THE MAJOR
To declare Honors in the Major in Gender and Women's Studies, students must submit a letter of application to the undergraduate advisor prior to enrollment in GEN&WS 681 Senior Honors Thesis I. The letter should include:
- A list of all planned and declared degrees, major and certificate programs
- Area(s) of research interest within gender and women's studies and ideas for an Senior Honors Thesis
- A letter from a faculty member agreeing to supervise the thesis project
HONORS IN THE GENDER AND WOMEN'S STUDIES MAJOR REQUIREMENTS
To earn Honors in the Major in Gender and Women’s Studies, students must satisfy both the requirements for the major (above) and the following additional requirements:
- Earn a 3.300 overall university GPA
- Earn a 3.300 GPA for all GEN&WS courses
- Complete at least 2 courses, for a total of 6 or more credits, with a grade of B or better, taken for Honors in GEN&WS
- Complete a two-semester Senior Honors Thesis in GEN&WS 681 Senior Honors Thesis I and GEN&WS 682 Senior Honors Thesis II, for a total of 6 credits.
University Degree Requirements
| Total Degree | To receive a bachelor's degree from UW–Madison, students must earn a minimum of 120 degree credits. The requirements for some programs may exceed 120 degree credits. Students should consult with their college or department advisor for information on specific credit requirements. |
| Residency | Degree candidates are required to earn a minimum of 30 credits in residence at UW–Madison. "In residence" means on the UW–Madison campus with an undergraduate degree classification. “In residence” credit also includes UW–Madison courses offered in distance or online formats and credits earned in UW–Madison Study Abroad/Study Away programs. |
| Quality of Work | Undergraduate students must maintain the minimum grade point average specified by the school, college, or academic program to remain in good academic standing. Students whose academic performance drops below these minimum thresholds will be placed on academic probation. |
1. (Gender) Understand the concept of gender as an identity and an institution along its multiple dimensions (cultural, social, political, economic) and how gender in forms power relations.
2. (Intersectionality) Recognize how gender intersects with other axes of inequality, such as race, class, disability status, sexuality, gender expression, nationality, geography and age. Identify the difference between intersectional and universalist understandings of gender.
3. (Feminist theory) Apply feminist theoretical approaches, both national and international.
4. (Class) Recognize the role of economic inequalities in creating material and cultural differences in the US and other national contexts and their gendered implications.
5. (Race/Ethnicity) Understand the role of race/ethnicity as a tool of creating, identifying, materializing, and solidifying human difference and its relationship to gender.
6. (Global Processes) Appreciate historical, political, cultural and socio‐economic influences on gender relations in global context. Understand global dimensions of gender inequality, including hierarchies among women within and across nations. Identify gendered dynamics of globalization in historical or contemporary contexts.
7. (Sexuality) Understand that sexuality is not a natural or self‐evident attribute or category and that sexuality assumes a variety of culturally specific and contested meanings.
8. (Disability and Embodiment) Understand the creation and evolution of different categories of embodiment and the experience of living through and as bodies.
9. (Health and Science) Identify that health is both a physiological and a socio‐cultural experience, and recognize ways in which gender and other axes of social inequality influence health. Develop critical tools to place the medical field, scientific research, and public health and policy organizations into social contexts, and recognize how these institutions both can reflect and perpetuate dominant ideologies. Learn about feminist approaches to, and histories of, science, medicine, and health activism.
10. (Contemporary and Historical Issues) Gain familiarity with a variety of issue areas in which gender is important, both historically and today, in national and transnational spheres. These include but are not limited to: health, the body, science, politics, citizenship, feminism, activism, labor, history, media, language, literature and the arts.
11. (Problem solving) Identify important historical and contemporary issues relating to gender and women's studies, evaluate responses to them, and adapt the knowledge gained through this process to everyday situations.
12. (Research and inquiry) Identify a problem related to gender and women’s studies. Produce or locate resources and learn to build a research agenda. Read broadly in order to develop well-focused projects, using primary and secondary sources. Delineate key points in scholarly articles and respond to them. Use different modes of research, including empirical methods, scholarly literature, and theoretical and artistic engagement. Develop advanced library skills tailored to specific research projects, including facility with electronic databases, bibliographic reference materials, archival documents, and image and sound repositories. Evaluate resources for their reliability.
13. (Interdisciplinarity) Engage in interdisciplinary inquiry and research and understand the strengths and limits of interdisciplinarity.
14. (Critical thinking) Be able to perform critical thinking along four dimensions: critical analysis, in which one can identify and evaluate arguments, rhetorical styles, synthesize ideas, and develop well‐substantiated, coherent, and concise arguments; logical reasoning, in which one can identify and follow a logical sequence or argument through to its end and recognize faulty reasoning or premature closure; abstract thinking, in which one can generalize for a specific purpose and/or in a way that clarifies and heightens understanding of major issues at stake, or identifies the essential or most relevant elements of a concept, event, object, text, etc; argumentation, in which one can marshal appropriate and relevant evidence in order to develop a clear claim or stance using specific rhetorical approaches.
15. (Writing) Express ideas effectively in written form, develop sufficient evidence for arguments, and tailor arguments to audience and context.
16. (Oral Communication) Express ideas effectively in verbal form, tailoring arguments and presentation styles to audience and context.
17. (Collaboration) Work collectively, take initiative, offer and receive constructive criticism, exchange ideas and creatively work together toward a common endeavor.
18. (Creativity) Bring together a variety of texts, ideas, theoretical, political, empirical, aesthetic and rhetorical approaches in order to respond imaginatively to a social, political or intellectual issue.
19. (Career skills ) Create the building blocks for a career after graduation with all of the above skills.
20. (Critical self‐awareness) Demonstrate self‐reflexivity about one's ideas and social and political positions.
21. (Critical social awareness) Engage critically with social institutions that influence our personal and social lives, such as media, politics, the healthcare system, the economy and education.
22. (Ethics) Apply ethical frameworks, informed by the study of gender, feminism and social justice movements, to address unequal treatment or advantage in a variety of contexts.
23. (Engaged Practices) Link theory with practice. Recognize and advocate for social change at the local, national or transnational level.
24. (Advanced accomplishment) Demonstrate synthesis of skills acquired and performed in advanced coursework.
25. (Application beyond the Gender and Women’s Studies classroom) Apply key Gender and Women’s Studies concepts to one’s life, activist projects, and to non‐Gender and Women’s Studies academic coursework.
Advising and Careers
Undergraduate Advising in Gender and Women's Studies and LGBT Studies
Connecting and working with your gender and women's studies undergraduate advisor as early as possible helps you create a meaningful course plan and stay on track as you complete your degree requirements.
Our undergraduate advisor is available to consult on a variety of topics including: program declaration, adding an additional major or certificate, course planning and four-year graduation plans, volunteer and internship opportunities, graduate school, and career development.
Internship Program in Gender and Women's Studies
Applied learning through internships within the field of gender and women's studies allows students the opportunity to connect the classroom to the community and put theory into practice. Recognizing the power and importance of experiential and service learning, we proudly offer both local and global internship opportunities in our department.
Our internship program is designed to provide students with opportunities for learning and working in organizations and settings that connect their coursework in gender and women's studies to specific issues in community settings. The connected internship seminar provides a venue for students to engage deeply in feminist-based work and reflection while thinking critically about participating as feminists in activism and professional settings.
Internship courses in GEN&WS:
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| GEN&WS 660 | Internship in Gender and Women's Studies | 3 |
| GEN&WS 661 | Global Internship in Gender and Women's Studies | 1-6 |
Career Development in Gender and Women's Studies
The Department of Gender and Women's Studies is committed to helping our students understand and articulate how skills and concepts learned in the classroom can be applied in a professional setting. As reflected in our Learning Outcomes, students in gender and women's studies develop desirable professional skills, such as written and oral communication, critical thinking, problem solving, and collaboration skills, as well as critical self and social awareness.
The department continues to expand career development opportunities for our students by working with our alumni, and offering workshops, panels, and networking opportunities. To learn more about career development opportunities in Gender & Women's Studies, contact the Undergraduate Advisor.
L&S career resources
SuccessWorks at the College of Letters & Science helps students leverage the academic skills learned in their major, certificates, and liberal arts degree; explore and try out different career paths; participate in internships; prepare for the job search and/or graduate school applications; and network with professionals in the field (alumni and employers).
SuccessWorks can also assist students in career advising, résumé and cover letter writing, networking opportunities, and interview skills, as well as course offerings for undergraduates to begin their career exploration early in their undergraduate career.
- SuccessWorks
- Set up a career advising appointment
- INTER-LS 210 L&S Career Development: Taking Initiative (1 credit, targeted to first- and second-year students)—for more information, see Inter-LS 210: Career Development, Taking Initiative
- Learn how we’re transforming career preparation: L&S Career Initiative
Faculty
Professors Jill Casid, Finn Enke, Susan Friedman, Christine Garlough, Janet Hyde, Maria Lepowsky, Myra Marx Ferree, Aili Mari Tripp
Associate Professors Jenny Higgins, Judith Houck, Pernille Ipsen, Ellen Samuels,
Assistant Professors Chris Barcelos, Keisha Lindsay, Annie Menzel, Sami Schalk
Faculty Affiliates: See the GEN&WS Faculty Affiliates for more information about instructors on campus who are engaged in feminist-inspired teaching and research.
Lecturers and TEACHING ASSISTANTS
See the current semester's GEN&WS Lecturers and Teaching Assistants directory.
UNDERgraduate Student SErvices
Academic Advising: Susan Nelson
Enrollment Inquiries: Diane Walton
Curricular Planning: Nina Valeo Cooke