The Major in Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies
A Bachelor of Arts degree with a Major or Second Major in Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies requires a total of 27 credits, 21 of which must be taken in courses numbered 300 or above. At least 18 of the 21 upper level credits for the major may only count for the WGSS major and may not be double-counted towards another major. Classes that count for the major should be registered as WGSS courses (i.e., with the WGSS designation, L77). All courses taken for the major must be taken for a grade and earn at least a C- or above.
The following six requirements must be fulfilled through WGSS home-based or cross-listed courses taken at Washington University. The Theory and the Methods/Service Learning requirements MUST be completed at Washington University. Students wishing an exception, to transfer credits in Theory or Methods/Service Learning, may petition the Director and Associate Director, who will consider the request.
The following requirements start with the Class of 2022 . If you have previously declared the major requirements differ, please meet with your advisor regarding requirements prior to the Class of 2022.
- 3 credits of an Introductory-level course: WGSS 100B Introduction to Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies. You must file a copy of a paper from this course with the WGSS office (McMillan Hall, Room 210).
- 3 credits of a Theory course
- 3 credits of a Feminist Research Methods OR a Community Engaged Learning course. *Students who write an honors thesis must take the Feminist Research Methodologies class (L77 417W) and enroll in Honors Thesis: Research and Writing (L77 499) to fulfill this requirement. Students who take L77 417W must turn in a copy of their final paper from this class to the WGSS office located in McMillan Hall, Room 210.
- 6 credits at the 400 level OR an Honors Thesis (Students who declared prior to Fall 2018 only 3 credits at the 400 level are required) - One of the 3 credit classes must be a home-based WGSS class; the second may be either home-based or cross-listed. Please see your WGSS advisor for approval of your choice and to ensure that one of your classes is a home-based course.
- 3 credits of a Historical Context course - A course home-based or cross-listed in WGSS that examines gender in a historic context. Note: A class that satisfies one of the above 4 areas may also fulfill this requirement.
- 3 credits of an Ethnic/Global/Racial Context course-A course home-based or cross-listed in WGSS that examines gender in an ethnic/global or racial context. Note: A class that satisfies one of the above 4 areas may also fulfill this requirement.
We strongly encourage and support students who wish to study abroad and will accept up to 9 credits from approved programs. Please see Barbara Baumgartner, WGSS Study Interim Abroad Supervisor, about this option.
Current students wishing to take courses at another university during the summer may transfer up to 6 credit hours. These credits do not fulfill the methods, theory, or intro. requirement.
Transfer Students - Students transferring to Washington University, who wish to complete a major in WGSS, may transfer no more than 9 credits of WGSS course work taken elsewhere
Optional WGSS Major Concentrations
A student majoring in WGSS may choose one of the following two tracks within the major if the student’s interests lie within these areas. The tracks do not require additional courses; rather, the courses outlined in each track fulfill the WGSS requirements through a concentration of courses in one of the two tracks. One class can double-count for two of the following requirements. Only six credits may be taken at the 100- or 200-level.
Politics Concentration
Intro (3 credits, required by all majors)
WGSS 100B Introduction to WGSS
You must file a copy of a paper from this course with the WGSS office (McMillan Hall, Room 210).
Race/Ethnicity/Politics (3 credits; Choose one. These courses can also be electives.)
WGSS 3002 Feminist Fire! Radical Black Women in the 20th Century
WGSS 357B Gender and Politics in Global Perspective
WGSS 383A Topics in Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies: Sex in the City
Gender, Sexuality, and the Urban Landscape
WGSS 39SC Imperialism and Sexuality: India, South Asia, and the World
WGSS 421 From Mammy to the Welfare Queen: African American Women Theorize Identity
WGSS 437 Transnational Feminisms
WGSS 4401 Intersectionality
WGSS 475 Reformers and Radicals: Feminist Thinking through History
Sexuality and Politics (3 credits; Choose one. These courses can also be electives.)
WGSS 206 Sexuality and the State
WGSS 3014 Queering Citizenship
WGSS 3103 Sex and Money: Economies of Desire
WGSS 3141 The Racial and Sexual Politics of Public Health
WGSS 3172 Queer Histories
WGSS 3211 American Religion and the Politics of Gender and Sexuality
WGSS 323A Sex Trafficking
One non-U.S. course (3 credits; Choose one)
WGSS 312 Globalization and Gender
WGSS 3416 War, Gender, and Genocide in Modern Europe
WGSS 3548 Gender, Sexuality and Communism in 20th Century Europe
WGSS 362A Islam, Gender, and Sexuality
WGSS 39SC Imperialism and Sexuality: India, South Asia, and the World
WGSS 437 Transnational Feminisms
WGSS 49SC Incredible India!
Theory (3 credits; Choose one)
WGSS 3203 Bodies Out of Bounds: Feminist and Queer Disability Studies
WGSS 371 Confronting Capitalism: Feminism, Work, and Solidarity
WGSS 4102 Everyday Unruliness: Feminist and Queer Resistance
WGSS 421 From Mammy to the Welfare Queen African American Women Theorize Identity
WGSS 429 Feminist Political Theory
WGSS 437 Transnational Feminisms
History (3 credits)
Your choice from the WGSS course offerings in this area.
Methods (3 credits or 4 credits depending on course)
WGSS 3174 Community Engaged Learning: Feminist and Queer Community Praxis - 4 credits
WGSS 417W Feminist Research Methodologies
WGSS 444 Sex and Gender in Public (Please note: this is a 1.5 credit course that meets once a week both semesters in their senior year and will result in a capstone project exploring gender and/ or sexuality and politics broadly conceived.)
Electives (6 credits; choose from any WGSS class, but one of the classes listed below is encouraged).
WGSS 3012 Gender and Politics
WGSS 3203 Bodies out of Bounds: Feminist and Queer Disability Studies
WGSS 3221 American Religion and the Politics of Gender and Sexuality
WGSS 3410 Gender and Society
WGSS 348 Revolutionize It! Second Wave Feminism and the Struggle for a Radical Movement
WGSS 3561 Law Gender, and Justice
WGSS 393 Gender Violence (if you want to take the Community Engaged Service Learning: Projects in Domestic Violence class is required)
WGSS 396 Gender and Social Class
WGSS 4363 Sex, Gender and Power
**Please note that 6 credits must be taken at the 400 level
Health Concentration
Intro (3 credits, required by all majors)
WGSS 100B Introduction to WGSS
You must file a copy of a paper from this course with the WGSS office (McMillan Hall, Room 210).
Theory (3 credits, required by all majors)
WGSS 3203 Bodies Out of Bounds: Feminist and Queer Disability Studies
WGSS 3563 Queering the History of Health
History (3 credits; choose one)
WGSS 3041 Making Sex and Gender
WGSS 310 From Hysteria to Hysterectomy: Women’s Health Care in America
WGSS 414 Gender, Religion, Medicine and Science
WGSS 4990 History of the Body
Race or Non-US course (3 credits; choose one)
WGSS 3141 The Racial and Sexual Politics of Public Health
WGSS 3201 Gender, Culture and Madness
WGSS 389 The Global History of HIV/AIDS
WGSS 402 Transnational Reproductive Health Issues
WGSS 4134 The AIDS Epidemic
Required Health Electives (3 credits; choose one)
WGSS 316 Contemporary Women’s Health
WGSS 360 Trans Studies
WGSS 393 Gender Violence
Methods (3 credits; choose one):
WGSS 3174 Community Engaged Learning: Feminist and Queer Community Praxis - 4 credits
WGSS 417W Feminist Research Methodologies
WGSS 444 Sex and Gender in Public (Please note: this is a 1.5 credit course that meets once a week both semesters in their senior year and will result in a capstone project exploring gender and/ or sexuality and politics broadly conceived.)
Other Electives (9 credits; choose from any WGSS classes)
**Please note that 6 credits must be taken at the 400 level