BA in Gender, Women & Sexuality Studies

GWSS students are quintessential students of the liberal arts. Our majors are prepared to live and think in a complex world: intellectually curious, impatient with absolutes, and comfortable with ambiguity. They are independent, engaged thinkers and doers with a wide range of academic and social interests.

We offer undergraduates opportunities to ask critical questions, reimagine society, and be leaders and change agents in the world. Our courses teach students that research, education, and social change are linked; we emphasize the importance of engaging in direct, transformative work and action within and beyond the classroom.

Student Goals

We are committed to an inclusive study of gender and sexuality that is deeply engaged with the lives, issues, and concerns of diverse local and global communities. Not only do we study the world, we transform it. Our students will:

  • Exhibit a wide and nuanced understanding of the variety of issues, approaches, and methods used in the interdisciplinary study of gender, women, and sexuality studies.
  • Learn to identify and examine gender and sexuality as critical sites for understanding the social, economic, political, and legal deployments of power operating in local, national, and global contexts.
  • Develop the critical, analytical, and interdisciplinary skills to enhance their research, writing, and creative talents.
  • Examine historical and contemporary representations and experiences of gender, sexuality, and masculinity and femininity through their intersections with race, class, ethnicity, religion, nationality, age, disability, geography, and other differences.
  • Understand the value of their participation in the practical application of gender, women, and sexuality studies to social justice issues in their communities and the globalizing world. They will work to create and contribute to social change.

Senior Project

Our majors​ are required to complete a senior capstone project as part of their undergraduate studies. Download the GWSS Senior Project FAQ.

Full Requirements