Student learning outcomes

Upon completing this program, students will know how to do the following:

Program core outcomes

  • Demonstrate strong critical thinking skills that connect theory to action
  • Employ multiple theories informed by intersectionality
  • Demonstrate critical engagement with multiple epistemologies and methods of research
  • Articulate the ways diverse feminisms converge and diverge in the 21st century
  • Articulate contexts for intellectual, academic and artistic activism

Health, society and social justice concentration-specific outcome

  • Demonstrate critical engagement with the socio-political aspects of what constitutes health and wellness

Special requirements

A Bachelor of Arts in Gender, Sexuality and Women’s Studies requires a total of 120 credits with 30 credits in GSWS courses and at least 15 of these credits in upper-level courses. Students may choose a general interdisciplinary program or a health, society and social justice concentration.

All students must complete the requirements for the Bachelor of Arts in the College of Humanities and Sciences. All students also must complete core course requirements of GSWS 301GSWS 401 and GSWS 493 with the ancillary requirement of GSWS 201.

Students in the health, society and social justice concentration must take GSWS 393, in addition to three credits from the race, racism and anti-racism area and 12 credits from the health, society and social justice perspectives area.

The remaining credits in the major are electives, but must be GSWS courses or courses in other departments that have been approved by the major’s adviser. These electives may include GSWS 391, GSWS 491 or GSWS 492. Note, however, that an independent study is permitted only after the student has an agreement with a supervising faculty member and permission from the major’s adviser.

Degree requirements Gender, Sexuality and Women’s Studies, Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) with a concentration in health, society and social justice

Course Title Hours
General education
Select 30 credits of general education courses in consultation with an adviser.30
Major requirements
• Major core requirements
GSWS 301Feminist Theory3
GSWS 401Topical Senior Seminar3
GSWS 493Internship3
• Additional major requirements
GSWS 393Feminist Research and Methods of Inquiry3
GSWS race, racism and anti-racism perspective course3
• Concentration requirements
GSWS health, society and social justice perspective courses12
• Major electives
GSWS electives3
Ancillary requirements
GSWS 201Introduction to Gender, Sexuality and Women's Studies (satisfies general education BOK for social/behavioral sciences and AOI for diversities in the human experience)3
HUMS 202Choices in a Consumer Society1
Experiential fine arts 11-3
Foreign language through the 102 level (by course or placement)0-6
Open electives
Select any course.50-58
Total Hours120
1

Courses offered by the School of the Arts

The minimum number of credit hours required for this degree is 120.

Perspective areas

Note: A course listed in two different areas may not be used to fulfill both area requirements for the major. Some courses may have prerequisites to meet before enrollment.

Course Title Hours
Race, racism and anti-racism
GSWS 291Topics in Women's Studies (when the topic deals with race, racism and anti-racism)3
GSWS/AFAM/SOCY 305Oppression, Resilience and the Black Family3
GSWS 309Gender and Global Health3
GSWS/AFAM/POLI 318Politics of Race, Class and Gender3
GSWS/POLI 319Women and American Politics3
GSWS 356Open Minds3
GSWS 359/ENGL 355Black Women Writers3
GSWS 360Mujerista Ethics3
GSWS 361Decolonial Feminisms3
GSWS 366/INTL 368/POLI 366Women and Global Politics3
GSWS/RELS 371Women in Islam3
GSWS/CRJS 382Gender, Crime and Justice3
GSWS 383Beyoncé: Music, Race and Fame3
GSWS 384Queer Nightlife3
GSWS/AFAM/HIST 390Forced and Coerced Labor in Africa and the Americas3
GSWS 391Topics in Gender, Sexuality and Women's Studies (when the topic deals with race, racism and anti-racism)3
GSWS 415Black Performance Theory3
GSWS 450Black Feminist Thought3
GSWS 451Narratives of Asian American Sexualities3
GSWS 460Gender, Sexuality and HIV In African Literature3
GSWS 470Latinx Feminisms3
GSWS 491Topics in Women's Studies (when the topic deals with race, racism or anti-racism)3
Health, society and social justice
GSWS/AFAM/ANTH/INTL 309Gender and Global Health3
GSWS/SOCY 333Gender in Society3
GSWS/SOCY 334Sociology of Women3
GSWS/PSYC 335Psychology of Women3
GSWS/SOCY 336Violence Against Women3
GSWS 392Gender and Health Across the Life Span3
GSWS 409LGBTQ Health and Wellness3
GSWS/PSYC 414Psychology of Women's Health3
GSWS 460Gender, Sexuality and HIV In African Literature3
GSWS 461HIV, Memory and Queer Archives3
GSWS 491Topics in Women's Studies (when the topic deals with health, society and social justice)3
Freshman year
Fall semesterHours
UNIV 101 Introduction to the University (or open elective) 1
UNIV 111 Play VideoPlay course video for Focused Inquiry I Focused Inquiry I (satisfies general education UNIV foundations) 3
General education course 3
General education course 3
General education course 3
General education course 3
 Term Hours: 16
Spring semester
GSWS 201 Introduction to Gender, Sexuality and Women's Studies (satisfies general education BOK for social/behavioral sciences and AOI for diversities in the human experience) 3
HUMS 202 Choices in a Consumer Society 1
UNIV 112 Play VideoPlay course video for Focused Inquiry II Focused Inquiry II (satisfies general education UNIV foundations) 3
General education course 3
Open electives 5
 Term Hours: 15
Sophomore year
Fall semester
GSWS 301 Feminist Theory 3
UNIV 200 Advanced Focused Inquiry: Literacies, Research and Communication (satisfies general education UNIV foundations) 3
GSWS race, racism and anti-racism perspective 3
Foreign language (101-level) 3
General education course 3
 Term Hours: 15
Spring semester
Experiential fine arts 1-3
Foreign language (102-level) 3
GSWS health, society and social justice perspective 3
GSWS health, society and social justice perspective 3
Open electives 4
 Term Hours: 14-16
Junior year
Fall semester
GSWS 393 Feminist Research and Methods of Inquiry 3
GSWS health, society and social justice perspectives 3
Open electives 9
 Term Hours: 15
Spring semester
GSWS elective 3
GSWS health, society and social justice perspective 3
Open electives 9
 Term Hours: 15
Senior year
Fall semester
GSWS 401 Topical Senior Seminar 3
GSWS elective 3
Open electives 9
 Term Hours: 15
Spring semester
GSWS 493 Internship 3
Open electives 12
 Term Hours: 15
 Total Hours: 120-122

The minimum number of credit hours required for this degree is 120.