School of Arts and Sciences
Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies

Minor in Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies

The WGSS interdisciplinary minor complements and may also integrate with a student's major. Students pursuing the minor in Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies take a total of six courses, including two interdisciplinary courses offered by the program and three electives from at least two different departments or programs that engage particular subjects, issues, and materials in the study of women, gender, and/or sexuality. It is recommended that one core course be included among the electives.

In addition, all minors do a capstone project in the senior year, either as a mentored independent project or, with approval from the Program Director, by doing a substantial research paper/project in a fourth WGSS elective course. The Director advises on course selection to fit each student's interests and to identify a framework for the capstone project. Two faculty mentors from different disciplines appropriate to the topic advise on the capstone project in the senior year. If completed by doing a substantial research paper/project in a fourth WGSS elective, the instructor of the course acts as mentor and grades the paper, a copy of which must be delivered to the WGSS office to fulfill the capstone requirement. 

Program Requirements and Policies

  • Students pursuing the minor in Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies take a total of six courses. 
  • All courses must be taken for a letter grade and receive a grade of C- or higher.
  • With approval from the Director, two courses can be transferred from another institution towards the minor.
  • To count a course towards a WGSS major or minor, the significant writing/research projects in the course must focus on a relevant topic in the study of women, gender, and/or sexuality.

Course Requirements

  1. WGSS 72: Queering Feminisms: Introduction to Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies

  2. Three electives from at least two different departments or programs that engage particular subjects, issues, and materials in the study of women, gender, and/or sexuality. It is recommended that one WGSS core course be included among the electives. 

  3. WGSS 190: Doing Feminist Research

  4. WGSS 193: Senior Project (Fall or Spring) or an extended research paper/project in a fourth elective course, mentored and graded by the instructor of the course and submitted to the WGSS office. See Fourth Elective Course Capstone Option Guidelines for more information.