WGSS-focused Major

Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies BA Program

Our program encourages theory and praxis that critically considers global and local communities in efforts to revise, re-envision, and reimagine social change. The WGSS major provides students with the skills to critically and actively engage with the world around them. Our plan of study equips students in various ways: to understand, apply, analyze, and critique key concepts and theoretical positions in feminist, gender, sexuality, and queer studies; to assess and denaturalize identities and experiences as embedded in and produced by interlocking and intersectional systems of power and inequalities; to integrate feminist, gender and queer analysis into a variety of scholarly, social, political, creative, and activist practices.

Declare Your WGSS Major/Minor

Requirements : 60 CREDITS

Choose two courses from:

  • WGSS 211 Introduction to Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies
  • WGSS 212 Feminist Theory and Expression
  • WGSS 213 Introduction to Queer and Sexuality Studies

Complete:

  • WGSS 350 Feminist and Queer Methodologies (OR a comparable methods course in another program, per advisement/approval of director)
  • WGSS 450 Capstone Seminar (OR a comparable capstone course in another program, per advisement/approval of director)
  • 40 Credits of 300- and 400-level coursework. At least 20 of which must be in WGSS.

 

Course descriptions and additional details are available in the University Catalog.

Students with transfer credits must complete at least 50% of major courses at WWU, per University policy.

Students who are preparing for graduation should contact the WGSS advisor to request a major evaluation: RaeLynn.Schwartz-DuPre@wwu.edu

WGSS 300- & 400-level courses

  • WGSS 310 - Race, Ethnicity and Indigeneity, ACGM*
  • WGSS 314 - Gender Across Borders, ACGM
  • WGSS 317 - Woman, War, and Post Conflict Transformation
  • WGSS 320 - Topics in Women, Gender & Sexuality Studies, BCGM
  • WGSS 331 - Studies in Gender Theory
  • WGSS 335 - Queer Comics & Graphic Novels, BCGM, WP 2pts
  • WGSS 339 - Women, Sexuality, and Society, BCGM
  • WGSS 344 - Critical Childhood Studies
  • WGSS 348 - Masculinities in U.S. History
  • WGSS 356 - Gender and History
  • WGSS 358 - Women of Color in the U.S.
  • WGSS 363 - Feminist Food Justice
  • WGSS 365 - Feminist Pop Culture 
  • WGSS 367 - Feminist Disability Studies
  • WGSS 372 - Gender & Media, BCGM
  • WGSS 400 - Directed Internship 

  • WGSS 453 - Women of the Global South

    *General University Requirement (GUR) and Writing Proficiency (WP) fulfillment in italics

     

Pre-approved 300- & 400-level courses for WGSS Majors*

Please note that this list is non-exhaustive and other courses may be approved by the Director on a case-by-case basis. If you know of a course that should be on this list, please contact the Director so it can be included in the next update.

  • A/HI 438 - Art and Feminism
  • A/HI 491 - Art, Gender & Sexuality 
  • ANTH 353 - Sex and Gender in Culture 
  • ANTH 424 - Medical Anthropology 
  • ANTH 453 - Women of the Global South 
  • COMM 465 – Gender and Communication
  • DISA 330 - Critical Disability Studies
  • ENG 311 - Black Feminist Theory and Literature 
  • ENG 331 - Studies in Gender Theory 
  • ENG 338 - Women and Literature in North America and Europe 
  • ENG 342 – Feminism and Science Fiction
  • ENG 408 - Cultural Studies 
  • ENG 427 – Queer Studies
  • FAIR 314E - Critical Pedagogy 
  • FAIR 338P - Cultural and Biological Perspectives on Pregnancy and Childbirth 
  • FREN 410 - Ecriture Feminine Francophone  
  • HIST 356 – Gender and History
  • HIST 358 – Women of Color in the US
  • HIST 365 - History of Sexuality in the United States 
  • HIST 367 - US Women to 1865 
  • HIST 368 - US Women from 1865 
  • HIST 369 - Women, Gender, & Sexuality in African History 
  • HIST 421 - Gender in Early Modern Europe 
  • HIST 490 - Gender, Health, and Reproduction in the North American West
  • HSP 452 – Gender, Sexuality, and Human Services
  • JOUR 375 – Diversity, Mass Media, and Social Change
  • PLSC 321 - LGBTQ Politics 
  • PLSC 345 - Women and Politics 
  • PLSC 347 – Race, Politics, and Public Policy
  • PLSC 398 – Immigration Politics and Policy
  • PLSC 469 - Feminist Political Theory
  • PSY 376 - Romantic Relationships
  • REL 341 - Women in Islam 
  • REL 345 – Fierce Goddesses of India 
  • SOC 338 - Sociology of Sexual Behavior
  • SOC 339 - Women, Sexuality, and Society
  • SOC 347 - Gender and Development 
  • SOC 354 - Domestic Violence and the Criminal Justice System 
  • SOC 360 - Marital and Family Interaction 
  • SOC 365 - Gender, Bodies, and Sports
  • THTR 428 - Topics in Theatrical Performance 

* Please contact course instructors or the department the course is offered through for overrides, as needed.  WGSS is not able to provide overrides for courses outside of the WGSS Department.

Updated: November 13, 2024