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 at the 300- and 400- level. 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

Pre-approved Courses for Advisor Approved Electives 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 
  • AMST 203 – Introduction to Latinx Studies 
  • AMST 204 – Introduction to African American Studies 
  • AMST 205 – Introduction to Asian American Studies
  • AMST 242 - The Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender Experience 
  • AMST 252 – The Arab American Experience
  • AMST 301 - Comparative Cultural Studies 
  • AMST 314 – Latinx Migrants in the US 
  • AMST 315 - Contemporary American Indian Issues 
  • AMST 316 - Contemporary African American Issues 
  • AMST 397 – Topics in American Cultural Studies
  • ANTH 353 - Sex and Gender in Culture 
  • ANTH 424 - Medical Anthropology 
  • ANTH 453 - Women of the Global South 
  • COMM 225 – Comm, Diversity, and Controversy
  • COMM 230 - Rhetorical and Social Change 
  • COMM 240 - Media Studies 
  • COMM 260 - Communication, Identity and Difference
  • COMM 465 – Gender and Communication
  • DISA 330 - Critical Disability Studies
  • ENG 227 - Queer Literature
  • 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 
  • FAIR 451X - Resistance Art of the Indigena 
  • FREN 410 - Ecriture Feminine Francophone 
  • HIST 265 – LGBTQ+ History in the US 
  • 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 484 - Women in Japanese History 
  • HIST 490 - Gender, Health, and Reproduction in the North American West
  • HNRS 218 - Colloquium in Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies 
  • HSP 371 – Trans* Lives
  • 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 116 - Human Sexuality
  • PSY 119 - Psychology of Gender
  • PSY 376 - Romantic Relationships
  • REL 233 - Women and Religion 
  • REL 341 - Women in Islam 
  • REL 345 – Fierce Goddesses of India
  • SOC 268 - Gender and Society 
  • 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 for overrides, as needed.

Updated: February 5, 2024