B.A. in Gender, Women & Sexuality Studies

Majors in Gender, Women & Sexuality Studies analyze how gender and sexuality shape personal experiences and interlocking systems of power. By examining how gender and sexuality intersect with race, class, legal status and ability, students cultivate a deeper understanding of individual, social and political inequalities as well as movements for change. They ask urgent, critical questions and break down conventional academic assumptions, developing innovative methods for examining and addressing current issues in diverse local and global contexts. They apply their findings and gain real-world experience through a required internship and capstone project, and can pursue their interests further through a Departmental Honors program.

Entry Requirements

To enter the Gender, Women & Sexuality Studies major, students must meet the following criteria:

  • GPA Requirement: A minimum cumulative UW GPA of 2.0 in courses applied to the major.
  • Credit Requirement: A minimum of 58 credits required, with at least 25 credits completed at UW.

Degree Requirements

GWSS 200: Intro to Gender, Women & Sexuality Studies (5 credits)

  • GWSS 200 is a prerequisite for many other GWSS courses.
  • Transfer equivalent courses are also accepted.

GWSS 302: Feminist Theories and Methods (5 credits)

  • Prerequisites: GWSS 200 or GWSS 206.
  • GWSS 302 is required before taking the Senior Capstone and variable credit courses (494, 495, 497, and 499).

Upper-Division Course Focused on Transnational Perspective (5 credits)
 

GWSS 497: Fieldwork in GWSS (3-15 credits)

  • Part of the internship requirement.
  • Only 10 of the 15 credits can be applied to the elective upper-division GWSS credits. 

Focus Points (15 credits)

Complete at least one course in 3 of the 4 overlapping areas:

  1. Global Identity Formations
  2. Decolonizing Empire
  3. Feminist Knowledge Production & Radical Critique
  4. Building Social, Cultural, and Political Movements for Change

Additional GWSS Upper-Division Credits (20 credits)

  • At least 10 credits must be graded.
  • Only 10 credits from variable credit courses (GWSS 495, GWSS 496, GWSS 497, GWSS 499) can be applied toward this requirement.

GWSS 494 Senior Capstone (5 credits)

Share