Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies Department

Sexuality, Gender & Queer Studies Degree Requirements

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Sexuality, Gender and Queer Studies Major

In addition to meeting the general University degree requirements, students majoring in Sexuality, Gender, and Queer Studies must complete three areas in the program for a total of 56 credits:

  • Core curriculum of seven courses (28 credits)
  • Experiential learning program (practicum) (8 credits)
  • Electives (20 credits)

Core Curriculum (28 credits)

  • UNST 231 Gender & Sexualities SINQ or WS 332U Race, Class, Gender, & Sexuality (4 credits/4 credits)
  • WS 360U Intro to Queer Studies (4 credits)
  • WS 370U History of Sexualities (4 credits)
  • WS 381 Queer of Color Theorizing and Perspectives (pre-req: WS 360U or WS 305) (4 credits)
  • WS 482 Topics in Transnational Sexualities Studies (pre-req: Junior Standing) (4 credits)
  • WS 412/512 Feminist Theory & Methodology (pre-req: WS 315 or WS381) (4 credits)
  • WS 415 Senior Seminar (pre-req: WS 412) (4 credits)

Experiential Learning (8 credits)

This part of the curriculum provides students with the opportunity to connect knowledge from the classroom to experience in community service activities. Students earn credits by working with community or campus organizations which serve women and/or focus on social justice issues.

  • WS 409 Practicum (6 credits)
  • WS 411 Experiential Learning Seminar (2 credits)

More information about the practicum, including forms and opportunities, can be found here.

Electives (20 credits)

Of these 20 credits, 16 must be from upper-division courses. All electives must be approved by an adviser for applicability to the major.

  • WS 308U Lesbian Literature (4 credits)
  • WS 308U Masculinities (4 credits)
  • WS 308U Gender, Class, Culture (4 credits)
  • WS/ENG 372U Topics in Gender, Sexuality, and Literature (4 credits)
  • WS 375U Topics in Sexuality Studies (4 credits)
  • WS 382U Transgender Studies (4 credits)
  • WS 481 Disability and Intersectionality (4 credits)
  • ANTH 432 Gender in Cross-Cultural Perspective (4 credits)
  • BST 324 Black Masculinities (4 credits)
  • BST 342 Black Feminism/Womanism (4 credits)
  • CFS 340U Queer Families (4 credits)
  • CFS 390U Sex and the Family (4 credits)
  • COMM 337U Communication and Gender (4 credits)
  • COMM 452 Gender and Race in the Media (4 credits)
  • PHE 335 Human Sexuality (4 credits)
  • PHE 453 Women's Reproductive Health (4 credits)
  • PHL 369U Philosophy of Sex and Love (4 credits)
  • PSY 431 Psychology of Men and Masculinities (4 credits)
  • SOC 344U Gender and Sexualities (4 credits)
  • SPAN 349 Forbidden Love (4 credits)

Note: Other variable and special topic courses with a focus on sexuality may count as electives; in these instances consult with a SGQS advisor for approval. The minimum grade allowed to pass major requirements will be 1.7 C-. The only major requirement with P/NP grading option is WS 409.

*If SGQS is your first major, you may need to take an additional SINQ to satisfy UNST requirements; in other words, if you take UNST231 for the major, it can't be used to meet UNST requirements.

Sexuality, Gender and Queer Studies Minor

A minor in Sexuality, Gender and Queer Studies consists of 32 credits. Students will be required to take:

  • Core curriculum of four courses (16 credits)
  • Four elective courses (16 credits)

Core Curriculum (16 credits)

  • UNST 231 Gender and Sexualities  (4 credits)
  • WS 370U History of Sexualities  (4 credits)
  • WS 332U Race, Class, Gender, Sexuality in U.S. (4 credits) 
  • WS 360U Intro to Queer Studies (4 credits)

Electives (16 credits)

Students must take 16 credits from the list of courses below. The faculty advisor for the minor may approve other courses to fulfill the elective credit requirements where appropriate.

  • ANTH 103 Intro to Cultural Anthropology
  • ANTH 432/532 Gender in Cross-Cultural Perspective
  • BST 342 Black Feminism/Womanism
  • CFS 490U Sex and the Family
  • COMM 410 Sex and the Media
  • COMM 452/552 Gender and Race in the Media
  • ENG372U Topics in Lit: Gender and Sexuality
  • ENG 494 Feminist Film Theory
  • ENG 494/594 Queer Theory
  • ENG 447 Harlem Renaissance
  • ENG 441/541 Same-Sex Desire in the English Renaissance
  • PHE 335 Human Sexuality
  • PHE 453/553 Women’s Reproductive Health
  • PHE 410 Sex Education in America
  • PHE 410 Worldview of Sexual Health
  • PHL369U Philosophy of Sex and Love
  • PSY 410 Human Sexualities
  • PSY 431/531 Psychology of Men and Masculinities
  • SOC339U Marriage and Intimacy
  • SOC 344U Gender and Sexualities
  • SPAN 410 Transgenderism in South American Literature
  • SPAN 436/536 Disease and Literature in the Americas
  • WS 308U Lesbian Literature
  • WS 308U Gay and Lesbian Fiction
  • WS372U Topics in Lit:  Gender and Sexuality
  • WS375U Topics in Sexuality Studies