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Women, Gender and Sexuality Studies (WGSS) is a transdisciplinary program for students who wish to explore gender and its relation to other axes of power such as race, class, ethnicity, nationality, religion and sexuality. WGSS covers a complex variety of theoretical and empirical scholarship, both within traditional disciplines and in transdisciplinary frames in the humanities, social sciences and natural sciences, as well as combinations of the three. The WGSS program is committed to critical perspectives and bodies of knowledge that contribute to possibilities for transformation and change. Toward this end, WGSS courses emphasize participatory education in which student involvement, critical thinking and personal insight are encouraged and made relevant in the learning process.

Students can pursue a women, gender and sexuality studies major or minor. Majors can pursue honors within the program. 

Harpur College Requirements

Harpur College students must complete the following requirements in addition to those listed for the major: 

• 126 credits
• 94 liberal arts and sciences credits
• Minimum of 46 upper-level credits
• Completion of the Harpur College writing requirement (four to five courses, as described in the All-College Writing section of the Harpur College Undergraduate Information section of the Bulletin. Maximum of one C/J course and two W courses, may be transferred).
• Minimum of 44 credits in residence in Harpur College
• 2.0 or higher GPA

Harpur College requirements are described in detail in the Requirements for Graduation section of the Harpur College Undergraduate Information section of the Bulletin.

Bachelor of Arts (BA) in Women’s, Gender and Sexuality Studies

The major in Women, Gender and Sexuality Studies requires a total of 10 WGSS-designated courses (40 credits):

• One introductory course:
  • WGSS 200 Introduction to Women, Gender and Sexuality Studies
• Two courses in theoretical inquiries, such as:
  • WGSS 281 Topics in Theoretical Inquiries
  • WGSS 381 Intermediate Topics in Theoretical Inquiries
  • WGSS 405 Women and the Law
  • WGSS 481 Advanced Topics in Theoretical Inquiries
• Two courses in social justice, social movements, such as:
  • SOC 240 Women of Color in the U.S.
  • HIST 266 U.S. Women Since 1874
  • WGSS 282 Topics in Social Justice, Social Movements
  • SOC 324 Gender and Work
  • SOC 340 Women and the U.S. Criminal Justice System
  • WGSS 382 Intermediate Topics in Social Justice, Social Movements
  • WGSS 482 Advanced Topics in Social Justice, Social Movements
• Three courses in critical humanities and/or critical social sciences, such as:
  • Critical humanities
    • WGSS 283 Topics in Critical Humanities
    • WGSS 383 Intermediate Topics in Critical Humanities
    • WGSS 483 Advanced Topics in Critical Humanities
  • Critical social sciences
    • ANTH 221 Anthropology of Sex and Sexuality
    • WGSS 284 Topics in Critical Social Sciences
    • WGSS 300 Exploring Queer Lives
    • SOC 353 The Sociology of Reproduction
    • WGSS 384 Intermediate Topics in Critical Social Sciences
    • WGSS 484 Advanced Topics in Critical Social Sciences
• Two general topics courses, such as:
  • WGSS 280 General Topics in WGSS
  • WGSS 380 Intermediate Topics in WGSS
  • WGSS 480 Advanced Topics in WGSS

The above courses must also meet the following requirements:

• At least six courses (24 credits) must be at the 300-level or higher
• At least three courses (12 credits) must be cross-listed, each with a different department
• At least five courses (20 credits) must be taken at ������Ƶ, including at least three courses (12 credits) at the 300-level or above, and at least one advanced course (four credits) at the 400-level (e.g., a seminar, internship or independent study course)
• Students must receive a grade of "C" or higher for a course to be counted toward the major (courses taken Pass/Fail do not count)
• Note: Some non-WGSS courses may be used to meet the above requirements if approved by the WGSS Committee or program director. Students should take 200-level courses before enrolling in more advanced 300- and 400-level courses.

Honors in Women’s, Gender and Sexuality Studies

To be eligible to earn honors in the WGSS Program, a student majoring in WGSS must have the following:

• a grade-point average of 3.5 or above in WGSS courses by the beginning of the first semester of their fourth year. 
• a 3.0 or above overall GPA by the beginning of the first semester of their fourth year. 

In order to complete honors in WGSS, the WGSS major must take a two-semester sequence of WGSS 498 (Honors Thesis Preparation) and WGSS 499 (Honors Thesis). The WGSS major must receive a grade of “A” in WGSS 499.

NOTE:  WGSS 498 and 499 will count toward the major as “general topics” courses. Exceptions to this can be made at the discretion of the WGSS director/WGSS undergraduate director.

WGSS majors interested in pursuing WGSS honors should declare their intent to the WGSS director and the WGSS undergraduate advisor by the end of the second semester of their junior year in order to allow for adequate planning of the independent research project. 

1. Majors interested in honors should approach a potential advisor by the second semester of their junior year.  All WGSS-affiliated faculty are eligible, if willing, to serve as honors advisors. The honors advisor should be available for the two semester WGSS 498/499 sequence.
2. Once an agreement between the WGSS major and the advisor has been made, the student should inform the WGSS director and the WGSS undergraduate advisor of who the honors advisor will be, and the director and/or the undergraduate advisor should confirm this agreement with the honors advisor.
3. The student should work to complete the honors project during the last semester of their senior year in time for a second reader to read the completed paper (or review the completed project) and approve it for honors. Honors students should note that papers/ projects need to be finished before the last month or so of the semester, to leave time for revision and for informing Harpur of their honors status. As noted above, the student must receive a grade of “A” for the 499 semester course.

Minor in Women’s, Gender and Sexuality Studies

The minor requires a total of six WGSS-designated courses:

• WGSS 200 Introduction to Women, Gender and Sexuality Studies
• One course in Theoretical Inquiries (WGSS 281, WGSS 381, WGSS 481)
• One course in social justice, social movements (WGSS 282, WGSS 382, WGSS 482)
• One course in either critical humanities (WGSS 283, WGSS 383, WGSS 483) or critical social sciences (WGSS 284, WGSS 384, WGSS 484)
• Two elective courses designated as WGSS (any course not designated as WGSS must be approved by a WGSS advisor)

The above courses must also meet the following requirements:

• At least three courses (12 credits) must be at the 300-level or higher, including at least one course at the 400-level
• At least three courses (12 credits) must be cross-listed, each with a different department
• At least three courses (12 credits) must be taken at ������Ƶ
• Students must receive a minimum of a C grade in order for a course to fulfill requirements for the minor, and no courses taken under the Pass/Fail option may be credited toward the minor

List of Faculty

This program draws faculty from across multiple departments. For a list of faculty, see the program's website.