Program Requirements
- Total Units Required: 27
- Grade Requirement: C– or better; Pass/No Pass grades do not count for the major.
Required Courses
Requirements for the Major
The following six requirements must be fulfilled through WGSS courses or WGSS-approved courses in another department taken at Washington University. The theory and methods/service learning requirements must be completed at Washington University. Students requesting an exception and who wish to transfer credits in the theory or methods/service learning category must petition the department chair or the director of undergraduate studies, who will consider the request.
Only one course may fulfill two requirements (i.e., one course may double count for two of the six required areas). Students on approved study abroad programs may petition for one course to count toward one of these six requirements.
1. One 1000-Level Introductory Course: 3 credits
Students must complete the following course and file a copy of a paper from this course with the WGSS office (McMillan Hall, Room 210):
| Code | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| WGSS 1500 | Introduction to Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies | 3 |
2. One Theory Course: 3 credits
Choose one of the following:
| Code | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| WGSS 3020 | Justice as Failure: Abolitionist Theory and Praxis | 3 |
| WGSS 3045 | Queer Theory | 3 |
| WGSS 3215 | Bodies Out of Bounds: Feminist and Queer Disability Studies | 3 |
| WGSS 3340 | Feminist Theory | 3 |
| WGSS 3475 | Queering the History of Health | 3 |
| WGSS 3575 | Confronting Capitalism: Feminism, Work and Solidarity | 3 |
| WGSS 3615 | Topics in Women,gender, and Sexuality Studies: Spectacular Blackness, Race, Gender, & Visual Culture | 3 |
| WGSS 4006 | Advanced Topics in Trans Theories: Femme | 3 |
| WGSS 4015 | Feminist and Queer Media Studies | 3 |
| WGSS 4016 | Queer of Color Critique | 3 |
| WGSS 4045 | Queering Theory: Collaborating, Solidarity, and Working Together | 3 |
| WGSS 4085 | Everyday Unruliness: Feminist and Queer Resistance | 3 |
| WGSS 4135 | The Politics of Pleasure | 3 |
| WGSS 4150 | Feminist Literary and Cultural Theory | 3 |
| WGSS 4165 | From Mammy to the Welfare Queen: African American Women Theorize Identity | 3 |
| WGSS 4200 | Feminist Political Theory | 3 |
| WGSS 4245 | Transnational Feminisms | 3 |
| WGSS 4350 | Queer and Feminist Geographies | 3 |
3. One Feminist Research Methods or Community-Engaged Learning Course: 3 credits
Choose one of the following:
| Code | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| WGSS 2910 | Peer Counseling Training: Sexual Assault and Rape Anonymous Helpline | 3 |
| WGSS 3176 | Community Engaged Learning: Feminist and Queer Community Praxis | 4 |
| WGSS 3690 | Community-Engaged Learning: Projects in Domestic Violence | 3 |
| WGSS 4141 | Feminist and Queer Research Methodologies | 3 |
| WGSS 4280 | Sex and Gender in Public | 1.5 |
| WGSS 4440 | Sex and Gender in Public | 1.5 |
Notes:
- Students who plan to write an honors thesis must take WGSS 4141 Feminist and Queer Research Methodologies and must also enroll in the 1-credit WGSS 4142 Thesis Proposal Workshop offered concurrently with WGSS 4141 Feminist and Queer Research Methodologies. WGSS 4142 Thesis Proposal Workshop is restricted to students who plan to submit an honors thesis proposal. Both WGSS 4141 Feminist and Queer Research Methodologies and WGSS 4142 Thesis Proposal Workshop should be taken during the fall semester of the student's junior year unless special departmental approval has been given.
- Students who take WGSS 4141 Feminist and Queer Research Methodologies must submit a copy of their final paper from this course to the WGSS office at wgss@wustl.edu. After the successful completion of WGSS 4141 Feminist and Queer Research Methodologies and WGSS 4142 Thesis Proposal Workshop and the approval of their honors thesis proposal, students enroll in WGSS 4991 Honors Thesis: Research and Writing during the time they are writing the honors thesis, which is usually two semesters.
4. Two 4000-Level Courses or an Honors Thesis: 6 credits
Courses taken in any of the above categories will satisfy this requirement, or the student may choose to write an honors thesis. One of the 3-credit courses must be a 4000-level WGSS course from the following list:
| Code | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| ANTHRO 4134 | The AIDS Epidemic: Inequalities, Ethnography, and Ethics | 3 |
| WGSS 4006 | Advanced Topics in Trans Theories: Femme | 3 |
| WGSS 4016 | Queer of Color Critique | 3 |
| WGSS 4017 | Healing and Social Justice | 3 |
| WGSS 4115 | Gender, Religion, Medicine and Science | 3 |
| WGSS 4153 | Decolonization to Globalization: How to End an Empire | 3 |
| WGSS 4165 | From Mammy to the Welfare Queen: African American Women Theorize Identity | 3 |
| WGSS 4200 | Feminist Political Theory | 3 |
| WGSS 4245 | Transnational Feminisms | 3 |
| WGSS 4350 | Queer and Feminist Geographies | 3 |
| WGSS 4370 | Reformers and Radicals: Feminist Thinking Through History | 3 |
| WGSS 4991 | Honors Thesis: Research and Writing | 1-3 |
The second may be either a 4000-level course in WGSS or a 4000-level course approved for this degree offered by another program:
| Code | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| AFAS 4402 | Intersectionality | 3 |
| ARTARCH 4913 | Queer: Arts, History, Theory | 3 |
| ELIT 4102 | Medieval English Literature II | 3 |
| HISTORY 4124 | Advanced Seminar: Women and Religion in Medieval Europe | 3 |
| WGSS 4006 | Advanced Topics in Trans Theories: Femme | 3 |
| WGSS 4016 | Queer of Color Critique | 3 |
| WGSS 4017 | Healing and Social Justice | 3 |
| WGSS 4115 | Gender, Religion, Medicine and Science | 3 |
| WGSS 4153 | Decolonization to Globalization: How to End an Empire | 3 |
| WGSS 4165 | From Mammy to the Welfare Queen: African American Women Theorize Identity | 3 |
| WGSS 4200 | Feminist Political Theory | 3 |
| WGSS 4245 | Transnational Feminisms | 3 |
| WGSS 4350 | Queer and Feminist Geographies | 3 |
| WGSS 4370 | Reformers and Radicals: Feminist Thinking Through History | 3 |
| WGSS 4991 | Honors Thesis: Research and Writing | 1-3 |
5. One Historical Context Course: 3 credits
Students must choose one course that explores gender, sex, or sexuality in historical context or that studies the history of these categories. A single course may not fulfill both the historical context category and the ethnic/global/racial context category. In other words, one may not double count a class even if it is listed in both categories. This course must be a WGSS course or a WGSS-approved course in another department. Note: A course that satisfies one of the previous four requirement areas in this list may also fulfill this requirement.
Choose one of the following:
| Code | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| AMCS 3705 | Topics in Gender and American Culture | 3 |
| CLASSICS 3150 | Gender and Sexuality in Greco-Roman Antiquity | 3 |
| CLASSICS 3160 | The Women of Greek Tragedy | 3 |
| CLASSICS 4701 | Ancient Greek and Roman Gynecology | 3 |
| COMPLITTHT 3101 | An Intellectual History of Sex and Gender: Text & Traditions | 3 |
| ELIT 3502 | Topics in American Literature: Girls' Fiction | 3 |
| ELIT 4102 | Medieval English Literature II | 3 |
| FILM 3450 | Sexual Politics in Film Noir and Hard-Boiled Literature | 3 |
| FRENCH 4550 | Intersectional Identities in Medieval France | 3 |
| GLOBAL 3890 | Furies and Die-Hards: Women in Rebellion and War | 3 |
| HISTORY 3104 | War, Genocide and Gender in Modern Europe | 3 |
| HISTORY 3131 | Gender, Sexuality and Communism in 20th-Century Europe | 3 |
| HISTORY 3146 | Topics in European History: Modern European Women | 3 |
| HISTORY 3187 | Women, Gender and Sexuality in Postwar America | 3 |
| HISTORY 3226 | Gender and Sexuality in 1950s America: Writing-Intensive Seminar | 3 |
| HISTORY 3234 | Women and Crime in the Evolution of American History | 3 |
| HISTORY 3259 | I Know IT When I See It: A History of Obscenity & Pornography in the United States | 3 |
| HISTORY 4072 | Advanced Seminar: Sexuality in the United States | 3 |
| HISTORY 4124 | Advanced Seminar: Women and Religion in Medieval Europe | 3 |
| REST 4061 | Nuns | 3 |
| WGSS 3006 | Strangers at the Gate: Race, Sex, and Immigration in America | 3 |
| WGSS 3055 | Making Sex and Gender: Understanding the History of the Body | 3 |
| WGSS 3081 | From Hysteria to Hysterectomy: Women's Health Care in America | 3 |
| WGSS 3135 | The Racial and Sexual Politics of Public Health | 3 |
| WGSS 3165 | Queer Histories | 3 |
| WGSS 3175 | Community-Engaged Learning: Documenting the Queer Past in St. Louis | 4 |
| WGSS 3405 | Revolutionize It! the Radical History of Second-Wave Feminisms | 3 |
| WGSS 3446 | No Boys Allowed: Girlhood and Programming for Girls in 19th and 20th Centuries, United States | 3 |
| WGSS 3475 | Queering the History of Health | 3 |
| WGSS 3510 | Women and Social Movements: Gender and Sexuality in U.S. Social Movements | 3 |
| WGSS 3555 | Caste: Sexuality, Race and Globalization. | 3 |
| WGSS 3650 | The Global History of HIV/AIDS | 3 |
| WGSS 3700 | Gender and Social Class | 3 |
| WGSS 3740 | Imperialism and Sexuality: India, South Asia, and the World: Writing-Intensive Seminar | 3 |
| WGSS 4115 | Gender, Religion, Medicine and Science | 3 |
| WGSS 4153 | Decolonization to Globalization: How to End an Empire | 3 |
6. One Ethnic/Global/Racial Context Course: 3 credits
Students must choose one course that considers gender and ethnicity, gender and race, or gender in a global context. This course must be in WGSS or a WGSS-approved course in another department. Note: A course that satisfies one of the first four requirement areas in this list may also fulfill this requirement.
Choose one of the following:
| Code | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| AFAS 1345 | Re-imagining Northern Africa: From Unveiled Women to Veiled Men | 3 |
| AFAS 2232 | Gender and Sexuality in the African Diaspora | 3 |
| AFAS 3006 | Feminist Fire!: Radical Black Women in the 20th Century | 3 |
| AFAS 3644 | Look Here, Karen: The Politics of Black Digital Resistance to White Femininity | 3 |
| AFAS 3651 | Black Women Writers | 3 |
| AFAS 4040 | Gender, Sexuality, and Change in Africa | 3 |
| AFAS 4402 | Intersectionality | 3 |
| AMCS 3705 | Topics in Gender and American Culture | 3 |
| ANTHRO 3201 | Gender, Culture, and Madness | 3 |
| ANTHRO 4134 | The AIDS Epidemic: Inequalities, Ethnography, and Ethics | 3 |
| CLASSICS 3150 | Gender and Sexuality in Greco-Roman Antiquity | 3 |
| CLASSICS 3160 | The Women of Greek Tragedy | 3 |
| GLOBAL 4414 | Gender Analysis for International Affairs | 3 |
| HISTORY 2117 | First-Year Seminar: Angels, Prostitutes and Chicas Modernas: Women in Latin American History | 3 |
| HISTORY 3104 | War, Genocide and Gender in Modern Europe | 3 |
| HISTORY 3131 | Gender, Sexuality and Communism in 20th-Century Europe | 3 |
| HISTORY 4038 | Beyond the Harem: Women, Gender, and Revolution | 3 |
| HISTORY 4124 | Advanced Seminar: Women and Religion in Medieval Europe | 3 |
| ITAL 2800 | Sex in Italian Culture and Media | 3 |
| ITAL 3500 | Topics: Global Italy: Race, Gender, Migration and Citizenship | 3 |
| JAPAN 4490 | Modern Japanese Women Writers | 3 |
| LATAM 3110 | The Body in Brazil: Race, Representation, Ontologies | 3 |
| POLSCI 3080 | Race and Ethnicity in American Politics | 3 |
| SOC 3003 | Black Feminist Theory | 3 |
| SOC 4721 | Race, Reproduction, and Justice | 3 |
| WGSS 1102 | First Year Seminar: Gender, Sexuality and Settler Colonialism | 3 |
| WGSS 2080 | Constructions of Black Womanhood and Manhood in the Black Community | 3 |
| WGSS 2101 | Sophomore Seminar: Globalization and Its Disguises | 3 |
| WGSS 3006 | Strangers at the Gate: Race, Sex, and Immigration in America | 3 |
| WGSS 3020 | Justice as Failure: Abolitionist Theory and Praxis | 3 |
| WGSS 3030 | Queering Citizenship: Gender/Abolition | 3 |
| WGSS 3135 | The Racial and Sexual Politics of Public Health | 3 |
| WGSS 3555 | Caste: Sexuality, Race and Globalization. | 3 |
| WGSS 3575 | Confronting Capitalism: Feminism, Work and Solidarity | 3 |
| WGSS 3615 | Topics in Women,gender, and Sexuality Studies: Spectacular Blackness, Race, Gender, & Visual Culture | 3 |
| WGSS 3650 | The Global History of HIV/AIDS | 3 |
| WGSS 3740 | Imperialism and Sexuality: India, South Asia, and the World: Writing-Intensive Seminar | 3 |
| WGSS 4016 | Queer of Color Critique | 3 |
| WGSS 4135 | The Politics of Pleasure | 3 |
| WGSS 4153 | Decolonization to Globalization: How to End an Empire | 3 |
| WGSS 4245 | Transnational Feminisms | 3 |
| WGSS 4401 | Intersectionality | 3 |
General WGSS Education Credits: 6 credits
6 credit units of general WGSS and WGSS-approved courses are required to complete the major. Students may earn elective credits abroad or at another university. General education may be chosen from the following or from courses listed above under other WGSS requirements.
General WGSS education credits may be chosen from the following:
| Code | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| AMCS 3705 | Topics in Gender and American Culture | 3 |
| ANTHRO 4610 | Queer Medicine: Theories, Methods, Provocations | 3 |
| ARTARCH 4913 | Queer: Arts, History, Theory | 3 |
| COMPLITTHT 4270 | Technology and Feminist Practice | 3 |
| EDUC 3030 | Gender and Education | 3 |
| GLOBAL 4414 | Gender Analysis for International Affairs | 3 |
| PHIL 3170 | Feminist Philosophy | 3 |
| POLSCI 3014 | Gender, Politics, and Policy in the United States | 3 |
| POLSCI 4218 | Gender and the Future of Work | 3 |
| SOC 3190 | Gender in Society | 3 |
| WGSS 1006 | First-Year Seminar: Feminist and Queer Science and Technology Studies | 3 |
| WGSS 1101 | First Sem:Sex & Gender in the Gutter: An Intro to Gender and Sexuality Studies Through Comics | 3 |
| WGSS 1102 | First Year Seminar: Gender, Sexuality and Settler Colonialism | 3 |
| WGSS 2060 | Introduction to Queer Studies | 3 |
| WGSS 2070 | Sexuality and the State: Introduction to Sexuality Studies | 3 |
| WGSS 3070 | Masculinities | 3 |
| WGSS 3090 | Sex and Money: Economies of Desire | 3 |
| WGSS 3135 | The Racial and Sexual Politics of Public Health | 3 |
| WGSS 3155 | Gender, Health, and Society | 3 |
| WGSS 3240 | Girls' Media and Popular Culture | 3 |
| WGSS 3256 | Sex Trafficking | 3 |
| WGSS 3470 | Law, Gender, and Justice | 3 |
| WGSS 3500 | Trans Studies | 3 |
| WGSS 3685 | Gender Violence | 3 |
Additional Information
Study Abroad
We strongly encourage and support students who wish to study abroad. Therefore, we accept up to 9 credits from study abroad (3 of those credits could fulfill the historical context or ethnic/global/racial requirement). Please contact Amy Cislo, WGSS Study Abroad Faculty Advisor, about this option.
Transfer Credit
Current students who wish to take courses at other universities during the summer may transfer up to 6 credit units. However, these credits cannot be used to fulfill the introductory course or the theory or methods/service-learning requirements. Students transferring to Washington University who wish to complete the major in WGSS may transfer no more than 9 credits of coursework taken elsewhere.
Contact Info
| Phone: | 314-935-5102 |
| Email: | wgss@wustl.edu |
| Website: | https://wgss.wustl.edu |