3570 Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies

Programs Offered:

  • Bachelor of Arts in Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies
  • Minor inWomen’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies

Institute for Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies
22nd Floor, 25 Park Place Building
P.O. Box 3969
Atlanta, GA 30302-3969

Phone: 404-413-6587
Fax: 404-413-6585
Email:
wgss.gsu.edu

Susan Talburt, Interim Director
Julie Kubala, Director of Undergraduate Studies

Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies(WGSS) at Georgia State University contributes to the University’s broader mission of encouraging critical thinking through a focus on feminist interdisciplinary scholarship, teaching, and community participation. WGSS makes explicit the ways in which gender and sexuality, in connection with other categories such as race, class, ability, and age, construct our understandings and experiences of the world. Furthermore, WGSS analyzes the ways public discourse relies on gender and sexuality to conceptualize such issues as war and militarism, policy, the environment, education, healthcare, economics, the media, and popular culture. In order to explore these issues, WGSSemphasizes the following areas of study: sexualities, race and globalization, and social change.

Program Admission

Students wishing to major or minor in WGSSmust meet the requirements for the Bachelor of Arts degree as described earlier in this catalog. Students should come to the institute office to receive advisement.

Academic Advisement for Undergraduate Students

Academic advisement for undergraduate students is provided through the University Advisement Center (freshman through junior status/fewer than 90 hours) and the college’s Office of Academic Assistance (senior status/90 or more hours). Seesection 3040for additional information.

Program Academic Regulations

To take WGSS 4920 (Senior Research-CTW), WGSS 4950 (Internship-CTW), or WGSS 4999 (Directed Readings), students must first receive approval from the Institute for Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality StudiesDirector of Undergraduate Studies. Students are responsible for contacting sites and arranging for their own internships. A list of possible internship sites is available atwgss.gsu.edu.

Program Degree Requirements

Students wishing to major or minor in WGSS must meet the requirements for the Bachelor of Arts degree as described earlier in this catalog. Students should come to the Institute office to meet with the Undergraduate Director.

B.A. in Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies

Area F: Courses Appropriate to the Major (18)

  1. Required Courses (6)
  2. World Language at the 1002 or higher level (3)
  3. WGSS 2010Introduction to Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies (3)
  4. Select additional elective courses from the following to complete 18 hours in Area F:
  5. AAS 2010,ANTH 2020,POLS 2401,PSYC 2040,PSYC 2618,SCOM 2050,SOCI 1101,SOCI 1160, or other 1000/2000-level courses appropriate to the major

Area G: Major Courses (30)

  1. CTW Requirement (3)
    Select one of the following to fulfill the Critical Thinking Through Writing requirement:
  2. WGSS 4920Senior Research-CTW (3)
  3. WGSS 4950Internship-CTW (3)
  4. Required Courses in Major (6)
    Select one of the following:
  5. WGSS 3010Feminist Theories (3)
  6. WGSS 3030Introduction to LGBT Studies (3)
  7. WGSS 3040Globalization and Gender (3)
  8. Remaining Courses in Major Field (21): Seven additional Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies courses or courses cross-listed with Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies, with at least nine hours in a single strand; these strands reflect areas of specialization within the field. The major requirement (WGSS 3030orWGSS 3040) can also fulfill three hours towards a required strand. Students may, if they wish, take nine hours in an additional strand, or they may choose additional WGSS electives to fulfill the remaining 12 hours. Only courses with the WGSS prefix count as Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies courses. The strands include Sexualities, Race & Globalization, and Social Change.

Sexualities:

  • WGSS 3030Introduction to LGBT Studies (3)
  • WGSS 3150Sexuality and Society (3)
  • WGSS 3356Queer Identities (3)
  • WGSS 4240Sexuality and Gender in Asia (3)
  • WGSS 4310Girls (3)
  • WGSS 4580Thinking the Body (3)
  • WGSS 4650Gender and Sexuality in European History (4)
  • WGSS 4770Gender and Sexuality in the African Diaspora (3)
  • WGSS 4780African-American Lesbian and Gay Activism (3)
  • WGSS 4810Feminism and Foucault (3)
  • WGSS 4820Feminism and Queer Theory (3)
  • WGSS 4842Sexuality and Nationalism (3)
  • WGSS 4844Youth and Sexualities (3)

Race and Globalization:

  • WGSS 3040Globalization and Gender (3)
  • WGSS 4240Sexuality and Gender in Asia (3)
  • WGSS 4580Thinking the Body (3)
  • WGSS 4590Cultural Studies of Gender (3)
  • WGSS 4750Black Feminist Thought (3)
  • WGSS 4760Activism: History and Theory (3)
  • WGSS 4770Gender and Sexuality in the African Diaspora (3)
  • WGSS 4772Women in Africa (3)
  • WGSS 4780African-American Lesbian and Gay Activism (3)
  • WGSS 4830Class Matters (3)
  • WGSS 4840Arab and Islamic Feminisms (3)
  • WGSS 4842Sexuality and Nationalism (3)
  • WGSS 4846Gender, War, and Militarism in/and the Middle East (3)

Social Change:

  • WGSS 3040Globalization and Gender (3)
  • WGSS 4510Feminist Political Theory (3)
  • WGSS 4650Gender and Sexuality in European History (4)
  • WGSS 4750Black Feminist Thought (3)
  • WGSS 4760Activism: History and Theory (3)
  • WGSS 4830Class Matters (3)
  • WGSS 4842Sexuality and Nationalism (3)
  • WGSS 4844Youth and Sexualities (3)

Additional Electives:

  • WGSS 3120Families and Society (3)
  • WGSS 3130Gender and Society (3)
  • WGSS 3140Birth and Parenthood (3)
  • WGSS 3960African-American Literature by Women (3)
  • WGSS 3995Feminist Literary Criticism (3)
  • WGSS 4020Gender in Criminal Justice (3)
  • WGSS 4130Communication and Gender (3)
  • WGSS 4150Women and Media (3)
  • WGSS 4360Feminist Philosophy (3)
  • WGSS 4470Visual Culture (4)
  • WGSS 4720Feminist Issues in Contemporary Art (3)
  • WGSS 4740Women Artists (3)

Area H: Minor and Additional Courses

  1. Students majoring in WGSS are required to complete a minor of at least 15 hours, at least 9 hours of which must be 3000 level or above. The minor may be taken through a department or institute, or it may be an interdisciplinary minor.
  2. Additional courses not in the major or the minor must be taken as electives to complete a minimum of 120 semester hours, exclusive ofKH 1010.

Minor in Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies

Students choosing to minor in WGSS should complete 15 hours includingWGSS 2010,WGSS 3010,WGSS 3030,WGSS 3040, and three additional hours of upper-division elective WGSS courses. Only courses with the WGSS prefix count as Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies courses.

Critical Thinking Through Writing Requirement

As of summer 2015, all students are required to complete one Critical Thinking Through Writing (CTW) course as part of the major. The university formerly required two CTW courses. Students following previous catalog requirements who have passed one CTW
course in the major should consult with their senior academic advisor to determine which courses may be used as a substitution for the other formerly required CTW course. Information on senior advisement in the Office of Academic Assistance is available at
cas.gsu.edu/undergraduate/senior-advisement-90-credit-hours/.

Graduation with Distinction in the Major

Thisunitoffers undergraduate students with the opportunity to earn the designation of graduation with distinction in the major.Faculty can nominate students for graduation with distinction. They should meet minimum grade requirements and be recognized for outstanding research, leadership, or service.

Criteria for significant contributions to the field include the following. Additional possibilities may be approved at faculty discretion.

  1. Minimum GPA of 3.5 either overall or in the major
  2. Significant contribution to the field such as the following:
  3. Presentation of a scholarly paper at a conference
  4. Authorship (or significant co-authorship) on a manuscript submitted for publication
  5. Exceptional service to the department
  6. Leadership in a women’s/gender/sexuality studies organization, such as Faces of Feminism or BlackOUT
  7. Outstanding community activism