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

The Gender, Sexuality, and Women’s Studies major at SUNY Geneseo is a multi-disciplinary and interdisciplinary program designed to be flexible to accommodate multiple focuses. It includes feminist analyses of the construction and enforcement of gender differences and gender inequalities in various contexts, with an emphasis on the intersection of gender with race, class, sexuality, and nationality in the lives of women and gender minorities. Students are encouraged to apply what they learn in the classroom to other areas of their lives.

All students take a core set of Gender, Sexuality, and Women’s Studies courses in addition to electives drawn from the program’s course offerings and those from a variety of other fields in the humanities, arts, and social and natural sciences. Electives must include global and historical content. Finally, all students complete a capstone experience designed to apply concepts from the Gender, Sexuality, and Women’s Studies Program toward their future life, educational, and/or career goals.

Program Learning Outcomes

Demonstrate mastery over key concepts pertaining to gender, sexuality, and interrelated systems of structural inequality using appropriate evidence, conventions, and critical terminology
Demonstrate critical reading, writing and presentation skills
1. Demonstrate competence in understanding, analyzing, and synthesizing texts from multiple disciplines, historical eras and global cultures
2. Clearly and effectively argue a thesis in writing using appropriate supporting evidence
Recognize different disciplinary contributions and methodologies to the inter & multidisciplinary field, how those contributions and methodologies advance the field, and how the field challenges traditional disciplinary approaches
Engage in research
1. Locate, evaluate, and interpret scholarly sources within sexuality, gender, and women’s studies or a contributing discipline
2. Demonstrate competence at organizing, expressing, and presenting sexuality, gender, and women’s studies research to diverse audiences
Apply and integrate theoretical/conceptual knowledge with community engagement, activism, or other real-world issues of social justice concern

General Education Requirements (30-40 Credits)

Prerequisite coursework may be required to satisfy certain General Education courses and will count as elective credit.

Total Credits Required for the Major: 33-36

Basic Requirements: (15 Credits)

WGST 100 - Introduction to Gender, Sexuality, & Women’s Studies Credit(s): 3
WGST 310 - Race, Class, and Gender Credit(s): 3
WGST 320 - Gender and Sexualities Credit(s): 3
WGST 430 - Feminist Theories Credit(s): 3
Capstone/Integrative & Applied Learning Experience (3 cr):
WGST 490 - Research Seminar Credit(s): 3 or
WGST 493 - Honors Research Credit(s): 3 or
WGST 495 - Internship Credit(s): As arranged *
WGST 499 - Directed Study Credit(s): As arranged *

Electives (at least 19-21 cr; 5-6 courses)

Gender, Sexuality, and Women’s Studies is an inherently interdisciplinary and/or multidisciplinary field. As such, the structure of elective choices encourages students to select courses that expose them to multiple disciplinary approaches and to reflect on integration of those approaches and the gender/sexuality-related knowledge produced in a variety of fields.

Content and disciplinary requirements for selecting electives:

Additional requirements for elective courses:

At least 6 cr of electives must be at the 300+ level and at least 8 cr must be at the 200+ level

Double-dipping within the electives content and disciplinary requiremeents is allowed once; that is, any one course can satisfy up to two, but not more than two, of the requirements.

Students who pursue a sole major in GSWS-no second major-are strongly encouraged to take up a course in social science methods as one of their electives. This may require requesting that prerequisites be waived and/or a waiver. Talk with the Gender, Sexuality, and Women’s Studies Coordinator about options.

The following courses are approved as electives:

AMST 200 - Race, Prisons and Policing Credit(s): 3
ANTH 231 - Language and Gender Credit(s): 3 [crosslisted w/WGST 231 ]
ANTH 318 - Gender and Sexuality in Latin America Credit(s): 3 [crosslisted w/WGST 318 ]
ANTH 319 - Cross-Cultural Politics of Reproduction Credit(s): 3
ANTH 326 - Race, Racism and Antiracism in the Americas Credit(s): 3
ANTH 343 - Cross-Cultural Perspectives on Women’s Health Credit(s): 3
ANTH 380 - Topics in Cultural Anthropology: (subtitle) Credit(s): 3 (with appropriate subtitle)
ARTH 410 - Gender and Art Credit(s): 4
BLKS 200 - Introduction to Black Studies Credit(s): 3
BLKS 220 - Black Lives Matter: (subtitle) Credit(s): 3
ECON 356 - Women and the Economy Credit(s): 3
ENGL 112 - World Cultures and Values in Literature and Culture: (subtitle) Credit(s): 4 (with appropriate subtitle)
ENGL 318 - Black British Literature and Culture Credit(s): 4
ENGL 329 - American Visions: (subtitle) Credit(s): 4 (with appropriate subtitle)
ENGL 335 - Asian American Literature Survey Credit(s): 4
ENGL 336 - Native American Literature Credit(s): 4
ENGL 337 - African-American Literature Credit(s): 4
ENGL 344 - Black Atlantic Writing Credit(s): 4
ENGL 439 - American Ways: (subtitle) Credit(s): 4 (with appropriate subtitle)
ENGL 443 - Gender, Sexuality, and Literature: (subtitle) Credit(s): 4 (with appropriate subtitle)
ENGL 458 - Major Authors: (subtitle) Credit(s): 4 (with appropriate subtitle)
ENGL 467 - Topics in Modern Literature: (subtitle) Credit(s): 4 (with appropriate subtitle)
ENGL 468 - Topics in Recent Literature: (subtitle) Credit(s): 4 (with appropriate subtitle)
FMST 369 - Connections in Film: (subtitle) Credit(s): 4 (with appropriate subtitle)
GEOG 123 - Global Development and Sustainability Credit(s): 3
HIST 112 - History Matters: (subtitle) Credit(s): 4 (with appropriate subtitle)
HIST 249 - Studies in American History: (subtitle) Credit(s): 4 (with appropriate subtitle)
HIST 260 - Issues in the History of American Women Credit(s): 4
HIST 261 - Native American History Credit(s): 4
HIST 266 - Civil Rights Movement in America Credit(s): 4
HIST 267 - Women and U.S. Social Movements Credit(s): 4
HIST 270 - History of Latin America to 1825 Credit(s): 4
HIST 271 - History of Latin America since 1789 Credit(s): 4
HIST 275 - Global History of Sexual Science Credit(s): 4
HIST 282 - History of Modern East Asia Credit(s): 4
HIST 284 - Studies in Global History: (subtitle) Credit(s): 4 (with appropriate subtitle)
HIST 292 - The Modern Islamic World from 1800 to the Present Credit(s): 4
HIST 413 - Black Power and Structural Inequality in Post-1945 Credit(s): 4
HIST 430 - Advanced Studies in American History: (subtitle) Credit(s): 4 (with appropriate subtitle)
HIST 441 - Women in the Medieval World Credit(s): 4
HIST 476 - Modern China Credit(s): 4
HIST 480 - Advanced Studies in LACAANA History: (subtitle) Credit(s): 4 (with appropriate subtitle)
HUMN 222 - Black Humanities Credit(s): 4
MUSC 336 - Music, Gender, and Sexuality: (subtitle) Credit(s): 3 (with appropriate subtitle)
MUSC 337 - Music, Race, and Ethnicity: (subtitle) Credit(s): 3 (with appropriate subtitle)
PASC 105 - Performance as Social Change I Credit(s): 4
PHIL 204 - Feminist Philosophy Credit(s): 3
PHIL 210 - Philosophy & Social Justice Topics: (subtitle) Credit(s): 3 (with appropriate subtitle)
PLSC 361 - Women and Politics Credit(s): 3
PLSC 412 - American Social Welfare Policy Credit(s): 3
PLSC 417 - Identity & Politics in the United States Credit(s): 3
PLSC 442 - Human Rights in a Global Perspective Credit(s): 3
PSYC 236 - Human Sexual Behavior Credit(s): 3
PSYC 308 - Psychology of Women Credit(s): 3
SOCL 105 - Introduction to Global Social Change Credit(s): 3
SOCL 210 - Sociology of Families Credit(s): 3
SOCL 225 - Sociology of Gender and Sexuality Credit(s): 3
SOCL 245 - Sociology of Sports Credit(s): 3
SOCL 281 - Selected Topics: (subtitle) Credit(s): 3 (with appropriate subtitle)
SOCL 325 - Global Social Change Credit(s): 3
WGST 110 - Gender in Historical Perspective: (subtitle) Credit(s): 4 (with appropriate subtitle)
WGST 201 - Historical and Political Topics: (subtitle) Credit(s): 3 (with appropriate subtitle)
WGST 202 - Topics in Representation in the Humanities and Arts: (subtitle) Credit(s): 3 (with appropriate subtitle)
WGST 203 - Topics in Gender in the Social World: (subtitle) Credit(s): 3 (with appropriate subtitle)
WGST 204 - Global Issues of Sex and Gender: (subtitle) Credit(s): 3 (with appropriate subtitle)
WGST 205 - Topics in Gender, Sexuality, Queer Studies: (subtitle) Credit(s): 3 (with appropriate subtitle)
WGST 230 - Introduction to Queer Studies Credit(s): 3
WGST 231 - Language and Gender Credit(s): 3 [crosslisted w/ANTH 231 ]
WGST 318 - Gender and Sexuality in Latin America Credit(s): 3 [crosslisted w/ANTH 318 ]
WGST 332 - Safe Zone Train-the-Trainer Credit(s): 3
WGST 333 - Safe Zone Leadership Credit(s): 1
WGST 430 - Feminist Theories Credit(s): 3
WGST 495 - Internship Credit(s): As arranged
WGST 499 - Directed Study Credit(s): As arranged
XLRN 150 - Foundations in Social Identity Credit(s): 3
XLRN 350 - Dialogue Facilitation Training Credit(s): 3

Minimum Competence Requirement

A grade of C- or better is required for all courses used in fulfillment of the Women’s and Gender Studies Major

Department Writing Requirement

All courses offered in WGST at the 200 level or above require significant writing assignments. Successful completion of WGST 310 , WGST 320 , WGST 430 , and WGST 490 , WGST 493 , or WGST 495 fulfills the writing requirement.

Sample Course Map

For students who matriculated prior to Fall 2022: please select the bulletin year in which you entered the college (matriculated) at the top right of this page.

Curriculum Map

First Year
- Fall - 14 Credits
  - WGST 100 - Introduction to Gender, Sexuality, & Women’s Studies - Credit(s): 3
  - WRTG 105 - Writing Seminar: (subtitle) - Credit(s): 4
  - Math/Quantitative - Credit(s): 3
  - World Language 101 - Credit(s): 4
- Spring - 16 Credits
  - Global Elective - Credit(s): 2
  - History/Politics Elective - Credit(s): 4
  - World Language 102 - Credit(s): 4
  - Global Society: DPP - Credit(s): 3
  - Global Society: SST - Credit(s): 3
Second Year
- Fall - 15 Credits
  - WGST 310 - Race, Class, and Gender
  - Social World Elective - Credit(s): 3
  - Natural Science
  - Global Society: WCV - Credit(s): 4
  - Elective
- Spring - 15 Credits
  - WGST 320 - Gender and Sexualities
  - Sexualities Elective - Credit(s): 4
  - Global Society: CAI - Credit(s): 3
  - Global Society: CGC - Credit(s): 3
  - Elective
Third Year
- Fall - 15 Credits
  - Humanities/Arts Elective - Credit(s): 4
  - Focus Area Elective - Credit(s): 4
  - Elective
  - Elective
  - Elective
- Spring - 15 Credits
  - Focus Area Elective - Credit(s): 3
  - Integrative and Applied Learning - Credit(s): 3
  - Elective
  - Elective
  - Elective
Fourth Year
- Fall - 15 Credits
  - WGST 430 - Feminist Theories
  - Elective
  - Elective
  - Elective
- Spring - 15 Credits
  - WGST 490 - Research Seminar or WGST 493 - Honors Research or WGST 495 - Internship
  - Electives
  - Elective
  - Elective

Total Credits: 120

Course Rotation: Work closely with your advisor and carefully read course descriptions for the course rotation to see when courses will be offered.

Note: Variation in the order of courses is possible, depending upon prerequisites. Consult course information in the bulletin or your academic advisor to customize your eight semester plan.

KEY - Participation in a Global Society (PGS)

Attributes:

Sub Areas

Abbreviation	Definition
DPP	Diversity, Pluralism, Power
WCV	World Cultures & Values
CGC	Contemporary Global Challenges
CAI	Creativity & Innovation
SST	Sustainability

Learning Areas

Abbreviation	Definition
ARTS	Arts
HUMA	Humanities
SOSC	Social Science