Students working on computers in the BGSU Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies major.
  • Bachelors Available
  • Bachelors Available

Women's, Gender, & Sexuality Studies

The BGSU women’s, gender, and sexuality studies program promotes the interdisciplinary study of sex, gender, and sexuality.  

Women’s, gender, and sexuality studies examine women’s lives locally and globally, focusing on how gender intersects with other forms of difference, including race, disability, ethnicity, class, age, and sexual orientation.   

The topics that are examined through this lens are as varied as you can imagine; public space, media and popular culture, crime and aggression, performing arts, intimate relationships, poetry and politics.  

The BGSU major or minor in women’s, gender, and sexuality studies will provide you with valuable knowledge about difference and diversity and develop critical thinking, presentation, and writing skills.

Careers in public service, policy and advocacy, business and research are common post-graduation pursuits.

The interdisciplinary study of sex, gender, and sexuality

The BGSU women’s, gender, and sexuality studies program examines past and present life to make society more equal and just.

The field of Women’s Studies began in the 1970s and has flourished into a vibrant academic discipline. The flexible program of study in women’s, gender, and sexuality studies provides a rich liberal arts education.`

Graduates will have a deep understanding of the nature of differences and the ability to interact with diverse populations in our increasingly global economy. This makes them invaluable in fostering diversity, equity and inclusion in our world.  

The interdisciplinary nature of women’s, gender, and sexuality studies will bring a wide range of experiences to teach students how to look at the world from different perspectives, think critically, work with diverse populations, and tackle large social and political issues.   

A major, minor and focused minors on women's studies and sexuality studies are available, as well as a graduate certificate.

Stand Out in courses like

  • Introduction to Women’s Studies: Perspectives on Gender, Class and Ethnicity
  • History of Feminist Thought & Action
  • Contemporary Global Feminism
  • Introduction to LGBTQI+ Studies
  • Women of Color in the United States
  • Women, Gender, and Health
  • Women and Interpersonal Violence
  • Latinx Gender and Sexuality
  • Intersections of Gender, Race & Culture
  • Gender, Race & Culture in Community-Based Practice

“My time in the Women’s Studies program has inspired me to not only be a better person, but a better advocate in an unending fight for equality for all people.”

-- Aris Kaleps-Clark, 2011 B.A in Women’s, Gender and Sexuality Studies graduate



Curriculum

The flexible program of study in Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies provides students with a rich liberal arts education. Our major and minors emphasize a cross-cultural and intersectional understanding of women, gender, and sexuality with a particular emphasis on race, class, age, and disability.

The core curriculum for the major offers critical historical, sociological, philosophical, psychological, and literary examinations of the lives of women.

Students will study the history of feminist thought and action, from matriarchal societies through Mary Wollstonecraft and the three waves of modern feminism. This will lead to a survey of contemporary feminist thought.

Students of women’s, gender, and sexuality studies emphasize analytical and methodological frameworks to examine different histories, activism, borders, political participation, media representation and ideologies shaping women's lives.   

As part of the School of Cultural and Critical Studies (SCCS), all WGSS majors take a rigorous core curriculum in their junior and senior years that consists of a theory course (CCS 3030: Intersections of Gender, Race & Culture), a service-learning course (CCS 3710 Gender, Race & Culture in Community-Based Practice), a research methods course (CCS 4850: Qualitative Research Methods), and a writing course (CCS 4860: Capstone Seminar).

Taking the courses with other majors across SCCS helps students develop a stronger sense of community and interdisciplinary connection. Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies minors are welcome to take these courses as well.

Students will graduate with a solid foundation in research methods, critical reasoning, speaking, presenting and discussion. This modern toolkit equips them for many roles in the workforce.

Careers

Employers are looking for flexible workers that can work with diverse populations in our global economy.  Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies is excellent preparation for today’s workforce where skill with difference and diversity encourages critical research and creative thinking.

Students will become confident presenters and defenders of their thoughts and findings, critically examining evidence gathered from various sources. They will be able to present their work to various audiences and possess excellent communication skills.

Our Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies graduates have gone on to become attorneys, corporate executives, counselors, teachers, librarians, journalists, human resource specialists, victim advocates and managers of non-profit organizations.  

Most importantly, students gain valuable knowledge about themselves and how they can affect positive change through work in public service organizations, education, advocacy, government, health care services, communications, media and private industry.

GO FAR in your career

  • Nonprofit Administrator 
  • Lawyer
  • Communications Manager
  • Human Resource Specialist
  • Victims Advocate
  • Educator
  • Health Care Worker
  • Counselor
  • Librarian
  • Journalist

BGSU Arts and Sciences white

The Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies is a part of the School of Cultural & Critical Studies in the College of Arts and Sciences.

Student organizations

BGSU has several identity, cultural or political organizations expressly for students. They invigorate campus life and help push the agenda towards equality and justice for all on our campus and in our communities. 

BGSU Feminist Alumni Network (FAN)

BGSU Feminist Alumni Network (FAN) is a community of feminist alums who want to reach out to current students, connect with former classmates, share information about jobs and internships, and more! For more information or to get involved, see BGSU Feminist Alumni Network on Facebook or email us at bgsu.feminists@gmail.com.

Center for Women and Gender Equity

The primary goal of the Center for Women and Gender Equity at BGSU is to address issues of gender equity on our campus and in our community through our programming and services. We also understand that it is our responsibility to approach issues of gender as always linked to issues of race, sexuality, class, ability, citizenship status and all other categories of identity in which people are marginalized and face systemic oppression.

When we say “women,” we mean all women; transgender women, women of color, immigrant women, queer women. White womanhood is not a default or universal experience and should not be the foundation for our feminism.  

When we say “gender equity,” we recognize gender as more than a binary of man or woman.

National Women’s Studies Association

The professional association for Women’s Studies is called the National Women's Studies Association. As well as organizing conferences, they have student prizes, disseminate research, act as a clearinghouse for opportunities, and have student memberships available for all incomes.  

There are many other on-campus, local and national organizations that provide resources, support, and advocacy for women.

Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of the baccalaureate degree, students in Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies are expected to be able to:

  • Discuss the multiple types of feminisms that currently exist in the U.S. and internationally, as well as their histories and development;
  • Critically analyze and make profitable connections between feminist theories and feminist practices;
  • Explicate the basic debates or areas of contention within contemporary feminist thought;
  • Describe the multiple ways in which gender is intersected by other social relations such as race, ethnicity, sexuality, class, and nation;
  • Identify the basic components that distinguish feminist methodologies from other approaches to inquiry and the ways in which Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies approaches have transformed traditional disciplines;
  • Communicate clearly and effectively in written and oral expression.

Bowling Green State University [BGSU] is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission.  BGSU has been accredited by the Higher Learning Commission since 01/01/1916. The most recent reaffirmation of accreditation was received in 2012 - 2013. Questions should be directed to the Office of Institutional Effectiveness.

More information on accreditation

Bowling Green State University programs leading to licensure, certification and/or endorsement, whether delivered online, face-to-face or in a blended format, satisfy the academic requirements for those credentials set forth by the State of Ohio.

Requirements for licensure, certification and/or endorsement eligibility vary greatly from one profession to another and from state to state. The Women's, Gender, and Sexuality program does not lead to professional licensure.

More information on professional licensure

Under the Higher Education Act Title IV disclosure requirements, an institution must provide current and prospective students with information about each of its programs that prepares students for gainful employment in a recognized occupation.

The Women's, Gender, and Sexuality program is not a recognized occupation that requires a Gainful Employment disclosure.



* Job placement and salary information was compiled by the Office of Academic Assessment through the Graduation Survey from AY2015-2018. The data are gathered around the time of Commencement and a follow-up survey six months post Commencement. For the salary question, data for programs with fewer than fifteen responses are not included. Salaries for those programs are from the National Association of Colleges and Employers Summer 2019 Survey. For questions regarding the data, contact assessment@bgsu.edu.

Updated: 10/06/2021 09:04AM