Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies (BA)

Print Degree Planner (opens a new window) |

Offered by the Department of Critical Race, Gender, and Culture Studies , College of Arts and Sciences .

Admission to the Program

Formal admission to the major requires a grade point average of 2.00 (on a 4.00 scale) and the approval of the program director.

University Requirements

120 credit hours with minimum 2.00 cumulative GPA (Undergraduate Academic Regulation 2 )
Completion of all requirements for a major (Undergraduate Academic Regulation 9 )

AU Core Requirements

Completion of AU Core foundation requirements (Undergraduate Academic Regulation 8.2-8.6 )
Completion of AU Core Habits of Mind requirements (Undergraduate Academic Regulation 8.7 )
Completion of AU Core integrative course requirements (Undergraduate Academic Regulation 8.8-8.11 )

For additional information, see AU Core Curriculum .

Major Requirements

39 credit hours with grades of C or better, including at least 18 credit hours at or above 300-level

Course Requirements

Required (9 credit hours)

Multicultural Perspective (3 credit hours)

Complete 3 credit hours from the following, or other course approved by program director:

ANTH-215 Sex, Gender, and Culture (3)
JWST-320 Topics in Jewish Culture (3) (approved topic)
SOCY-453 Intersectionality: Theory and Practice (3)
WGSS-350 Interpreting Gender in Culture (3) (approved topic)

Concentration (15 credit hours)

15 credit hours in an individually designed grouping of courses which advances students’ intersectional analysis of the operations of power. Students may choose their Concentration courses from a wide variety of approved classes so that this area of academic focus best expresses their particular intellectual, activist, or professional interests. Some examples might include but are not limited to: Sexualities; Gender and Social movements; Gender, Race, and Culture

Capstone (3 credit hours)

WGSS-460 Research Seminar in Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies (3)

Electives (9 credit hours)

Complete 9 credit hours from the following, or other courses approved by program director:

AMST-330 Contemporary American Culture (3) (approved topic)
AMST-340 Community Activism and Regional Studies (3) (approved topic)
ANTH-544 Topics in Public Anthropology (3) (approved topic)
ARTH-335 Twentieth Century Women Artists of the Americas (3)
ARTH-520 Seminar in Art History (3) (approved topic)
COMM-416 Topics in Film and Media Arts (3) (approved topic)
ECON-374 Gender Roles in the Economy (3)
GOVT-482 Women and Politics (3)
GOVT-483 Women, Politics, and Public Policy (3)
GOVT-484 Women and Political Leadership (3)
GOVT-485 Topics in Women and Politics (1-4)
GOVT-486 Feminist Political Theory (3)
HIST-219 Women in America to 1850 (3)
HIST-220 Women in America since 1850 (3)
HIST-344 Topics in Jewish History (3) (approved topic)
HIST-382 Queer Literatures and Histories (3)
/ LIT-382 Queer Literatures and Histories (3)
/ WGSS-382 Queer Literatures and Histories (3)
HIST-449 Topics in U.S. History (3) (approved topic)
HIST-459 Topics in Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality History (3)
HIST-479 Topics in African American History (3) (approved topic)
HIST-500 Studies in History (3) (approved topic)
HLTH-245 Multicultural Health (3)
HLTH-323 Issues in Women’s Health (3)
JLC-426 Domestic Violence (3)
JLC-435 Gender and the Law (3)
LIT-319 Imagined Bodies: Historicizing Race and Gender (3)
/ WGSS-319 Imagined Bodies: Historicizing Race and Gender (3)
LIT-346 Topics in Film (3) (approved topic)
LIT-367 Topics in World Literature (3) (approved topic)
LIT-370 Topics in Women’s and Gender Studies (3) (approved topic)
LIT-381 Topics in Cultural Studies (3) (approved topic)
LIT-446 Advanced Studies in Film (3) (approved topic)
LIT-467 Advanced Studies in World Literature (3) (approved topic)
LIT-481 Advanced Studies in Culture (3) (approved topic)
PHIL-416 Feminist Philosophy (3)
PSYC-365 Human Sexual Behavior (3)
PSYC-421 Women and Mental Health (3)
PSYC-545 Psychology of Sex Similarities and Differences (3)
SOCY-205 Diverse and Changing Families (3)
SOCY-352 Gender Relations and Social Change (3)
SOCY-354 Interrogating Whiteness: Privilege, Racism, and Anti-Racism (3) (approved topic)
SPAN-456 Spanish Topics (3)
SPAN-559 Colloquium on Latin America (3) (approved topic)
WGSS-315 Colloquium in Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies (1) (approved topic)

Combined Bachelor’s and Master’s Degrees

American University offers students the opportunity to earn both undergraduate and graduate degrees through its combined bachelor’s/master’s programs. See Admission to a Combined Bachelor’s / Master’s Program and Combined Bachelor’s and Master’s Degrees for more information.