Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies Major, Health Specialization

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

WGSS majors may choose an optional specialization within the major called Health if the students' interests lie primarily within this area of WGSS. Students enrolled in the Health specialization must complete the WGSS major using the approved courses in each required category below. Only 6 units may be taken at the 1000 or 2000 level. In addition, 6 units must be taken at the 4000 level. One of the 4000-level courses can be double-counted for one other category. For example, one class may count toward the 4000-level class and it may fulfill the theory requirement.

1. One 1000-Level Introductory Course: 3 credits

WGSS 1500Introduction to Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies3

2. One Theory Course: 3 credits

WGSS 3020Justice as Failure: Abolitionist Theory and Praxis3
WGSS 3215Bodies Out of Bounds: Feminist and Queer Disability Studies3
WGSS 3475Queering the History of Health3
WGSS 4006Advanced Topics in Trans Theories: Femme3

3. One History Course: 3 credits

WGSS 3055Making Sex and Gender: Understanding the History of the Body3
WGSS 3081From Hysteria to Hysterectomy: Women's Health Care in America3
WGSS 3135The Racial and Sexual Politics of Public Health3
WGSS 4115Gender, Religion, Medicine and Science3

4. One Race or Non-U.S. Course: 3 credits

ANTHRO 4022Transnational Reproductive Health Issues: Meanings, Technologies, Practices3
WGSS 3020Justice as Failure: Abolitionist Theory and Praxis3
WGSS 3135The Racial and Sexual Politics of Public Health3
WGSS 3201Gender, Culture, and Madness - Gender, Culture, and Madness3
WGSS 3650The Global History of HIV/AIDS3
WGSS 4134The AIDS Epidemic: Inequalities, Ethnography, and Ethics3

5. One Required Health Elective: 3 credits

WGSS 3155Gender, Health, and Society3
WGSS 3500Trans Studies3
WGSS 3685Gender Violence3
WGSS 4017Healing and Social Justice3

6. One Methods Course: 3 credits

WGSS 3176Community Engaged Learning: Feminist and Queer Community Praxis3
WGSS 3690Community-Engaged Learning: Projects in Domestic Violence3
WGSS 4141Feminist and Queer Research Methodologies3
WGSS 4280Sex and Gender in Public1.5
WGSS 4440Sex and Gender in Public1.5

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. WGSS 4142 is restricted to students who plan to submit an honors thesis proposal. Both WGSS 4141 and WGSS 4142 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 and WGSS 4142 and the approval of the 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.

7. 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 course in WGSS course selected from the following list:

ANTHRO 4022Transnational Reproductive Health Issues: Meanings, Technologies, Practices3
WGSS 4017Healing and Social Justice3
WGSS 4115Gender, Religion, Medicine and Science3
WGSS 4141Feminist and Queer Research Methodologies3
WGSS 4991Honors Thesis: Research and Writing3

The second may be either a 4000-level course in WGSS or a 4000-level course approved for this degree offered by another program (e.g., has a different course subject code than WGSS). Consult with your WGSS major advisor to to ensure your chosen course meets this requirement.

8. Elective Courses: 9 credits

  • Students select 9 units of any WGSS courses as electives.

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