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Women's, Gender & Sexuality Studies Undergraduate Degrees
Break down Boundaries. Get Involved. Confront Injustice.
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Women's, Gender & Sexuality Studies Undergraduate Degrees

When you study with us in Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies, you’ll prepare yourself to be an effective change maker. You will examine a wide range of theoretical and practical perspectives on the meaning and effects of systems of gender and sexuality in the human experience. 

You will explore the intersection of gender and sexuality with race, ethnicity, class and other elements of diversity to better understand the human experience and to foster social justice, empowerment and critical thinking. You’ll apply the knowledge learned in your courses to address complex issues surrounding gender equality, LGBTQ+ rights, gendered violence, media representation, disability rights, indigenous rights and global gender justice. 

The program is interdisciplinary, so you will enjoy course offerings across many fields and perspectives. You can choose from more than 70 courses with faculty from over 20 departments. 

You’ll also learn alongside renowned professors and experts to gain confidence in your communication skills and ethical and equitable decision-making. These transferable skills will help you achieve your individual career goals or prepare you to pursue an advanced degree in a wide variety of disciplines.

Choose What You Want to Learn

Choose Where You Want to Learn

  • Athens, OH, Residential Campus

    Immerse yourself in one of the most beautiful campus towns and pursue OHIO’s history degrees at our residential campus in Athens — home to world-class faculty who are award-winning teachers and researchers at the top of their fields!

  • Online or at a Regional Campuses

    Many WGSS classes are offered online in a format that fits your schedule or at our regional campuses near where you work and live. 

 

Careers with a Women's, Gender & Sexuality Studies Major

Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies is an interdisciplinary course of study that introduces students to hidden histories, explores complex social structures, confronts injustice and oppression, and hones the skills of citizens of the future. 

But how does all of this translate into a career? Graduates of our program are applying their skills and knowledge to academic and professional pursuits in law, education, government, social service, public policy, religion, counseling, international relations, journalism, publishing, business, and the arts, to name a few. Recent alums are working for Ms. Magazine, Netflix, Planned Parenthood, AmeriCorps, the United Nations, and Teach for America.

WGSS-Related Careers & Internships

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Preparation for Graduate School

This preparation in critical thinking and social awareness is also excellent background for students pursuing graduate and professional degrees. Women's, Gender, and Sexuality students have gone on to earn master's and Ph.D. graduate degrees at Carnegie Mellon, the University of California at Berkeley, The Ohio State University, and the University of Texas at Austin, among others. Recently, an undergrad was awarded a Fulbright Fellowship for graduate study in Germany.

Get Hands-On Experience with Your WGSS Degree

Our program provides important experiential learning opportunities for students. What you learn in class is also valuable and applicable in the field through internships. You also can participate in research projects and more.

  • Apply for the Triota Honor Society

    Triota works toward encouraging and supporting scholarship and excellence in Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies through various activities on campus.

    Triota Honor Society

  • Internships for WGSS Credit

    WGSS 4910 Internship focuses on applying and evaluating ideas learned in WGSS courses to the "real world" experience of women's organization and feminist practice.

    WGSS Internships

  • Present Your Research at the Student Expo

    You can choose to present your research — and create a research poster describing your work — a the annual Ohio University Student Expo.

    Student Expo

  • Earn WGSS Departmental Honors

    The Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies program offers Departmental Honors for WGSS majors. Students are accepted into the program during their junior year and take WGSS 4800: Capstone in Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies before the end of that year. During their senior year, students write a thesis under the guidance of a WGSS faculty advisor.

    WGSS Departmental Honors

Undergraduate Advising and Student Affairs

Ohio University gives you tools to ensure you succeed, ranging from success advisors and department mentors who help you graduate on time to undergraduate-specific scholarships and financial aid opportunities.

Undergraduate students should contact Undergraduate Advising and Student Affairs for advising support, such as: class registration, adding and dropping classes, changing majors, adding minors and certificates, Guarantee+, and graduation checks.

Contact a Success Advisor