About the Program
Jennifer Toohey, Coordinator
Donald Savage Building, 212
(716) 878-3057
wgs.buffalostate.edu/
Women, Gender and Sexuality Studies is an interdisciplinary field that examines women’s experiences, as well as the many ways that gender, sex and sexuality impact people’s lives. Women, Gender and Sexuality Studies examines a range of issues, including how gender and sexuality currently and historically affect life events, social and political power, and experiences in sociocultural institutions; the portrayal of gender and sexuality in art, literature and media; sociocultural and biological influence on gender; sociocultural and biological influences on gender development; how gender and sexuality influence thoughts and behavior; how gender and sexuality intersect with other forms of diversity, such as race, class, and culture; the nature of sexuality; and feminist theory and scholarship.
Admission Requirements
Any matriculated student in good academic standing may declare this program.
Learning Outcomes
Students will:
1. differentiate between gender, sex, and sexual orientation
2. analyze assumptions and claims about gender and sexual identities, categories, and experiences
3. analyze how gender and sexuality historically and currently impact sociocultural institutions
4. apply key concepts in feminist and other gender theories and sexuality theories
5. examine intersections between gender, sexuality, race, class, culture, and other social categories
6. evaluate women’s historical, contemporary, and global experiences and contributions
7. integrate theoretical perspectives and scholarly approaches from different academic disciplines to understanding women, gender. and sexuality.
8. apply knowledge and skills to creative and scholarly projects and applied experiences, such as gender activism
9. explain how sociocultural and biological factors contribute to the development and construction of gender identity
Program Requirements
Required Courses (6 credit hours)
Complete ALL of the following Courses:
WGS101 INTRODUCTION TO WOMEN AND GENDER STUDIES | 3 - Credit Hours
OR SOC312 WOMEN IN SOCIETY | 3 - Credit Hours
WGS201 INTRODUCTION TO LGBTQAI2+ STUDIES | 3 - Credit Hours
Electives (12 credit hours)
Select 12 credit hours, 6 or more credits must come from Group A.
Group A: Women, Gender and Sexuality as Primary Focus
Complete course(s) and earn 6 - 12 credit(s) from the following:
ANT332 GENDER AND ARCHAEOLOGY | 3 - Credit Hours
CRJ430 GENDER AND THE ADMINISTRATION OF JUSTICE | 3 - Credit Hours
ENG231 WOMEN IN LITERATURE | 3 - Credit Hours
ENG385 GENDER AND SEXUALITY IN LITERATURE | 3 - Credit Hours
HEW308 WOMEN'S HEALTH ISSUES | 3 - Credit Hours
HEW340 DIMENSIONS OF HUMAN SEXUALITY | 3 - Credit Hours
HIS302 HISTORY OF WOMEN IN AMERICA | 3 - Credit Hours
HIS445 HISTORY OF WOMEN AND GENDER IN THE MIDDLE EAST | 3 - Credit Hours
PSC225 THE POLITICS OF DIVERSITY AND JUSTICE | 3 - Credit Hours
PSY383 THE PSYCHOLOGY OF HUMAN SEXUAL BEHAVIOR | 3 - Credit Hours
SOC212 FEMINIST THEORY | 3 - Credit Hours
SOC310 SOCIOLOGY OF SEX AND GENDER | 3 - Credit Hours
SOC326 BLACK FEMINIST THOUGHT | 3 - Credit Hours
SOC392 SOCIOLOGY OF SEXUAL BEHAVIOR | 3 - Credit Hours
WGS189 TOPIC COURSE | 1 - 3 Credit Hours
WGS389 TOPIC COURSE | 3 - Credit Hours
WGS488 INTERNSHIP | 1 - 12 Credit Hours
WGS495 SPECIAL PROJECT | 1 - 3 Credit Hours
WGS499 INDEPENDENT STUDY | 3 - 12 Credit Hours
Group B: Women, Gender and Sexuality Studies in A Broader Context
Complete course(s) and earn up to 6 credit(s) from the following:
ANT350 GLOBAL MARRIAGE PRACTICES | 3 - Credit Hours
BUS305 DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION IN THE WORKPLACE | 3 - Credit Hours
COM333 RACE, CLASS, GENDER, AND SEXUALITY IN MEDIA | 3 - Credit Hours
EDU304 WOMEN AND MATHEMATICS | 3 - Credit Hours
ENG147 INTRODUCTION TO DIVERSE LITERATURES | 3 - Credit Hours
ENG447 SELECTED TOPICS IN DIVERSE LITERATURE | 3 - Credit Hours
FTT348 FASHION, SOCIETY, AND HISTORY | 3 - Credit Hours
LIB303 SOCIAL JUSTICE THROUGH ZINES | 3 - Credit Hours
PHI308 PHILOSOPHY OF LOVE AND SEX | 3 - Credit Hours
PSC319 GAY, LESBIAN, BISEXUAL, TRANSGENDER, QUESTIONING POLITICS | 3 - Credit Hours
PSC375 RACE, SEX, AND POLITICS OF MYTH AND STORY | 3 - Credit Hours
SOC320 SOCIOLOGY OF THE FAMILY | 3 - Credit Hours
SPC326 FILM ANALYSIS AND EVALUATION | 3 - Credit Hours
SWK310 SEXUALITY IN HUMAN DEVELOPMENT | 3 - Credit Hours
18 Total Credit Hours
Completion requirement
Note: Specific sections of topics courses (e.g., ANT 189, ANT 389, COM 389, ENG 322, SWK 485, WGS 189, WGS 389) that are relevant to Women and Gender Studies may be counted toward the minor with the approval of the Women’s Studies Coordinator. Group A or B status will be determined on a case-by-case basis.