Understanding Gender and Society

At a time of rapid social change and cultural reflection, the Program in Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies (WGSS) at WSU invites students to examine how ideas about gender and sexuality influence our lives, institutions, and communities. Through interdisciplinary coursework, students explore how identity, experience, and opportunity are shaped by complex social, historical, and cultural factors.

WGSS places gender and sexuality at the center of inquiry in research and teaching. Using an intersectional lens, students learn how to analyze gendered social roles and the ways in which they affect personal lives, artistic expression, work, social relationships, institutional structures, the production of knowledge, and national and international political and economic relations.

Open to all students, the program offers an undergraduate major in Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies (minimum of 36 credit hours), minors in both WGSS and Queer Studies, and a Graduate Certificate in WGSS (minimum of 9 graduate-level credit hours). To learn more or declare a major, minor, or certificate, please contact Melissa Nicolas, Director of WGSS and Professor of English.

WGSS is committed to:

• Providing students with a strong foundation in interdisciplinary scholarship focused on gender, society, and culture.
• Preparing graduates for success in a wide range of professional, academic, and civic settings.
• Contributing to WSU’s mission to foster academic excellence, critical thinking, and civic engagement.
• Supporting innovative teaching and research that address real-world challenges.