Women's and Gender Studies

Simmons was founded over a century ago for the purpose — radical at the time — of enabling women to earn their own livelihoods through access to education. Today, we continue that legacy in all that we do.

Students sitting in class

Face the world with confidence, competence and conviction

Women's & Gender Studies courses, whether taken as part of the major or to enrich another discipline, invite students to understand past and present experiences in order to prepare for challenges and opportunities in their future personal and professional lives.

Our students develop theoretical, empirical and methodological perspectives for studying the status and experiences of women. By considering gender in diverse national and international contexts, you'll study the multiple and contested meanings and roles of gender to develop an understanding of how gender is related to other social categories such as race, class, age, sexuality, religion and nationality.

Our students find fulfilling careers in management, law, academia, counseling, education, library, museum or archival work, as well as health care, social services, public administration, writing, publishing and the media.

 

40 semester hours (10 courses):

Four semester hours (1 course) in one of the three 100-level courses:

WGST 100 Introduction to Multicultural Women's Studies 4
WGST 111 Introduction to Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender Studies 4
WGST 125 Rosie the Riveter to #MeToo: Women & Work 4

Take the following

WGST 204 Roots of Feminism 4

Four semester hours (1 course) in a Globalization course selected from one of the following:

WGST 200 Women, Nation, Culture 4
WGST 210 Black Women, Gender, and Feminism(s) 4
WGST 214 Women in World Economy 4

Four semester hours (1 course) in a Methodology course selected from one of the following:

LTWR 390 Advanced Seminar in Literature and Writing 4
HIST 260 Interpreting the Past: The Craft of History 4
SOCI 239 Introduction to Social Research I 4
PSYC 203 Research Methods in Psychology 4

Four semester hours (1 course) in advanced coursework chosen from:

WGST 350 Independent Study 4
WGST 353 Special Topics Seminar 4
WGST 355 Thesis 4
WGST 365 Intimate Family Violence 4
WGST 370 Internship 0
WGST 380 Gender and Queer Theory 4
WGST 398 Feminist Media Studies 4
HIST 360 Seminar in the History of Women and Gender 1790-1920 4
POLS 356 Feminist International Relations 4

Capstone:

WGST 354 Feminist Theories 4

Twelve semester hours (3 courses) chosen from the list of Women’s and Gender Studies courses and electives.

A course taken to fulfill the race/ethnicity requirement may not also count as an elective.
ART 248 Gender and Art 4
BIOL 109 Sex, Gender, and Biology 4
ECON 125 Gender at Work: From Rosie the Riveter to #MeToo 4
ECON 214 Gender, Globalization, and Development 4
LTWR 254 The Victorian Novel 4
LTWR 320 American Women Poets 4
LTWR LTWR 354 Studies in Film: Melodrama 4
HIST 213 Race and Ethnicity in U.S. History 4
HIST 360 Seminar in the History of Women and Gender 1790-1920 4
PHIL 223 Philosophy of Diversity 4
PHIL 390 Seminar 4
POLS 223 Human Rights: The Basic Dilemmas 4
POLS 219 Gender and Politics 4
PSYC 220 The Psychology of Gender 4
SPAN 336 Latin American Women Writers 4
SOCI 210 Body Politics 4
SOCI 220 Working for Social Justice 4
SOCI 222 Organizing for Social Change 4
SOCI 249 Inequalities 4
SOCI 346 Gender and Islam 4
SOCI 348 Re-envisioning the Third World 4

Four semester hours (1 course) in a Race Ethnicity and Diversity course selected from one of the following

WGST 210 Black Women, Gender, and Feminism(s) 4
WGST 232 Race, Gender & Health 4
HIST 213 Race and Ethnicity in U.S. History 4
PHIL 223 Philosophy of Diversity 4
SOCI 249 Inequalities 4
A minor in Women’s and Gender studies includes 20 semester hours (5 courses).

One of the three 100 level courses

WGST 100 Introduction to Multicultural Women's Studies 4
WGST 111 Introduction to Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender Studies 4
WGST 125 Rosie the Riveter to #MeToo: Women & Work 4

Take the following

WGST 204 Roots of Feminism 4

3. Three elective courses selected from the list of WGST offerings

ART 248 Gender and Art 4
BIOL 109 Sex, Gender, and Biology 4
ECON 125 Gender at Work: From Rosie the Riveter to #MeToo 4
ECON 214 Gender, Globalization, and Development 4
LTWR 254 The Victorian Novel 4
LTWR 320 American Women Poets 4
LTWR 398 Feminist Media Studies 4
HIST 213 Race and Ethnicity in U.S. History 4
HIST 219 History of Sexuality and the Family 4
HIST 230 Women and Gender in Europe 4
HIST 360 Seminar in the History of Women and Gender 1790-1920 4
PHIL 223 Philosophy of Diversity 4
PHIL 390 Seminar 4
POLS 223 Human Rights: The Basic Dilemmas 4
POLS 219 Gender and Politics 4
PSYC 220 The Psychology of Gender 4
SPAN 336 Latin American Women Writers 4
SOCI 210 Body Politics 4
SOCI 220 Working for Social Justice 4
SOCI 222 Organizing for Social Change 4
SOCI 330 Transnational Studies 4
SOCI 249 Inequalities 4
SOCI 346 Gender and Islam 4
SOCI 347 Antiracism and Social Justice 4
SOCI 348 Re-envisioning the Third World 4
WGST 215 Women and Gender in U.S. History Before 1890 4
WGST 216 Women and Gender in U.S. History: Since 1890 4

So you know that Simmons is a great place to be, you've learned about our programs, maybe even come for a visit...now you're ready to apply! Let's get started.

Our Faculty

Photo of Kelly Hager

Kelly Hager

  • Associate Provost, Curriculum, Assessment, and Accreditation
Diane Grossman photo

Diane Grossman

  • Interim Dean, Gwen Ifill College of Media, Arts, and Humanities and Director of the Honors Program
Dawna Thomas speaking at podium

Dawna Thomas

  • Professor and Chair of Critical Race, Gender, and Cultural Studies, and Chair of Public Health