Units required for Major: 36
Total units required for BS: 120
Program Description
Women’s and Gender Studies is a dynamic interdisciplinary field preparing students to be future leaders, scholars, and social justice activists. We are dedicated to studying the social production of gender and women’s experiences in relation to formations of sexuality, race, class, nationality, ability, ageism, and other categories of difference. Scholarship and research in Women’s and Gender Studies emphasize the importance of connecting what students learn in the classroom to political projects and personal experiences.
Our curriculum empowers students to be agents of change in their communities and society. It provides them tools to examine relations of gender in local, national, and global contexts. Our courses situate gender within specific historical and cultural contexts, allowing students to examine how our lives are shaped by social and economic institutions, political movements, and individual experiences. “Putting Theory into Practice” since 1971, we place a strong emphasis on community involvement and activism, and we offer many opportunities for internships and service work credit.
The B.S. in Women’s and Gender Studies prepares students for careers in education, as professors, teachers, or curriculum specialists; counseling, as school counselors, psychological or family therapists; law; health; human services; student services; and public service.
Minimum total units required for the BS: 120; 40 units should be upper division.
Minimum Grade Requirement
A minimum grade of C- is required of courses applied to the major.
Program Requirements
| Code | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| A. Core Courses (12 Units) | ||
| WGS 50 | Introduction to LGBTQ Studies 1 | 3 |
| WGS 85 | Introduction to Women's & Gender Studies 1 | 3 |
| WGS 110 | Introduction to Feminist Movements in the United States 1 | 3 |
| WGS 180 | Seminar in Feminist Theory | 3 |
| B. Required Departmental Elective Courses (15-18 Units) | ||
| Select 5-6 courses from the following, with at least one course from each category: | 15 - 18 | |
| Political and Social Movements / Applied | ||
| Introduction to Disability Studies 1 | ||
| Gender & Health 1 | ||
| Gender, Race, and Class 1 | ||
| Violence Against Women 1 | ||
| Black Feminisms 1 | ||
| Gender & Disability 1 | ||
| Fieldwork in Women's Studies | ||
| Special Topics in Women's and Gender Studies | ||
| Special Problems | ||
| Critical Cultural Studies | ||
| Introduction to Gender & Sexuality 1 | ||
| Mother Woman Person 1 | ||
| Women of Color 1 | ||
| Latinx Feminist Studies 1 | ||
| Goddess, Witch, Feminist 1 | ||
| Women In Art 1 | ||
| Introduction to Queer and Trans Studies | ||
| Globalization and Transnational Feminisms | ||
| Women Of The Middle East 1 | ||
| Sex & Gender in South Asia 1 | ||
| Women and Work 1 | ||
| Women & Globalization | ||
| C. Interdisciplinary Elective Courses (9-12 Units) 2 | ||
| Select 3-4 courses from the following: | 9 - 12 | |
| Women and the Criminal Justice System 1 | ||
| Women and the Economy | ||
| Twentieth Century Fiction by Women 2 | ||
| British Women Novelists 2 | ||
| American Women Writers 2 | ||
| Sex Role Stereotyping in American Education 1 | ||
| La Mujer Chicana | ||
| Native American Women | ||
| Black Women In America | ||
| History of American Women 1 | ||
| Sex, Population, and Birth Control in America 1 | ||
| Women in Film and American Culture 1 | ||
| Women in the Mass Media 1 | ||
| Philosophy and Feminism | ||
| Psychology of Human Sexuality 1 | ||
| Psychology of Women | ||
| Sociology of Gender 1 | ||
| Crimes Without Victims 1 | ||
| Asian American Women 1 | ||
| Women and Theatre: Staging Diversity 1 | ||
| Gender and Politics | ||
| LGBTQ Histories | ||
| Total Units | 36-42 | |
- 1
Course also satisfies a General Education (GE)/Graduation Requirement.
- 2
4-unit course.
General Education Requirements1
| Code | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| Area A: Basic Subjects (6 Units) | ||
| A1 - Oral Communication | 3 | |
| A2 - Written Communication | 3 | |
| A3 - Critical Thinking 2 | 0 | |
| Area B: Physical Universe and Its Life Forms (10 Units) | ||
| B1 - Physical Science | 3 | |
| B2 - Life Forms | 3 | |
| B3 - Lab (Note: Lab experience to be taken with one of the following: B1, B2 or B5) | 1 | |
| B4 - Math Concepts | 3 | |
| B5 - Additional Course (Any B to reach 12 units) - Take upper-division course to complete Area & upper division requirements. 2 | 0 | |
| Area C: Arts and Humanities (12 Units) | ||
| C1 - Arts | 3 | |
| C2 - Humanities | 3 | |
| C1/C2 - Area C Course | 3 | |
| C1/C2 - Area C Course - Take upper-division course to complete Area & upper division requirements. | 3 | |
| Area D: The Individual and Society (3 Units) | ||
| Area D Course | 3 | |
| Area D Course 2 | 0 | |
| Area D Course - Take upper-division course to complete Area & upper division requirements. 2 | 0 | |
| Area E: Understanding Personal Development (3 Units) | ||
| Area E Course | 3 | |
| Area F: Ethnic Studies | ||
| Area F Course | ||
| Total Units | 34 | |
- 1
To help you complete your degree in a timely manner and not take more units than absolutely necessary, there are ways to use single courses to meet more than one requirement (overlap). For further information, please visit the General Education page.
Note: There is no way to list all possible overlaps so please consult with a professional advisor. The Academic Advising Center can be visited online, by phone (916) 278-1000, or email.
- 2
Required in Major; also satisfies GE.
Graduation Requirements1
| Code | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| Graduation Requirements (required by CSU) (6 Units) | ||
| American Institutions: U.S. History | 3 | |
| American Institutions: U.S. Constitution & CA Government | 3 | |
| Writing Intensive (WI) 2 | 0 | |
| Graduation Requirements (required by Sacramento State) (12 Units) | ||
| English Composition II | 3 | |
| Race and Ethnicity in American Society (RE) | 3 | |
| Foreign Language Proficiency Requirement 3 | 6 | |
- 1
To help you complete your degree in a timely manner and not take more units than absolutely necessary, there are ways to use single courses to meet more than one requirement (overlap). For further information, please visit the General Education page.
Note: There is no way to list all possible overlaps so please consult with a professional advisor. The Academic Advising Center can be visited online, by phone (916) 278-1000, or email.
- 2
Department recommends WGS Elective that meets the WI Graduation Requirement; see Program Requirements table above.
Note: WGS courses that meet the WI Graduation Requirement are displayed with a pencil icon.
- 3
If not satisfied before entering Sacramento State, it may be satisfied in General Education Area C2 (Humanities). "C- or better required." The alternative methods for satisfying the Foreign Language Proficiency Requirement are described here: https://www.csus.edu/college/arts-letters/world-languages-literatures/foreign-language-requirement.html
The following roadmaps are sample planning resources. Please consult your academic advisor and Academic Catalog for graduation requirements as you develop your individualized academic plan.
Women's and Gender Studies, BS: 4-Year Roadmap
| Year 1 | ||
|---|---|---|
| First Semester | Units | |
| WGS 50 | Introduction to LGBTQ Studies | 3 |
| GE Area 1B - Critical Thinking 2 | 3 | |
| GE Area 1C - Oral Communication 2 | 3 | |
| GE Area 3A - Arts 2 | 3 | |
| Elective of Choice | 3 | |
| Units | 15 | |
| Second Semester | ||
| WGS 85 | Introduction to Women's & Gender Studies | 3 |
| GE Area 1A - English Composition 2 | 3 | |
| GE Area 2 - Mathematical Concepts & Quantitative Reasoning 2 | 3 | |
| GE Area 6 - Ethnic Studies 2 | 3 | |
| Foreign Language Semester 1 2 | 4 | |
| Units | 16 | |
| Year 2 | ||
| First Semester | ||
| ENGL 20 | College Composition II | 3 |
| GE Area 5B - Biological Science 2 | 3 | |
| GE Area 5C - Laboratory 2 | 1 | |
| GR American Institutions (US History) 2 | 3 | |
| Foreign Language Semester 2 2 | 4 | |
| Units | 14 | |
| Second Semester | ||
| WGS 110 | Introduction to Feminist Movements in the United States | 3 |
| WGS Departmental Elective 3 | 3 | |
| GE Area 3B - Humanities 2 | 3 | |
| GE Area 5A - Physical Science 2 | 3 | |
| Elective of Choice | 3 | |
| Units | 15 | |
| Year 3 | ||
| First Semester | ||
| WGS Departmental Elective 3 | 3 | |
| WGS Interdisciplinary Elective 3 | 3 | |
| Writing Intensive 2 | 3 | |
| GR American Institutions (GOVT) 2 | 3 | |
| Elective of Choice | 3 | |
| Units | 15 | |
| Second Semester | ||
| WGS 180 | Seminar in Feminist Theory | 3 |
| WGS Departmental Elective 3 | 3 | |
| WGS Interdisciplinary Elective 3 | 3 | |
| Upper Division GE Area 3 - Arts or Humanities 2 | 3 | |
| Elective of Choice | 3 | |
| Units | 15 | |
| Year 4 | ||
| First Semester | ||
| WGS Departmental Elective 3 | 3 | |
| WGS Departmental Elective 3 | 3 | |
| WGS Departmental Elective 3 | 3 | |
| WGS Interdisciplinary Elective 3 | 3 | |
| Elective of Choice | 3 | |
| Units | 15 | |
| Second Semester | ||
| WGS Departmental Elective 3 | 3 | |
| WGS Interdisciplinary Elective 3 | 3 | |
| Upper Division GE Area 4 - Social & Behavioral Sciences 2 | 3 | |
| Upper Division GE Area 5 or 2 - Science or Mathematical Concepts/Quantitative Reasoning 2 | 3 | |
| Elective of Choice | 3 | |
| Units | 15 | |
| Total Units | 120 | |
Women's and Gender Studies, BS: 2-Year Roadmap
| Year 1 | ||
|---|---|---|
| First Semester | Units | |
| WGS 85 | Introduction to Women's & Gender Studies | 3 |
| WGS 110 | Introduction to Feminist Movements in the United States | 3 |
| WGS Departmental Elective 3 | 3 | |
| WGS Departmental Elective 3 | 3 | |
| WGS Interdisciplinary Elective 3 | 3 | |
| Units | 15 | |
| Second Semester | ||
| WGS 50 | Introduction to LGBTQ Studies | 3 |
| WGS 180 | Seminar in Feminist Theory | 3 |
| WGS Departmental Elective 3 | 3 | |
| WGS Interdisciplinary Elective 3 | 3 | |
| Upper Division GE Area 3 - Arts or Humanities + Writing Intensive 2 | 3 | |
| Units | 15 | |
| Year 2 | ||
| First Semester | ||
| WGS Departmental Elective 3 | 3 | |
| WGS Departmental Elective 3 | 3 | |
| WGS Departmental Elective 3 | 3 | |
| WGS Interdisciplinary Elective 3 | 3 | |
| Foreign Language Semester 1 2 | 4 | |
| Units | 16 | |
| Second Semester | ||
| WGS Interdisciplinary Elective 3 | 3 | |
| Upper Division GE Area 4 - Social & Behavioral Sciences + American Institutions (GOVT) 2 | 3 | |
| Upper Division GE Area 5 or 2 - Science or Mathematical Concepts/Quantitative Reasoning 2 | 3 | |
| GR American Institutions (US History) 2 | 3 | |
| Foreign Language Semester 2 2 | 4 | |
| Units | 16 | |
| Total Units | 62 | |
- 1.
Any course not completed in the first semester should be taken in the second or a later semester.
- 2.
Please see General Education/Graduation Requirement course options.
- 3.
Please see an academic advisor for elective options.