Academics

WOMEN AND GENDER STUDIES ACADEMICS

Hunter College builds a foundation for its Women and Gender Studies majors to move on to professional work in government, public service, research and education. Our majors have an academic background that makes them ideal candidates for pursuing professional degrees and graduate studies in a variety of fields, including social work, policy, health, law and the arts.

MAJOR

Several courses within this major may fulfill parts of the Hunter Core Requirement.

The 12 core credits required of Women and Gender Studies majors are:

WGS 10000 Introduction to Gender and Sexuality Studies, 3 credits
WGS 20100 Classics in Feminist Thought, 3 credits
WGS 24400 Transnational Feminisms, 3 credits
WGS 31000 Research Seminar: Feminist Theory and Methodology, 3 credits

Area of concentration requirement - 9 credits:

Students must select one area of concentration among these six areas of concentration:

  1. Feminist Thought and Theory
  2. Sexuality
  3. Gender and Public Policy
  4. Labor, Migration and Globalization
  5. Women and Gender Across Cultures
  6. Gender, Literature and the Arts

Electives - 6 credits:

Students are also required to take two elective classes (6 credits). One of these classes (3 credits) must be outside the student’s primary area of concentration.

NOTE: One of the classes in the primary area of concentration or under the electives must be at the 300-level or above.

Learn More about the Women and Gender Studies Major

MINOR

The Women and Gender Studies minor consists of 12 credits, distributed as follows:

WGS 10000 Introduction to Gender and Sexuality Studies, 3 credits
WGS 20100 Classics in Feminist Thought, 3 credits
WGS 24400 Transnational Feminisms, 3 credits
WGS elective course, 3 credits

Learn More about the Women and Gender Studies Minor

HONORS

To graduate with honors in Women and Gender Studies, a student must have a 3.5 GPA in the Women and Gender Studies major and a college-wide cumulative index of at least 3.0. Students should submit an 18-to-20-page paper written for any Women and Gender Studies 300 level class, including but not limited to the Research Seminar (WGS 31000). The student must submit the paper by March 30 (for June graduation) or October 30 (for December graduation) to be considered for program honors. A faculty committee will read submitted papers and determine whether they merit honors.

See Course Catalog for a List of All Courses

PROGRAM LEARNING OUTCOMES

After completing a major in Women and Gender Studies, students will be able to:

  • Describe the contributions of disenfranchised groups across historical and social locations.
  • Use gender, class, race, dis/ability, sexuality and nationality as central and intersecting categories of analysis.
  • Conduct interdisciplinary research using critical Gender, Class, Race and Sexuality theories and intersectional modes of inquiry.
  • Access, critically evaluate and communicate information – including media sources – effectively through writing and oral presentations.
  • Connect academic work with social and political realities outside the college.
  • Apply social justice principles and ethics to their own lives and their engagement with surrounding communities.