Gender and Sexuality Studies, B.A.

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The College of Arts and Sciences Bachelor of Arts in Gender and Sexuality Studies offers a broad interdisciplinary investigation of gender and sexuality as keys to understanding human experience, fully integrating the study of gender and sexuality in its core curriculum. Genders and sexualities are powerful organizing forces: they shape identities and institutions, nations and economies, cultures and political systems. Careful study of gender and sexuality thus explains crucial aspects of our everyday lives on both personal and global scales. The scholarship in Gender and Sexuality Studies is interdisciplinary and wide-ranging, drawing on communication, history, literature, cultural studies, and social and behavioral sciences, to study genders and sexualities as they intersect with race, ethnicity, class, nationality, disability, and religion.

Degree Requirements

Students must meet all university requirements for a bachelor’s degree. In addition, students must earn a minimum grade of “C” in all the upper-division Gender and Sexuality Studies Core, Selective, and Major Elective courses at Governors State University.

General Education Requirements (37 Hours)

See Bachelor’s Degree Requirements for general education requirements.

Core Courses (12 Hours)

Selectives (18 Hours)

Students must take 3 hours from each of the six selective areas.

Foundations (3 Hours)

Courses that examine the core issues of gender and sexuality. These courses can be taken at the lower division level.

Social Justice and Public Policy (3 Hours)

Courses that examine the role of activism and policy in shaping society.

Historical and Global Perspectives (3 Hours)

Courses that ask students to understand a world different from their own.

Political and Social Organization (3 Hours)

Courses that emphasize the institutional structures that shape and define human societies.

Culture and Representation (3 Hours)

Courses that examine symbol usage and cultural practices.

Mind and Body (3 Hours)

Courses that explore the social world from the level of the individual.

Gender and Sexuality Electives (12 Hours)

Students must take 12 hours of upper division elective courses in Gender and Sexuality Studies. Students may select classes from the above list of courses, or related special topics courses approved by their advisor. Students are also encouraged to seek out internship ( GNSX - 4800 Internship in Gender and Sexuality Studies (1-3) ) or independent study ( GNSX - 4700 Independent Study (1-3) ) opportunities.

With the advisor’s approval, relevant Special Topics offerings may be used to meet program requirements.

Electives (41 Hours)

Students are strongly encouraged to earn a minor in a related area based on their career goals.