Aerial view of campus with Williamsport, the Susquehanna River and Bald Eagle Mountain as a backdrop

Gender, Sexuality, and Women’s Studies (GSWS)

Assistant Professors: Stafford (Coordinator)

  • Major: Gender, Sexuality, and Women’s Studies
  • Courses required for major: 8
  • Capstone requirement: GSWS 400

The program in Gender, Sexuality, and Women’s Studies offers an interdisciplinary major and minor.

Major Requirements

A major in Gender, Sexuality, and Women’s Studies requires eight courses.

Core Courses

These courses provide students with a theoretical and methodological perspective and framework with which to understand issues of gender and sexuality.

Required courses (3):

  • GSWS 200 Gendered Perspectives
  • SOC 241 Sociology of Gender and Sexuality
  • GSWS 400 Gender, Sexuality, and Women’s Studies Capstone

Take one course from:

  • CJCR 343 Research Methods in Criminal Justice
  • ENGL 339 Literature and Gender Studies
  • PSY 212 Research Methods in Psychology
  • SOC 330 Research Methods I

2. Four Elective Courses

Students must take four additional courses from the following list with a minimum of three prefixes. At least two courses must be at the 300-level or higher.

ANTH 101  Ancient Bodies, Modern Lives
ANTH 103  Cultural Anthropology
ANTH 310  Food and Culture
ARHI 339  Gender and Sexuality in Art
CJCR 247  Victimology
CJCR 324  Domestic Violence
CJCR 334  Race, Class, Gender and Crime
CJCR 448/449  Criminal Justice Practicum
ENGL 229  African American Literature
ENGL 336  Shakespeare
ENGL 339  Literature and Gender Studies
FVA 320  Narrative Filmmaking
FVA 330  Documentary Filmmaking
GSWS 300  Topics in Gender, Sexuality, and Women’s Studies
HIST 324  Early American Law and Society
HIST 338  Rights, Reform and Protest
HIST 342  Women and Reform
PSY 120  Child and Adolescent Development
PSY 220  The Psychology of Close Relationships
PSY 448  Practicum in Psychology
REL 213  Medieval Women's Religious Literature
REL 214  Constructing Gender in Christianity
REL 333  Old Testament Women
SOC 220   Sociology of Family
SOC 228  Aging and Society
SOC 448  Practicum in Sociology
THEA 333  Theater History II

Capstone Requirement

All majors must successfully complete GSWS 400.

Minor Requirements

A minor in Gender, Sexuality, and Women’s Studies requires GSWS 200, SOC 241, and three courses from the elective courses listed for the major.

200
GENDERED PERSPECTIVES
An examination of gender issues from an interdisciplinary perspective. Explores the social construction of gender and gendered institutions as well as relevant critical approaches such as feminist, utopian, and queer theories. Topics may involve language, art, science, politics, culture, violence, race, class, ethnic differences, sexuality, and pornography. Fulfills either Domestic or Global Cultural Diversity Requirement.

300
TOPICS IN GENDER, SEXUALITY, AND WOMEN’S STUDIES
An examination of selected topics in Gender, Sexuality and Women's Studies designed to allow students to pursue particular subjects in more depth and detail than in the general introductory course. Prerequisite: ENGL 106, 107, or consent of instructor. May be repeated for credit when topics are different. Fulfills either Domestic or Global Cultural Diversity Requirement.

400
GENDER, SEXUALITY, AND WOMEN’S STUDIES CAPSTONE
An independent research project under the supervision of a GSWS faculty member whose expertise is aligned with the project of interest.

N80-N89
INDEPENDENT STUDIES
With the approval of the Coordinator, an appropriate special course or independent-study project may be substituted for one of the four cross-listed courses required for the minor.