Mar 03, 2025

2025-2026 Undergraduate Catalog

Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies (B.A.)

Program: B.A.
Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies
Department of Interdisciplinary Studies
College of Liberal Arts

Liberal Arts Building 153 ~ 260-481-6160
Program Director: Michelle Kelsey

Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies is an interdisciplinary area of study that examines gender and its intersections with other categories of identity, including race and ethnicity, sexuality, class, nationality, and disability. As such, it provides students the opportunity to integrate knowledge across diverse academic disciplines, to understand gender within both historical and contemporary contexts, and to develop approaches to investigation, analysis, and research that reflect the complex nature of how gender operates in our lives, how systems of power and oppression function, and how individuals and organizations can bring about meaningful social change.

Student Learning Outcomes:
Upon completion of this degree, students will:

understand the major concepts of feminist critical analysis, including gender, race, class, sexuality, nationality, ability, and age, and the complexities of their intersections
understand how gender is socially and historically constructed, how it relates to systems of power, privilege, and oppression, and how it impacts our lives
understand a broad range of feminist theories with an appreciation for their cultural and historical contexts
understand the history and importance of feminist thought and activism in the U.S. and around the globe
understand the diversity of women’s experiences, roles, and contributions to society and culture
understand how gender impacts the production of knowledge and how feminist approaches to learning and research have transformed traditional disciplines and other canons of knowledge
understand the history and status of Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies as an academic field of study and the key principles that distinguish it from traditional disciplines, including its interdisciplinarity, its commitment to feminist approaches to teaching and learning, and its development of feminist research methods
be able to demonstrate effective reading, speaking, writing, and critical thinking skills through the work they complete in Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies courses
be able to apply feminist perspectives to a range of issues and engage critical debates or areas of contention within feminism
be able to apply feminist perspectives across disciplines
be able to incorporate feminist theories and scholarship in research methods and problem-solving
be able to transform knowledge into engagement and articulate effective strategies for change

This program is available on-campus.

Declaring the Major:

Declare this major within the Department of Interdisciplinary Studies or through your major department if declaring as a second major/degree.

General Requirements:

College Scorecard

The U.S. Department of Education has created a scorecard for each university and its programs. The scorecard shows data for the university such as graduation rate, average annual cost, and median earnings. Then, when certain minimum standards have been met, data are available for a specific program. That data could include median earnings, median total debt, and number of graduates. The link below will help you learn more:

https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/school/?151102-Purdue-University-Fort-Wayne&fos_code=0502&fos_credential=3

Program Requirements:

Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies (B.A.) 4-Year Plan

A grade of C- or higher in all department courses required for the major and an overall GPA of 2.00 or higher for all courses required in the major.
A thematic focus of at least three courses (9 of the 33 credits in major requirements) must be selected in consultation with your Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies advisor. The thematic focus provides coherence within this interdisciplinary major and can be defined in several ways: geographically (e.g., women in America, women in Western Europe); chronologically (e.g., women in antiquity, women of the Renaissance); by a category or issue (e.g., women and peace, women of color, etc.).
If you major in Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies, you are also required to have a minor or a second major. If you elect to double-major in Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies and another discipline, Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies may be either your first or second major. See Program Descriptions in this Catalog for details on other majors and minors.
No more than two courses may be applied to another major.
You may count only two courses toward both the Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies major and College of Liberal Arts requirements. Only one course may be counted toward both the Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies major and any other minor.

To earn the B.A. with a major in Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies, you must fulfill the following requirements in addition to the General Requirements noted above:

General Education: Credits 30

Effective Fall 2025, the General Education program at PFW requires 30 credits to be completed, such that students pass each course listed below with a grade of C- or better:

Category A. Foundational Intellectual Skills (Foundational Intellectual Skills Course Lists)
- One course in A1. Written Communication Cr. 3.
- One course in A2. Speaking and Listening Cr. 3.
- One course in A3. Quantitative Reasoning Cr. 3.
Category B. Ways of Knowing (Ways of Knowing Course Lists)
- One course in B4. Scientific Ways of Knowing Cr. 3.
- One course in B5. Social and Behavioral Ways of Knowing Cr. 3.
- One course in B6. Humanistic Ways of Knowing Cr. 3.
- One course in B7. Artistic Ways or Knowing Cr. 3.
- One course in B8. Interdisciplinary Ways of Knowing Cr. 3.
Six additional credits from any Foundational Skills (A1-A3) or Ways of Knowing (B4-B8) categories
At least one Ways of Knowing course that is designated as having a focus on diversity, equity, inclusion, and/or global awareness

Some programs recommend courses and/or require a specific course as part of the major that may also be used to fulfill General Education requirements. Please see below or your Academic Advisor for courses that fulfill both purposes. You can familiarize yourself with other program regulations at General Education Requirements .

College of Liberal Arts Course Requirements

Click on the PFW College of Liberal Arts link above for detailed information on college requirements.

Introduction to the Liberal Arts: Credits 3

IDIS 10605 - Introduction To The Liberal Arts Cr. 3.

Second Semester Writing, Research, and Methods Class: Credits 3

ENGL 23301 - Intermediate Expository Writing Cr. 3.
or choose one of the following equivalent courses:
ENGL 20201 - Literary Interpretation Cr. 3.
HIST 21700 - Historical Methods Cr. 3.
ILCS 30000 - Methods Of Research And Criticism Cr. 3.
POL 20700 - Elements Of Political Analysis Cr. 3.
WOST 23000 - Writing For Social Change Cr. 3.

International Language: Credits 12

You must complete two courses at the first-year level and two courses at the second-year level in a single international language or demonstrate equivalent proficiency. Click on the PFW College of Liberal Arts link above for more details.

Thematic Requirements: Credits 15

Students will take one course in each of these five areas to ensure that they have an opportunity to deepen their traditional liberal arts education while also preparing for a culturally diverse, technologically advanced, and increasingly globalized and complex world:

Gender, Sexuality, Race, and/or Ethnicity: Credits 3
Conflict and Cooperation: Credits 3
Institutions and Behavior: Credits 3
Regional/Geographic Study: Credits 3
Digital Humanities/Public Humanities: Credits 3

List of Courses and Stipulations for the COLA Thematic Requirements

Core and Concentration (Major) Courses: Credits 33

Required Courses: Credits 12

WOST 21000 - Introduction To Women’s And Gender Studies Cr. 3.
WOST 30100 - International Perspectives On Women Cr. 3-9.
WOST 30400 - Feminist Theories Cr. 3.
WOST 40000 - Topics In Women’s Studies Cr. 3.

Supporting Courses: Credits 12

Humanities/Fine Arts: Credits 6

Choose two courses from WOST prefixed or cross-referenced courses offered in the humanities or fine arts:

ENGL 47201 - Composing The Self Cr. 3.
ENGL 47800 - Studies In Women And Literature Cr. 3.
HIST 23400 - Witchcraft And Witch Hunts c. 1400-1750 Cr. 3.
HIST 26000 - History Of Women In The United States Cr. 3.
PHIL 30500 - Philosophical Theories Of Feminism Cr. 3.
REL 31500 - Religion And Women Cr. 3.
WOST 22500 - Gender, Sexuality, Race, And Popular Culture Cr. 3.
WOST 23000 - Writing For Social Change Cr. 3.
WOST 30200 - Topics In Gender Studies Cr. 3.

Social Sciences/Sciences: Credits 6

Choose two courses from WOST prefixed or cross-referenced courses offered in the social sciences or sciences:

ANTH 40200 - Gender In Cross-Cultural Perspective Cr. 3.
COM 41000 - Gender Roles And Communication Cr. 3.
COM 42200 - Women, Men, And Media Cr. 3.
POL 32800 - Women And The Law Cr. 3.
PSY 34500 - Psychology Of Women Cr. 3.
WOST 24000 - Topics In Feminism Cr. 3.

Additional Courses: Credits 9

Choose three additional courses from WOST prefixed or cross-referenced courses from the humanities, fine arts, social sciences, or sciences listed above.

General Electives

Sufficient additional credits to bring the total to 120.

Total Credits: 120 miniimum

Student Responsibility

You are responsible for ensuring that you satisfy all graduation requirements specified for each selected program. Thus, it is essential that you develop a thorough understanding of the required courses, academic policies, and procedures governing your academic career. If you cannot complete all program requirements by your stated graduation date but fail to remove those from your plan of study, the Registrar’s Office in consultation with your academic advisor will remove unmet pursuits from your plan of study. Changing curricular records during the graduation term of application may affect state or federal financial aid awards. All requests for exceptions to specific requirements must be made in writing and may be granted only by written approval from the appropriate chair or dean.