Mar 03, 2025  
Undergraduate Record 2021-2022 
    
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Undergraduate Record 2021-2022 [ARCHIVED RECORD]

Women, Gender & Sexuality

Return to: College of Arts & Sciences: Departments/Programs  

Requirements for Major

As of August 22, 2020 any student wishing to declare a WGS Major must have completed two WGS course with a grade of C of better.

 

STEPS TO DECLARE A MAJOR

  1. Review the website listings of the WGS Course Catalog and approved affiliated courses.
  2. Review requirements below to select from: WGS Major without concentrations, WGS Major with a concentration in Gender Studies or a WGS Major with a concentration in Sexuality Studies.
  3. Obtain a current copy of your Academic Advising Transcript from the Student Information System (SIS).
  4. Obtain a copy of the Declaration of Major form from Monroe Hall or the WGS office in Levering Hall. 
  5. Complete the Major Advising Worksheet.
  6. Complete the WGS Student Information Form.
  7. Review your completed forms with WGS Director of Undergraduate Programs, Bonnie Hagerman during office hours or email to make an appointment.

 

There are three ways to complete a major in Women, Gender & Sexuality: the Women, Gender & Sexuality major with no area of concentration, the Women, Gender & Sexuality major with a concentration in Gender Studies, and the Women, Gender & Sexuality major with a concentration in Sexuality Studies. There are no prerequisites to declare a major in WGS though many students take WGS 2100 Intro to Gender & Sexuality Studies before declaring.

*WGS majors will receive priority course enrollment during the first two days of the open undergraduate enrollment period each semester.

*Transfer students must complete at least 7 courses at UVA for the major, and these must include a theory course and the 4000-level and above courses.

*Students who have taken WGS 2897 or 4800 will not receive additional credit toward the major for taking WGS 3897.

A. The major in Women, Gender & Sexuality (WGS) without concentrations requires the completion of 10 courses (30 credits). At least seven courses must be at the 3000 level or above (including the two 4000 level seminars below). These must include the following required courses:

  1. WGS 2100 Introduction to Gender and Sexuality Studies
  2. Either WGS 3810 Feminist Theory or WGS 3800 Queer Theory
  3. Two WGS seminar courses at the 4000 level or above
  4. One WGS or approved affiliate course designated as providing Global Perspectives*
  5. Four WGS elective courses

A minimum grade of C must be earned in any course counted toward the major. Courses counting toward the WGS major may include up to two Independent Study courses. Three courses may be “double-counted” toward a major in WGS and a major in another department; that is, three courses taken for another major can also count toward the WGS major.

B. The major in Women, Gender & Sexuality (WGS) with a concentration in Gender Studies requires the completion of 10 courses (30 credits). At least seven courses must be at the 3000 level or above (including the two 4000 level seminars below). These must include the following required courses:

  1. WGS 2100 Introduction to Gender & Sexuality Studies
  2. WGS 3810 Feminist Theory
  3. Two WGS seminar courses at the 4000 level or above
  4. One WGS or approved affiliate course designated as concentrating on Global Perspectives*
  5. Two WGS elective courses designated as providing a Gender Focus
  6. Two additional WGS electives

A minimum grade of C must be earned in any course counted toward the major. Courses counting toward the WGS major may include up to two Independent Study courses. Three courses may be “double-counted” toward a major in WGS and a major in another department; that is, three courses taken for another major can also count toward the WGS major.

C. The major in Women, Gender & Sexuality (WGS) with a concentration in Sexuality Studies requires the completion of 10 courses (30 credits). At least seven courses must be at the 3000 level or above(including the two 4000 level seminars below). These must include the following required courses:

  1. WGS 2100 Introduction to Gender & Sexuality Studies
  2. WGS 3800 Queer Theory
  3. Two WGS seminar courses at the 4000 level or above
  4. One WGS or approved affiliate course designated as concentrating on Global Perspectives*
  5. Two WGS elective courses designated as providing a Sexuality focus
  6. Two additional WGS electives

A minimum grade of C must be earned in any course counted toward the major. Courses counting toward the WGS major may include up to two Independent Study courses. Three courses may be “double-counted” toward a major in WGS and a major in another department; that is, three courses taken for another major can also count toward the WGS major.

 

*Global Perspectives: This requirement can be satisfied by the College’s Non-Western Perspective courses that focus substantially on either gender or sexuality. If you have any questions about courses that might satisfy this requirement, contact the Director of Undergraduate Programs.

*For the Spring 2020 semester ONLY: courses taken under the CR/NC exception, where credit is received, will be counted toward WGS major.

Distinguished Majors Program

Majors in Women, Gender & Sexuality (WGS) with a strong academic record are encouraged to become Distinguished Majors. Distinguished Majors complete a two-semester written thesis (approximately 35-40 pages in length) in their fourth year under the supervision of a WGS faculty member. The thesis allows students to pursue their own interests in depth and have the intellectual satisfaction of defining and completing a sustained project. The Distinguished Major Program is an especially good option for students considering graduate level work in any field.

To be eligible, students must have a 3.40 overall GPA at the start of their fourth year. Students are required to sign up for a 6-credit course, WGS 4998 and 4999, under the supervision of a WGS faculty member. The thesis must also be approved by a second faculty member whom the student will choose in consultation with the thesis advisor.

The 6-credit senior thesis course will count toward the 30 credits required for the Major. Successful completion of the thesis qualifies the student for graduation with Distinction, High Distinction, or Highest Distinction, depending upon the recommendation of the two faculty advisors, and subject to approval of the College’s Committee on Special Programs.

An early start is important to the successful completion of a Senior Thesis. While not required, it is recommended that students make the decision to pursue the Distinguished Majors Program during their third year. This will give students the opportunity to discuss the project with various faculty members, identify suitable advisors, and have the summer between the third and fourth years to define their project further and begin some preliminary reading and planning. For these reasons, students choosing to pursue the thesis should complete a WGS DMP application form in the spring semester of their third year.

Requirements for Minor

As of August 22, 2020 any student wishing to declare a WGS Minor must have completed two WGS courses with a grade of C of better.

STEPS TO DECLARE A MINOR

  1. Review the web listing of WGS and affiliated courses.
  2. Review requirements below to select from: WGS Minor without concentrations, WGS Minor with a concentration in Gender Studies or a WGS Minor with a concentration in Sexuality Studies.
  3. Obtain a current copy of your Academic Advising Transcript from the Student Information System (SIS).
  4. Obtain a copy of the Declaration of Minor form online or from the WGS office in Levering Hall.
  5. Complete the Minor Advising Worksheet.
  6. Review your completed forms with WGS Director of Undergraduate Programs, Bonnie Hagerman, during office hours or email to make an appointment.

 

There are three ways to complete a minor in Women, Gender & Sexuality: the Women, Gender & Sexuality minor with no area of concentration, the Women, Gender & Sexuality minor with a concentration in Gender Studies, and the Women, Gender & Sexuality minor with a concentration in Sexuality Studies.

A. The minor in Women, Gender & Sexuality (WGS) without concentrations requires the completion of 6 courses (18 credits).  At least four of these courses must be at the 3000 level or above. These must include the following required courses:

  1. WGS 2100 Introduction to Gender & Sexuality Studies
  2. Either WGS 3810 Feminist Theory or WGS 3800 Queer Theory
  3. One WGS course at the 4000 level or above
  4. One WGS course designated as concentrating on Global Perspectives*
  5. Two WGS elective courses

A minimum grade of C must be earned in any course counted toward the minor. Courses counting toward the WGS minor may include up to one Independent Study course.

B. The minor in Women, Gender & Sexuality (WGS) with a concentration in Gender Studies requires the completion of 6 courses (18 credits).  At least four of these courses must be at the 3000 level or above. These must include the following required courses:

  1. WGS 2100 Introduction to Gender & Sexuality Studies
  2. WGS 3810 Feminist Theory
  3. One WGS course at the 4000 level or above
  4. One WGS course designated as concentrating on Global Perspectives*
  5. Two WGS elective courses designated as providing a Gender Focus

A minimum grade of C must be earned in any course counted toward the minor. Courses counting toward the WGS minor may include up to one Independent Study course. 

C. The minor in Women, Gender & Sexuality (WGS) with a concentration in Sexuality Studies requires the completion of 6 courses (18 credits).  At least four of these courses must be at the 3000 level or above. These must include the following required courses:

  1. WGS 2100 Introduction to Gender & Sexuality Studies
  2. WGS 3800 Queer Theory
  3. One WGS course at the 4000 level or above
  4. One WGS course designated as concentrating on Global Perspectives*
  5. Two WGS elective courses designated as providing a Sexuality focus

A minimum grade of C must be earned in any course counted toward the minor. Courses counting toward the WGS minor may include up to one Independent Study course. 

 

*Global Perspectives: This requirement can be satisfied by the College’s Non-Western Perspective courses that focus substantially on either gender or sexuality. If you have any questions about courses that might satisfy this requirement, contact the Director of Undergraduate Programs.

*Students who have taken WGS 2897 or 4800 will not receive additional credit toward the major for taking WGS 3897.

*For the Spring 2020 semester ONLY: courses taken under the CR/NC exception, where credit is received, will be counted toward WGS minor.

 

Additional Information

For more information, contact the Director of Undergraduate Programs, Women, Gender and Sexuality, P.O. Box 400172, Charlottesville, VA 22904-4172; (434) 982-2961; www.wgs.virginia.edu.

Course Descriptions

Each semester the Women, Gender and Sexuality program produces a list of courses that count toward the Major and Minor, including those designated as satisfying the Global Perspective, Gender Focus, and Sexuality Focus requirements. For an up-to-date listing of WGS courses, see our website at: http://wgs.virginia.edu/.