Major Requirements

Requirements for Graduation

The Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies Major requires a minimum of 27 hours and must include the following courses:

  • WGS 221 – Introduction to Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies
    or WGS 222 – Introduction to Sexuality Studies (3)
  • WGS 398 – Theory and Practice of Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies (3)
  • WGS 399 – Research Seminar in Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies (3)

Select one of the following:

  • WGS 397 – Public Engagement in Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies (1.5)

Any WGS or WGS cross-listed course with a service-learning or public-engagement component

  • Select 16.5 hours of Elective courses

*Must consist of WGS courses and courses approved for WGS credit (consult approved list on file with the Chair).

Restrictions:

  • No more than 9 hours from one department other than WGS or program may apply to the WGS major.
  • No more than 3 hours may be taken pass/fail
  • No more than 6 hours from the 100-level may count toward the major.
  • No more than 6 hours from the student’s minor(s) may count toward the major.
  • No online courses taken at institutions other than Wake Forest may count toward the major.

Recommendations:

  • Students pursuing the major are encouraged to enroll in WGS 221 or WGS 222 by the fall semester of the junior year, WGS 299 by the spring semester of their junior year, and WGS 399, the research seminar, during their senior year.

Highly qualified majors, who have earned an overall GPA of 3.3, with an average of 3.5 on work in WGS, may apply for admission to the honors program in Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies. To be graduated with the designation “Honors in Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies,” the student must present an honors-quality research paper and successfully defend the paper in an oral examination. For additional information, students should consult the department chair.

Options for Meeting Major Requirements (Undergraduate Bulletin):

To satisfy graduation requirements, a student must select one, and only one, of the following options, which will receive official recognition on the student’s permanent record:

  1. A single major
  2. a single major and a minor
  3. A single major and a double minor
  4. A single major and a triple minor
  5. A double major
  6. A double major and a minor

*In order to qualify for options 4 or 6, students must offer a minimum of 135 hours for graduation.

Double Majors

A student may major in two departments in the College with the written permission of the chair of each of the departments and on condition that the student meets all requirements for the major in both departments. A student may not use the same course to meet requirements in both of the majors. The student must designate one of the two fields as the primary major, which appears first on the student’s record and determines the degree to be awarded. Only one undergraduate degree will be awarded, even if the student completes two majors.

WGSS Degree Links

Undergraduate

Graduate

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