Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies Graduate Information

The Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies Concentration empowers students to critically assess the historical and social context and meanings attached to the categories of “man” and “woman” as well as the importance of gender identities that exist outside and beyond that dichotomy. Additionally, students will have the opportunity to examine systematically the role and politics of sexuality and interrogate the discriminatory practices disadvantaging those who reject or fall outside of compulsory heteronormativity.

The concentration is comprised of three core courses (9.0 credits) and elective courses required to demonstrate expertise in a specific area of research.

The following departments and programs offer an Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies concentration:

• American Studies, MA & American Studies, PhD
• Anthropology, MA & Anthropology, PhD
• Communication, MA, Communication, MS, & Communication, MS (OL)
• Curriculum and Instruction, MSED or MS & Curriculum and Instruction, Phd
• English, MS, English: Literature, Theory, Cultural Studies Concentration, Phd, & English: Rhetoric and Composition Concentration, PhD
• History, MA & History, PhD
• Languages and Cultures, MA & Languages and Cultures, PhD
• Linguistics, MA & Lingustics, PhD
• Philosophy and Literature, PhD
• Philosophy, MA & Philosophy, PhD
• Political Science, MA & Political Science, PhD
• Sociology, MS, Sociology, PhD & Sociology/Gerontology, PhD
• Technology, PhD

(If your area is not shown, please email wgss@purdue.edu expressing your interest in obtaining a WGSS concentration.)

*For criteria specific to Anthropology or History degrees, see “Additional Requirements - Anthropology” or “Additional Requirements - History” below.*

Apply for a Concentration.

See coursework below.

A minimum of 12.0 credits are required for the M.S./M.A. concentration. This concentration is comprised of three core courses (9.0 credits) and one elective (3.0 credits).

Students can earn the remaining 3.0 credits by either:

1. completing graduate level courses in their area of study that have received pre-approval for this concentration; or
2. completing graduate level courses that have been cross-listed under both their M.S./M.A. area of study and WGSS rubrics.

For courses that do not fall in either of these two categories, student may submit syllabi to the WGSS director (either pre- or post-enrollment) to confirm their content satisfies the criteria for this concentration. The courses may also count toward the major in the student’s area of study as well as toward fulfilling the requirements in the Concentration.

A minimum of 15.0 credits are required for the PhD concentration. This concentration is comprised of three core courses (9.0 credits) and one elective (6.0 credits).

Students can earn the remaining 6 credits by either:

1. completing graduate level courses in their area of study that have received pre-approval for this concentration; or
2. completing graduate level courses that have been cross-listed under both their Ph.D. area of study and WGSS rubrics.

For courses that do not fall in either of these two categories, student may submit syllabi to the WGSS director (either pre- or post-enrollment) to confirm their content satisfies the criteria for this concentration. The courses may also count toward the major in the student’s area of study as well as toward fulfilling the requirements in the Concentration.

Additional Requirements - Anthropology

Courses in Anthropology pre-approved for this concentration are listed below. Choose one course if an M.S./M.A. student, or two if a Ph.D. student. Alternatively, students can complete graduate-level courses that have been cross-listed under both Anthropology and WGSS rubrics. For courses that do not fall in either of these two categories, student may submit syllabi to the WGSS director (either pre- or post-enrollment) to confirm their content satisfies the criteria for this concentration. The courses may also count toward the major in ANTH as well as toward fulfilling the requirements in the concentration.

• ANTH 50500: Culture And Society (Credits: 3.00)
• ANTH 56500: Sociolinguistics (Credits: 3.00)
• ANTH 59200: Selected Topics In Anthropology (Credits: 1.00 to 3.00) (Must be approved by Anthropology faculty affiliaged with WGSS.)
• ANTH 62000: Special Topics In Cultural Anthropology (Credits: 3.00) (Must be approved by Anthropology faculty affiliaged with WGSS.)

Additional Requirements - History

Courses in History pre-approved for this concentration are listed below.

Choose one course if an M.S./M.A. student, or two if a Ph.D. student. Alternatively, students can complete graduate-level courses that have been cross-listed under both History and WGSS rubrics.

For courses that do not fall in either of these two categories, student may submit syllabi to the WGSS director (either pre- or post-enrollment) to confirm their content satisfies the criteria for this concentration. The courses may also count toward the major in History as well as toward fulfilling the requirements in the concentration.

• HIST 59000: Directed Reading In History (Credits: 1.00 to 3.00)
• HIST 64100: Reading Seminar In Global History (Credits: 3.00) Title: Gender
• HIST 64200: Seminar In Global History (Credits: 3.00) Title: Gender
• HIST 65100: Reading Seminar In American History (Credits: 1.00 to 3.00) Title: U.S. Women’s History after 1860

Required WGSS Courses - 9.0 Credit Hours

• WGG 68000: Feminist Theory (Credits: 3.0)
• WGSS 68100: Contemporary Issues In Feminist Scholarship (Credits: 3.0)
• WGSS 68200: Issues In Feminist Research and Methodology (Credits: 3.)

Electives - 3.0 Credit Hours

• WGSS 59900: Selected Topics In Women's Gender And Sexuality Studies (Credits: 3.00)*

*May be substituted by emailing for the WGSS director for approval of a course that has 50% women/gender/sexuality content or in which the student completes a significant project or research on related topics.