Women's and Gender Studies
Major:
Minor:
Women's and Gender Studies places the experiences and perspectives of women at the center of analysis and also considers how gender intersects with other factors, such as race and class, to shape all of our lives. Interdisciplinary in nature and founded upon the integration of theory and practice, while relying on the engagement of critique and imagination, Women's and Gender Studies brings approaches from other disciplines and fields into conversation with each other. The application of critical theories about gender and power help students address and improve the lives of women and, by extension, of children and men. Inspired by both feminist and Marianist traditions, the Women's and Gender Studies Program at UD seeks to promote:
- Integration, collaboration, and personal engagement in learning
- The development and dissemination of critical thinking for social justice
- The appreciation and protection of human dignity and diversity
- Leadership through responsibility and service to community
Students majoring in Women's and Gender Studies must complete 34 semester hours, including at least 10 semester hours in four core WGS courses and 24 semester hours of upper-division courses offered by other departments. For these additional 24 semester hours, students must complete nine semester hours in one area of concentration, six semester hours in each of two additional areas, and three semester hours in a fourth area.
The major also has a cultural diversity requirement of six semester hours. (These hours may be from courses that are also used to fulfill the area requirements.) Of the six hours, three must be from a course that emphasizes race, and/or that takes a multicultural approach, within a U.S. or European context; the other three must be from a course that focuses on a non-U.S./European context or that takes a comparative international approach.
Courses taken for the major may also count toward completion of the Common Academic Program (CAP) requirements.
Students minoring in Women's and Gender Studies must complete at least 15 semester hours, including one interdisciplinary core course (WGS 250, WGS 310 or WGS 350) and twelve hours in approved upper-division courses (300-level or above) from at least three different disciplines. Alternatively, minors may take two of the interdisciplinary core courses, and nine hours in approved upper-division courses from three different disciplines.
FACULTY LISTING
Bachelor of Arts, Women's and Gender Studies (WGS) minimum 120 hours
The Common Academic Program (CAP) is an innovative curriculum that is the foundation of a University of Dayton education. It is a learning experience that is shared in common among all undergraduate students, regardless of their major. Some CAP requirements must be fulfilled by courses taken at UD. Some major requirements must also be fulfilled by courses taken at UD. Students should consult with their advisor regarding applicability of transfer credit to fulfill CAP and major program requirements.
| Common Academic Program (CAP) 1 | ||
| First-Year Humanities Commons 2 | 6 cr. hrs. | |
| Chaminade Seminar: Reading and Responding to the Signs of the Times | ||
| Marie Thérèse Seminar: Human Dignity and the Common Good | ||
| Second-Year Writing Seminar | 3 cr. hrs. | |
| Oral Communication | 3 cr. hrs. | |
| Mathematics | 3 cr. hrs. | |
| Social Science | 3 cr. hrs. | |
| Arts | 3 cr. hrs. | |
| Natural Science 3 | 4 cr. hrs. | |
| Crossing Boundaries | 9 cr. hrs. | |
Faith Traditions (3 cr. hrs.) | ||
Practical Ethical Action (3 cr. hrs.) | ||
Interdisciplinary Investigations (3 cr. hrs.) 4 | ||
| Advanced Study | 9 cr. hrs. | |
Religious Studies (3 cr. hrs.) | ||
Philosophical Studies (3 cr. hrs.) | ||
Historical Studies (3 cr. hrs.) | ||
| Diversity and Social Justice 5 | 3 cr. hrs. | |
| Major Capstone 6 | 0-6 cr. hrs. | |
| Experiential Learning 7 | 0-3 cr. hrs. | |
| 1 | The credit hours listed reflect what is needed to complete each CAP component. However, they should not be viewed as a cumulative addition to a student's degree requirements because many CAP courses are designed to satisfy more than one CAP component (e.g., Crossing Boundaries and Advanced Studies) and may also satisfy requirements in the student's major. |
| 2 | May be completed with ASI 110 through the Core Program. |
| 3 | Must include a lecture course and an accompanying lab. |
| 4 | New Crossing Boundaries category effective with the 2025-26 Catalog, which incorporates all courses previously approved in the Crossing Boundaries Inquiry or Integrative categories. This new category does not include any restriction that students must take the course outside of their unit or division. |
| 5 | May not double count with First-Year Humanities Commons, Second-Year Writing, Oral Communication, Social Science, or Natural Science CAP components, but may double count with courses taken to satisfy other CAP components and/or courses taken in the student's major. |
| 6 | The course or experience is designed by faculty in each major; it may, or may not, be assigned credit hours. |
| 7 | The course or experience will have variable credit, depending on the intensity and duration of the experience, or where it is housed in existing curricular and co-curricular spaces. |
A liberal studies degree from the University of Dayton is grounded in the institution's Catholic and Marianist tradition, which emphasizes holistic education, community, service, and social justice. The program encourages students to explore a wide range of subjects, integrating knowledge from the humanities, social sciences, natural sciences, and fine arts. Overall, a liberal studies degree from the University of Dayton not only provides a comprehensive educational experience but also instills values that encourage students to contribute positively to society.
The Bachelor of Arts degree requires a minimum of 120 credit hours. All BA students will complete the Liberal Studies Curriculum as part of their degree plan. This Curriculum provides students with a breadth of study and experiences in the humanities, the creative and performing arts, the social sciences, and the natural sciences. It provides a distinct complement to the specialized study in a major and presupposes, builds upon and enhances the University’s Common Academic Program (CAP). No credits may double-count toward CAP or the first major and also the Liberal Studies Curriculum requirements, including the language context course options.
| Liberal Studies Curriculum | ||
| Language Proficiency 1 | 0-9 | |
| Breadth and Depth Requirements 2 | 24 | |
| Breadth: Earn 3 credits in each of the five categories: | ||
Arts | ||
Humanities | ||
Social Sciences | ||
Natural Sciences and Mathematics | ||
CAS Interdisciplinary Programs (options include courses with HRS, WGS, MST, RCE, SEE, DST, and INS prefixes) | ||
| Depth: Take 9 additional credits of CAS courses from any combination of breadth categories | ||
| Total Hours | 24-33 | |
| 1 | Students demonstrate basic practical communication in a language other than English. |
| 2 | No more than 12 of the 24 credit hours may come from 100- or 200-level courses. None of the 24 credit hours may also count toward CAP or the first major. If students take a 3-credit context course toward language proficiency, those credits may count here. |
| Major Requirements (may include CAP components) | ||
| WGS Core Curriculum | ||
| WGS 250 | Introduction to Women's and Gender Studies 1, 2 | 3 |
| or WGS 350 | Feminist Social Change | |
| or WGS 351 | Global South Feminisms | |
| WGS 310 | Feminist Theory and Methodology | 3 |
| WGS 490 | Senior Seminar in Women's & Gender Studies (Satisfies CAP Major Capstone) | 3 |
| Literature and Arts: Select one course | 3 | |
| Gender and Communication | ||
| Images of Women in Literature | ||
| African American Literature | ||
| Gender and Fiction | ||
| Colonial & Postcolonial Literature | ||
| Love & LGBTQ+ Literature | ||
| Music, Gender and Sexuality | ||
| Diversity in Creative & Performing Arts | ||
or VAR 250 | Diversity in Creative & Performing Arts | |
| Power, Gender & Performance | ||
| Art History & Feminism | ||
| History: Select one course | 3 | |
| Gender, Sexuality & the Holocaust | ||
| Sex, Race & Science | ||
| LGBTQ History: Comparative European and USA | ||
| American Gender & Women's History to 1870 | ||
| US Gender and Women's History 1870-the present | ||
| History of Women in European Societies | ||
| History of Women & Gender in the Middle East | ||
| History of Transnational Feminism | ||
| Black Women in America | ||
| Philosophy and Religious Studies: Select one course | 3 | |
| Philosophy and Feminist Thought | ||
| Race, Gender and Philosophy | ||
| Sexual Ethics | ||
| Faith Traditions: Women and Gender | ||
| Theology of Humanity, Sexuality, and Marriage | ||
| Women & Religion | ||
| Ecology & Religion | ||
| Women & the Global Church | ||
| Social Sciences: Select one course 3 | 3 | |
| Culture & Power | ||
| Sport and Bodies | ||
| Gender, Women’s Rights and Global Politics | ||
| Power, Gender & Performance | ||
| Women, Gender, and Psychology | ||
| Human Sexuality | ||
| Perspectives on Aging | ||
| Marriages & Families | ||
| Gender and Society | ||
| Sociology of Sexualities | ||
| Social Inequality | ||
| Structure of Privilege | ||
| Sport and Bodies | ||
| Child Abuse | ||
| Parenting: Social Welfare Role | ||
| Perspectives on Aging | ||
| Advocacy Practice in Social Work | ||
| Cultural Diversity Requirement 1: Select one U.S./Europe Multicultural course 5 | 3 | |
| African American Literature | ||
| Gender, Sexuality & the Holocaust | ||
| American Gender & Women's History to 1870 | ||
| History of Women in European Societies | ||
| Black Women in America | ||
| Race, Gender and Philosophy | ||
| Structure of Privilege | ||
| Cultural Diversity Requirement 2: Select one Global (non U.S./Europe) course | 3 | |
| Culture & Power | ||
| Colonial & Postcolonial Literature | ||
| History of Women & Gender in the Middle East | ||
| History of Transnational Feminism | ||
| Gender, Women’s Rights and Global Politics | ||
| Women & Religion | ||
| Women & the Global Church | ||
| Global South Feminisms | ||
| Service Learning: Take 3 Credits of WGS 390 | 3 | |
| Service Learning in Women's & Gender Studies | ||
| Total Hours | 30 | |
| Breadth | ||
| ASI 150 | Introduction to the University Experience | 1 |
| Total hours to total at least | 120 | |
| 1 | Restricted to students with no more than six semester hours applicable to a WGS major or minor. |
| 2 | A major who has taken WGS 250 may also take WGS 350 or WGS 351 in lieu of one of the required disciplinary courses. WGS 350 or WGS 351 will be counted toward the area requirement that most reflects the course's content during the relevant term. |
| 3 | In order to achieve a balanced, interdisciplinary approach, students must complete at least six semester hours each in both social sciences (anthropology, communication, political science, psychology, sociology, and social work) and humanities (literature, arts, history, philosophy, and religious studies) courses. |
| 4 | Other courses may be counted toward the major, with approval of the program director, and depending on topic and content during a given semester. |
| 5 | This requirement may be satisfied with courses that are also used to fulfill the area requirements. Of the six semester hours, three must be from a course that emphasizes race, and/or that takes a multicultural approach, within a U.S. or European context; the other three must be from a course that focuses on a non-U.S./European context or that takes a comparative international approach. |
Minor in Women's and Gender Studies (WGS)
| Women's and Gender Studies 1 | ||
| WGS 250 | Introduction to Women's and Gender Studies | 3 |
| or WGS 310 | Feminist Theory and Methodology | |
| or WGS 350 | Feminist Social Change | |
| or WGS 351 | Global South Feminisms | |
| Select twelve semester hours from at least three different academic disciplines (300/400 level) 2 | 12 | |
| Culture & Power | ||
| Gender and Communication | ||
| Images of Women in Literature | ||
| African American Literature | ||
| Gender and Fiction | ||
| Colonial & Postcolonial Literature | ||
| Love & LGBTQ+ Literature | ||
| Sport and Bodies | ||
| Sex, Race & Science | ||
| LGBTQ History: Comparative European and USA | ||
| American Gender & Women's History to 1870 | ||
| US Gender and Women's History 1870-the present | ||
| History of Women in European Societies | ||
| History of Women & Gender in the Middle East | ||
| History of Transnational Feminism | ||
| Black Women in America | ||
| Music, Gender and Sexuality | ||
| Philosophy and Feminist Thought | ||
| Race, Gender and Philosophy | ||
| Sexual Ethics | ||
| Gender, Women’s Rights and Global Politics | ||
| Power, Gender & Performance | ||
| Women, Gender, and Psychology | ||
| Human Sexuality | ||
| Faith Traditions: Women and Gender | ||
| Theology of Humanity, Sexuality, and Marriage | ||
| Women & Religion | ||
| Ecology & Religion | ||
| Women & the Global Church | ||
| Perspectives on Aging | ||
| Marriages & Families | ||
| Gender and Society | ||
| Sociology of Sexualities | ||
| Social Inequality | ||
| Sport and Bodies | ||
| Structure of Privilege | ||
| Child Abuse | ||
| Parenting: Social Welfare Role | ||
| Perspectives on Aging | ||
| Advocacy Practice in Social Work | ||
| Diversity in Creative & Performing Arts | ||
or VAR 250 | Diversity in Creative & Performing Arts | |
| Power, Gender & Performance | ||
| Art History & Feminism | ||
| Global South Feminisms | ||
| Total Hours | 15 | |
| 1 | Students who wish to minor in Women's and Gender Studies should contact the director of the Women's and Gender Studies Program. |
| 2 | A student may, alternatively, take two of the indicated WGS core courses (WGS 250, WGS 310, WGS 350, WGS 351) and three upper-level courses from three different disciplines. |
Courses
WGS 250. Introduction to Women's and Gender Studies. 3 Hours
Introduction to key concepts, themes, and debates in Women's and Gender Studies. Intersectional (studying gender as it intersects with other social identity categories such as race, class, and sexuality), multi- or interdisciplinary, and multicultural in approach. Restricted to students with no more than six semester hours applicable to a WGS major or minor.
WGS 310. Feminist Theory and Methodology. 3 Hours
Exploration of the intersections of feminist thinking and activism. Consideration and comparison of a range of theories about gender, power, and knowledge that have shaped the development of feminist thought, research, practice, and movement in the U.S. and in other parts of the world.
Prerequisites: WGS 250, RCE 200, HRS 200, or permission of WGS director.
WGS 350. Feminist Social Change. 3 Hours
Exploration of the methods and priorities of feminist social change efforts in varying national, cultural, and/or religious contexts, including outside of the U.S. and Europe. Investigation of the nature, possibilities, and challenges of global and transnational feminist movements.
Prerequisites: Sophomore standing or higher.
WGS 351. Global South Feminisms. 3 Hours
Exploration of gender studies in the Global South. Focusing on a variety of issues/themes, this course will draw on scholarship, activism and advocacy located in the Global South. Topics will include how gender intersects with other social identity categories such as race, class, sexuality, and ethnicity, and highlight the histories and contexts of Global South feminisms.
Prerequisites: Sophomore standing or higher.
WGS 380. Special Topics in Women's & Gender Studies. 1-3 Hours
Intensive examination of current thematic, theoretical, or methodological issues in the field of Women's and Gender Studies. Consult composite for topics. May be repeated as topic changes.
Prerequisite(s): WGS 250 or WGS 310 or WGS 350 or six semester hours prior WGS credit.
WGS 390. Service Learning in Women's & Gender Studies. 1-3 Hours
Individualized placements in community organizations that enable students to apply and enrich their formal studies by engaging in service work that addresses women's needs and/or advances social justice in relation to gender. May be done as an independent or group study under the direction of a WGS faculty member. May also be done in conjunction with another course. May be repeated up to a maximum of three semester hours.
Prerequisite(s): WGS 250 or WGS 310 or WGS 350; permission of program director.
WGS 477. Honors Thesis Project. 3 Hours
First of two courses leading to the selection, design, investigation, and completion of an independent, original Honors Thesis project under the guidance of a faculty research advisor. Restricted to students in the University Honors Program with permission of the program director and departmental chairperson. Students pursuing an interdisciplinary thesis topic may register for three semester hours each in two separate disciplines in consultation with the department chairpersons. Prerequisite(s): Approval of University Honors Program.
WGS 478. Honors Thesis Project. 3 Hours
Second of two courses leading to the selection, design, investigation, and completion of an independent, original Honors Thesis project under the guidance of a faculty research advisor. Restricted to students in the University Honors Program with permission of the program director and departmental chairperson. Students pursuing an interdisciplinary thesis topic may register for three semester hours each in two separate disciplines in consultation with the department chairpersons. Prerequisite(s): Approved 477 and approval of University Honors Program.
WGS 480. Independent Study in Women's & Gender Studies. 3 Hours
Individual investigations of special topics in the field of Women's and Gender Studies under faculty direction. May be repeated under special circumstances. No more than six semester hours of WGS 480 may count toward the major.
Prerequisite(s): WGS 250 or WGS 310 or WGS 350; approval of program director.
WGS 490. Senior Seminar in Women's & Gender Studies. 3 Hours
Concentration on a particular topic or problem in Women's and Gender Studies, with focus on critical theories, methodologies, ethics and practices appropriate for advanced feminist research. Emphasis on integration (e.g. of feminist theory, methods, and practice) and interdisciplinarity. May require students either to work collaboratively on a single research project or to apply certain theories or methods central to the seminar in their exploration of individual projects. May be repeated as topics change.
Prerequisite(s): WGS 250 or WGS 350, WGS 310.
WGS 4DSJ. CAP - Diversity and Social Jus. 0-3 Hours