Related Sites

Office of the Registrar
Campus Address
Hanover, NH
03755-3529
Phone: (603) 646-xxxx
Fax: (603) 646-xxxx
Email: reg@Dartmouth.EDU

Organization, Regulations, and Courses 2023-24


Contents
Catalog Links

Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies Program

Chair: Annelise Orleck, Melissa Zeiger

 

Professors S. Ackerman (Religion, Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies), T. Aguado (Spanish and Portuguese), Z. Ayubi (Religion), L. Baldez (Government, Latin American, Latino, and Caribbean Studies), F. E. Beasley (French and Italian), R. E. Biron (Comparative Literature, Latin American, Latino, and Caribbean Studies, Spanish and Portuguese), C. E. Boggs (English and Creative Writing, Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies), S. J. Brison (Philosophy), A. Cohen (Art History), M. K. Coffey (Art History, Latin American, Latino, and Caribbean Studies), A. A. Coly (African and African-American Studies, Comparative Literature), S. R. Craig (Anthropology), M. R. Desjardins (Film and Media Studies), C. M. Dever (English and Creative Writing), M. Domosh (Geography), L. Edmondson (Theater), S. Heschel (Jewish Studies, Religion), L. A. Higgins (French and Italian), I. Kacandes (Comparative Literature, German Studies), K. J. Lively (Sociology), C. H. MacEvitt (Religion), B. E. Moreton (History), A. Martín (Comparative Literature, Spanish and Portuguese, Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies), R. Ohnuma (Religion, Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies), C. Olivetti (Economics), A. Orleck (History, Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies), G. Parati (Comparative Literature, French and Italian, Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies), J. Sharlet (English and Creative Writing), S. D. Spitta (Latin American, Latino, and Caribbean Studies, Spanish and Portuguese, Comparative Literature), R. L. Stewart (Classics), M. R. Warren (Comparative Literature), D. Washburn (Asian Societies, Cultures, and Languages, Comparative Literature, Film and Media Studies), B. E. Will (English and Creative Writing); Associate Professors  R. M. Baum (African and African-American Studies, Religion), D. J. Brooks (Government), L. A. Butler (History), N. L. Canepa (French and Italian), M. T. Clarke (Government), V. Fuechtner (German Studies, Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies), C. L. Kivland (Anthropology), E. B. Lim (Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies), J. McCabe (Sociology, Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies), S. Moodie (English and Creative Writing), S. Muñoz-Muriana (Spanish and Portuguese), N. Sackeyfio-Lenoch (History), J. Rabig (History, Woman’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies), G. Raz (Religion), I. Reyes (Comparative Literature, Latin American, Latino, and Caribbean Studies, Spanish and Portuguese), J. L. Rose (Government), S. Schmidt-Hori (Asian Societies, Cultures, and Languages, Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies), P. R. Stuelke (English), A. Tarnowski (Comparative Literature, French and Italian), E. C. Walton (Sociology), J. D. Wernimont (Film and Media Studies), M. J. Williams (Film and Media Studies), M. F. Zeiger (English and Creative Writing, Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies); Assistant Professors E. E. Collins (Geography, Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies), A. Dev (The Dartmouth Institute), A. Garrison (English and Creative Writing), M. Huang (Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies), P. Lopez (Geography, Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies), E. S. Morsi (Middle Eastern Studies), A. H. Neely (Geography), D. Scott (Geography), M.P. Ritger (English and Creative Writing); Senior Lecturers F. M. A’ness (Institute for Writing and Rhetoric, Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies), S. J. Billings (Anthropology), A. E. Bumpus (Philosophy), R.L. Greenblatt (Jewish Studies, Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies), D. J. Moody (Latin American, Latino, and Caribbean Studies, Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies), A. G. Simon (Middle Eastern Studies); Lecturers K. Achacoso (Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies), E. M. Rosario (Philosophy, Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies), A. Saraf (Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies)

 

The Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies Program offers all students at Dartmouth a course of study that systematically examines the construction of gender and sexuality and the historical, economic, political, social, and cultural experience of women. As such, it is an interdisciplinary program drawing on resources in the Social Sciences, the Humanities, and the Sciences.

 

Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies may be undertaken as a program for a major, a minor, or a modified major.

 

To view Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies courses, click here.

 

OPEN TO THE CLASS OF 2025 AND EARLIER

Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies Major for the class of 2025 and earlier

Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies offers a range of interdisciplinary courses offered by other departments and programs, that have a central focus on gender, women, or sexuality. The major is administered by the Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies Faculty Steering Committee. Students design their major plans in consultation with the Chair. Only the Chair may approve majors and minors in DartWorks. Students interested in becoming majors should consult the Chair well in advance of their intended declaration of a major.

Prerequisite: WGSS 10: Sex, Gender, and Society.

Requirements: (9 additional courses)

  1. WGSS 15: Roots of Feminism

  2. WGSS 16: Contemporary Issues in Feminism

  3. WGSS 80: Feminist Theory and Methodology

  4. Three additional Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies Courses

  5. Three additional courses selected from Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies offerings

  6. Concentration. In consultation with the Chair, each student will include within the list of required courses an area of concentration consisting of at least three related courses. Some examples of possible areas of concentration are Gender in Literature; Women in the Global South; Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Studies; Women’s History; or Sex and Gender in Science.

  7. Diversity. Each student’s major plan must include at least two courses that are clearly outside the area of concentration to provide diversity to the major.

Requirement 3 constitutes the culminating experience in the major and minor.

WGSS 7 (First-Year Seminar) may not count towards the major or minor.

 

Honors Program in Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies for the class of 2025 and earlier

Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies majors will be invited to participate in the Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies Honors Program if, after completing seven Dartmouth terms, WGSS 10, and four graded courses in the Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies major, they have achieved an overall College grade point average of 3.0 and a major average of 3.3.

The Honors Program consists of a two-term thesis project, WGSS 98 and WGSS 99. Students will design their projects in consultation with the adviser who has agreed to direct the thesis. A student must submit a preliminary proposal, with support from their advisor, to the Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies Faculty Steering Committee during spring term of the junior year. After doing reading and research over the summer term, a student must submit a final thesis proposal for the approval of the Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies Faculty Steering Committee by the second week of the fall term of the senior year. WGSS 98 and WGSS 99 carry two credits toward degree requirements but count as only one credit toward major requirements.

 

Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies Minor for the class of 2025 and earlier

The Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies minor consists of six courses: WGSS 10 (prerequisite); WGSS 15 or WGSS 16; WGSS 80; one other Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies course; and two additional courses selected from the Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies offerings.

 

Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies Modified Major for the class of 2025 and earlier

The modified major in Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies combines gender- or sexuality-related interdisciplinary coursework taken under the auspices of the Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Program with courses that are specific to a given discipline. Students will design a coherent program of study as they combine their interest in gender or sexuality studies with knowledge and skills provided by their secondary interest.  

The courses in the secondary discipline should not be WGSS cross-listed; they should instead be courses necessary for students to gain proficiency in their chosen secondary discipline, i.e., courses that count for the major or minor in that discipline.

Students wishing to pursue a modified major in WGSS must submit a written proposal that will be reviewed by the WGSS Faculty Steering Committee; approval by the chair or other appropriate faculty member in the secondary discipline is also required.

 

Requirements for the Modified Major: (11 courses)

Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies (7 courses: 4 Core + 3 Electives)

  1. WGSS 10: Sex, Gender, and Society

  2. WGSS 15: Roots of Feminism

  3. WGSS 16: Contemporary Issues in Feminism

  4. WGSS 80: Feminist Theory and Methodology

  5. Three additional upper-level courses from the WGSS course offerings.

Secondary Discipline (4 courses from a single discipline)

  • Four upper-level courses that count towards the Major/Minor in that discipline.

 

Modifying Another Major with Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies

When Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies becomes the secondary part of a modified major, five courses are required: WGSS 10 (prerequisite) and four additional courses selected from the Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies offerings. A modified major should be planned to form a coherent program of study with the major. Students must file a written statement with each department and the Registrar explaining the rationale for the courses selected for the modified major.

 

OPEN TO THE CLASS OF 2026 AND AFTER

Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies Major for the class of 2026 and after

Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies offers a range of interdisciplinary courses offered by other departments and programs, that have a central focus on gender, women, or sexuality. The major is administered by the Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies Faculty Steering Committee. Students design their major plans in consultation with the Chair. Only the Chair may approve majors and minors in DartWorks. Students interested in becoming majors should consult the Chair well in advance of their intended declaration of a major.

Requirements: (10 courses)

  1. Two courses chosen from the following options:

    • WGSS 1 Intersections

    • WGSS 2 Introduction to Queer Studies

    • WGSS 3 Global Race x Global Migration

  2. Two courses chosen from the following options:

    • WGSS 12 Feminist and Queer Theories and Methods

    • WGSS 41.06 Transnational Feminisms

    • WGSS 65.06 Radical Sexuality: Of Color, Wildness, and Fabulosity

    • WGSS 66.04 Introduction to Black Feminist Thought

  3. Three courses focused on a single area of concentration selected by students in consultation with faculty advisors. Possible areas of concentration include Race and Intersectionality; Queer and Trans Studies; Transnational and Decolonial Feminisms; Women’s and Feminist Histories, Movements, and Practices; and Gender, Society, and Culture

  4. Two additional courses selected from Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies offerings

  5. WGSS 80 Seminar in Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies

Requirement 5 constitutes the culminating experience in the major and minor.

WGSS 7 (First-Year Seminar) may not count towards the major or minor.

 

Honors Program in Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies for the class of 2026 and after

Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies majors will be invited to participate in the Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies Honors Program if, after completing seven Dartmouth terms and five graded courses in the Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies major, they have achieved an overall College grade point average of 3.0 and a major average of 3.3.

The Honors Program consists of a two-term thesis project, WGSS 98 and WGSS 99. Students will design their projects in consultation with the adviser who has agreed to direct the thesis. A student must submit a preliminary proposal, with support from their advisor, to the Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies Faculty Steering Committee during spring term of the junior year. After doing reading and research over the summer term, a student must submit a final thesis proposal for the approval of the Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies Faculty Steering Committee by the second week of the fall term of the senior year. WGSS 98 and WGSS 99 carry two credits toward degree requirements but count as only one credit toward major requirements.

 

Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies Minor for the class of 2026 and after

The Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies minor consists of six courses:

  1. One course chosen from the following options:

    • WGSS 1 Intersections

    • WGSS 2 Introduction to Queer Studies

    • WGSS 3 Global Race x Global Migration

  2. One course chosen from the following options:

    • WGSS 12 Feminist and Queer Theories and Methods

    • WGSS 41.06 Transnational Feminisms

    • WGSS 65.06 Radical Sexuality: Of Color, Wildness, and Fabulosity

    • WGSS 66.04 Introduction to Black Feminist Thought

  3. Three additional courses from the WGSS course offerings

  4. WGSS 80 Seminar in Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies

 

Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies Modified Major for the class of 2026 and after

The modified major in Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies combines gender- or sexuality-related interdisciplinary coursework taken under the auspices of the Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Program with courses that are specific to a given discipline. Students will design a coherent program of study as they combine their interest in gender or sexuality studies with knowledge and skills provided by their secondary interest.  

The courses in the secondary discipline should not be WGSS cross-listed; they should instead be courses necessary for students to gain proficiency in their chosen secondary discipline, i.e., courses that count for the major or minor in that discipline.

Students wishing to pursue a modified major in WGSS must submit a written proposal that will be reviewed by the WGSS Faculty Steering Committee; approval by the chair or other appropriate faculty member in the secondary discipline is also required.

 

Requirements for the Modified Major: (11 courses)

Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies (7 courses)

  1. Two courses chosen from the following options:

    • WGSS 2 Introduction to Queer Studies

    • WGSS 3 Global Race x Global Migration

  2. Two courses chosen from the following options:

    • WGSS 12 Feminist and Queer Theories and Methods

    • WGSS 41.06 Transnational Feminisms

    • WGSS 65.06 Radical Sexuality: Of Color, Wildness, and Fabulosity

    • WGSS 66.04 Introduction to Black Feminist Thought

  3. Two additional courses from the WGSS course offerings.

  4. WGSS 80 Seminar in Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies

Secondary Discipline (4 courses from a single discipline)

  • Four upper-level courses that count toward the Major/Minor in that discipline

Modifying another Major with Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies

When Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies becomes the secondary part of a modified major, five courses are required: WGSS 1 and four additional courses selected from the Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies offerings. A modified major should be planned to form a coherent program of study with the major. Students must file a written statement with each department and the Registrar explaining the rationale for the courses selected for the modified major.