Learn to see past stereotypes and explore the ways gender, socioeconomic class, sexual identity, gender identity, nationality, race, ethnicity and age shape experience.
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Program Overview
Program Delivery: On-campus
The Center for Women's and Gender Studies (WGST) at WVU advances interdisciplinary research and innovative teaching to inspire new generations of gender and sexuality scholars and leaders.
- The mission of WGST is to examine the complex interplay of power and difference across multiple intersecting categories — including gender, race, sexuality, class, age, ability and nationality.
- As a WGST student, you'll develop tools for addressing social inequities in everyday life.
- WGST is an interdisciplinary field that embraces humanities, arts, social science and STEM fields. You'll investigate the meanings of categorization and difference on local and global levels.
Opportunities
Explore the WVU Difference through this program's academic, research, and student life opportunities.
- Our faculty have international and national reputations for their research and teaching.
- Our faculty are not only WGST experts in but are trained in a variety of fields including biology, geography, history and English.
- You are never “just a number” in WGST! You'll receive a hands-on education and develop close relationships with faculty and students.
- Our graduates work in a wide range of fields, from medicine to community organizing.
- We offer a wide range of scholarships and awards.
- You'll have opportunities for internships, independent studies, travel courses, study abroad, service learning and hands-on research with faculty.
- SpeakWrite Certified Major automatically fulfills the WVU General Education Foundations (GEF) writing and communication skills requirement.
- Earn academic credit through Eberly internship courses.
- 500+ scholarships awarded annually by the Eberly College of Arts and Sciences.
- Academic Enrichment Program offers funding for activities that complement, extend and enhance your academic experience.
Living Learning Communities
Living Learning Communities
Find a community where you can live with others who share your interests. You will have opportunities to connect with faculty, staff and professionals in areas aligned with your LLC's emphasis. Learn more about WVU Living Learning Communities.
Professional Organizations and Assistantships
Professional Organizations
Network with professionals in your field as a student member of:
Internships and Assistantships
Internships and Assistantships
We strongly encourage WGST students to complete internships. Working closely with your adviser, we tailor the internship destination and experience to your unique goals and skills.
If you're interested in pursuing careers in the non-profit sector, there are numerous opportunities to gain valuable experience at local and national organizations like the Morgantown Human Rights Commission, Planned Parenthood, Feminist Majority Foundation, Sexy Sex Ed, Appalachian Prison Book Project, The Stay Project, WVU Women's Resource Center and WVU LGBTQ+ Center, among others.
Research and Opportunities
Summer Undergraduate Research Experience (SURE)
An 8-week WVU summer program for students interested in graduate school and research/creative work in their discipline or a related discipline. Participants work under the direction of a WVU faculty research mentor and a graduate or post-doctoral mentor. Students interested in research careers are especially encouraged to apply.
Research Apprenticeship Program (RAP)
A two-semester WVU program for students with limited or no research experience. Students can earn course credit and use federal work-study funds for undergraduate research apprenticeships with WVU research faculty.
Undergraduate Teaching Assistants
Many of our students are offered the opportunity to serve as undergraduate teaching assistants in WGST courses. This unique opportunity provides hands-on experience in the classroom.
While each student’s experience as an undergraduate teaching assistant varies, TAs typically assist with grading and classroom management. The supervising faculty member will provide each TA with an experience tailored to their goals, strengths and experience.
Students earn credit hours in WGST 491 for serving as an undergraduate teaching assistant. This course counts as an elective for WGST majors and minors.
Coursework
Through our interdisciplinary curriculum, you will learn to analyze inequities and differences while developing valuable real-world skills that will enable you to be an agent of change in your community and the world.
As a WGST major, you're required to take a sequence of core courses. These courses provide the analytic framework for the study of women, gender and sexuality that will inform all courses in the major.
Coursework
Introduction to Women’s and Gender Studies, Feminist Histories and Practices, Feminist Theories, Queer Theories and Senior Capstone
Elective Courses
After completing some of the core coursework, you will take a number of elective courses from various disciplines. This flexibility lets you shape your curriculum to support your career and professional development goals. You'll work closely with faculty advisers to select courses that balance breadth of knowledge with your specific interests.
You can find a list of electives in the undergraduate catalog. You may also petition for courses not listed in the catalog to count for the major.
Minor Field
You must complete a minor or second major. Our program's interdisciplinary nature gives you the freedom to explore a secondary field of your choice. Popular pairings include Psychology, Biology, English, History, Sociology, Philosophy, Criminology, Forensics and Native American Studies.
Featured Courses
Capstone Projects
All Women's and Gender Studies students are required to take WGST 484, which broadens their theoretical definitions of feminism and women's studies to include non-western models and solutions. Students pair their study with a local service project informed by global activists.
Explore Career Paths
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Law and Justice
Career path: Law school, lawyer, policing, public policy
Suggested courses: Feminist Histories and Practices; Perspectives on Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer Studies; Gender and Violence; Methods for Inclusive Research; Women's Movements Since 1960
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Gender, Culture and Society
Career path: Social worker, counselor, educator, non-profit leader, national service
Suggested courses: Women in Movies; Feminist Histories and Practices; Women in Appalachia; Methods for Inclusive Research; Gender and Violence; Sexuality in American Culture Perspectives on Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer Studies; Men and Masculinities; Teaching Practicum
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Social Justice, Advocacy and Community Organizing
Career path: Nonprofit leader, community organizer, political office, nonprofit sector, social services
Suggested courses: Feminist Histories and Practices; Women in Appalachia; Gender and Violence; Perspectives on Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer Studies; Methods for Inclusive Research; Women in International Development; Men and Masculinities
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Health and Medicine
Career path: Physician, nursing, healthcare administration, public health researcher, women's health professions, LGBTQ+ health professions
Suggested courses: Women’s Health and Fitness; Women in Science; Gender and Violence; Sex and Science at the Movies; Perspectives on Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer Studies; Methods for Inclusive Research
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WVU Graduate Certificate
While WVU does not have a stand-alone graduate program in WGST, we do have a Graduate Certificate.
This certificate program requires a student to be enrolled in a graduate program in any field at WVU. Students work closely with an adviser in WGST to tailor a minimum of 15 credit hours of courses relevant to women’s and gender studies.
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Fields of Study
Our students often go on to complete graduate programs in other fields at WVU including (but not limited to):
- History
- English
- Social Work
- Sociology
- Medicine
- Education
- Public Policy
- Psychology