Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies, BA

The Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies (WGSS) Program, offered by the Department of Sociology and Interdisciplinary Social Sciences at San Jose State, is committed to interdisciplinary scholarship and teaching based on global feminist frameworks. WGSS curriculum investigates how lives are shaped by gender and gender identity, race, class, sexuality, and nation. The program emphasizes the importance of understanding gender as integral to social and political structures of power. Students will obtain skills to cultivate critical thinking, dialogue, coalition building, appreciation of diversity, and contribution to social change based on feminist frameworks. The goal of the WGSS program includes integrating the academic and experiential, thereby contributing to social change and justice.

Program Learning Outcomes

Program Roadmaps

The 4-Year Roadmap is available online. Roadmaps should be used in consultation with the catalog and your advisor to identify additional requirements for completing the major (for example, course grade minimums). Associate Degrees (ADT) Pathways are also available online.

1. Complete the Baccalaureate Degree Requirements

Students must satisfy the specific degree requirements for their undergraduate major and fulfill the following University degree requirements:

Academic (program total units with an average 2.0 GPA - “C” or better)
General Education (GE) (34 Lower Division + 9 Upper Division)
American Institutions (AI) (0-6 units) (may be satisfied in GE Areas 3B, 4, UD 3, UD 4)
Graduation Writing Assessment Requirement (GWAR) (3 units)
Physical Education (PE) (0-2 units)
Units in Residence (30 units, including 24 upper division and 12 in major)
Upper Division Units (40 units, including 12 upper div in major for BA, 18 upper div in major for BS)
Undergraduate Policies & Procedures
Apply for Graduation
Information about the Commencement Ceremony and Conferral of the Degree

Exceptions for University Graduation Requirements including exemptions and waivers, are approved for specific majors and on a case-by-case evaluation only.

Summary of Degree Units

Core Lower Division GE: 25 (6 units may be satisfied by major coursework: Area 4)

6 units of American Institutions/US 123 are required: 3 units may be satisfied from the LD GE by selecting GE course in Area 3B

Upper Division GE: 3 (6 units may be satisfied by major coursework: UD Areas 3, 4)

Physical Education: 2

GWAR / WID: 0 (3 units may be satisfied by SOCI 100W )

Major Requirements: 39

University Electives or Minor: 45

Total: 120

2. Major Requirements (39 units)

Core Courses (21 units)

WGSS 10 - Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies 3 unit(s) (GE Area 4 / Formerly Area D)
WGSS 16A - Women of Color in United States History I 3 unit(s) (GE Area 4 / Formerly Area D)
WGSS 16B - Women of Color in U.S. History II 3 unit(s) (GE Area 4 and US123 / Formerly Area D)
SOCI 100W - Writing Workshop 3 unit(s) (WID)
SOCI 105 - Qualitative Research Methods 3 unit(s)
WGSS 101 - Sex, Power, and Politics 3 unit(s) (GE UD Area 4 / Formerly Area S)
WGSS 102 - The Global Study of Women 3 unit(s) (GE UD Area 3 / Formerly Area V)

Complete Four Courses (12 units)

WGSS 112 - Women in the Global Economy 3 unit(s)
WGSS 114 - Politics of Mothering and Reproduction 3 unit(s)
WGSS 135 - Trans Studies: Identities, Embodiment, & Politics 3 unit(s)
WGSS 160 - Queering Gender, Race, and Class 3 unit(s)
WGSS 169 - Sexualities and the Body 3 unit(s)
WGSS 189 - Feminist Perspectives on Gender and Religion 3 unit(s)

Major Electives (6 units)

Complete 2 courses:

AFAM 152 - Black Feminisms 3 unit(s)
AFAM 166 - Black Women’s Histories 3 unit(s)
ARTH 191B - Women in Art 3 unit(s)
CA 95 - Introduction to Queer Arts 3 unit(s)
CCS 160 - Gender and Sexuality in the Chicana/o Community 3 unit(s) (GE UD Area 4 / Formerly Area S)
COMM 176P - Communication and Gender 4 unit(s) (GE UD Area 4 / Formerly Area S)
ENGL 182 - Women, Gender, and Sexuality in Literature 4 unit(s)
ENGL 184 - Queer Literary Studies 4 unit(s)
GLST 143 - Gender, Power, Intnl Dev 3 unit(s)
HIST 153 - History of Women in Europe 3 unit(s)
HIST 185 - LGBTQ+ History in the United States 3 unit(s)
HIST 188 - History of Women in the United States 3 unit(s)
JS 130 - Sexuality & Justice 3 unit(s)
JS 132 - Race, Gender, Inequality and the Law 3 unit(s)
JS 150 - Gender and Crime 3 unit(s)
JS 174 - Reproductive Justice 3 unit(s)
POLS 109 - Women and Politics 4 unit(s)
SOCI 170 - Sociology of Family 3 unit(s)
SOCI 172 - Lesbian, Gay, Bi, Transgender Studies 3 unit(s)
SOCI 174 - Sexualities 3 unit(s)
WGSS 107 - Psychology of Women 3 unit(s)
WGSS 121 - Philosophy and Feminism 3 unit(s)
WGSS 131 - Gender, Sexuality, and Religion 3 unit(s)
WGSS 156 - Black Women’s Writing 3 unit(s)
WGSS 175 - Sociology of Gender 3 unit(s)
WGSS 180 - Individual Studies 1-4 unit(s)
WGSS 190 - Internship 1-4 unit(s)

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