Women's and Gender Studies
Major in the College of Liberal Arts
The Department of Women's, Gender and Sexuality Studies is the home for intersectional feminist and queer studies research, teaching, and learning on the UT campus.
Our areas of strength include Black Feminisms, Disability Studies and Feminist Health Studies, LGBTQ Studies, and Transnational Feminisms. DWGSS houses the Center for Women's and Gender Studies (CWGS) and the LGBTQ Studies Program, two centers for research and programming that bring together faculty affiliates from across campus. We warmly welcome you to join our community by dropping by our office, taking our classes, attending our events, and learning more about our undergraduate programs.
Because of our small size, our undergraduate students receive individual attention. Students also can attend DWGSS and CWGS events, including faculty talks, social events, and other programming activities.
WGS courses train students to develop their critical thinking, analytic writing, cultural competency, and lifelong intellectual curiosity. These are all skills needed to be an effective communicator and leader. Our curriculum emphasizes ethics, integrity, citizenship and awareness of global issues. The most successful employees are creative, curious, problem solvers, and proficient communicators. Together with the Career Success office and Liberal Arts Career Services, WGSS provides a full range of advising and career education services.
WGS majors work in a wide variety of fields in local, national and international settings. Liberal Arts Career Services provides a full range of career coaching, recruiting and career education services to help students prepare for their future.
Freshman and External Transfer Admission
ShowProspective University of Texas at Austin students should visit UT Admissions to learn about the application process and how to declare a major.
Internal Transfer Requirements
ShowUndergraduates currently enrolled at UT who wish to declare a Women's and Gender Studies major must meet with the Women's and Gender Studies advisor and apply for Internal Transfer. For more information, visit the Liberal Arts student affairs page on declaring a Liberal Arts major.
Students in the WGS major will be able to add WGS courses that are restricted to majors only.
Required Courses
ShowStudents can begin working toward the major by taking WGS 305 Introduction to Women's and Gender Studies. The WGS major is a 30-hour major, including 18 hours upper-division and 18 hours in residence.
For information on additional required courses, visit the Liberal Arts catalog degree plans, select the relevant catalog years and scroll down to Women’s and Gender Studies. Students may also find course descriptions of current WGS courses.
Specializations
ShowOur interdisciplinary community of scholars includes more than 25 faculty specializing in disability studies, reproductive justice, BIPOC feminisms, transnational feminisms, LGBTQ studies, art and literature, media and performance, migration, decolonization, archives and affect, and more.
Skills
ShowA degree in Women and Gender Studies (WGS) opens many diverse possibilities for future employment. The WGS Program introduces students to relevant social issues, fosters critical thinking, develops strong verbal, writing and research skills, and encourages social advocacy.
Increasingly, corporations, colleges and universities, and personnel firms are hiring specialists in women and gender studies trained in understanding the complex demands of various communities. State and federal agencies need people who have special understanding of the problems that different women face in society, industry, and the professions. A WGS BA degree gives you many options. Top career outcomes for WGS majors include advocacy, public policy, law, education, journalism, healthcare, recruiting, human resources, communications, grant writing, and business. Many of our students go into non-profit roles and advocacy organizations or find careers in the private sector. Others continue their work in graduate programs, law school, medical school, or remain in the education field.
