The Gender, Sexuality, and Women's Studies Program (GSWS) offers a unique and wide-ranging way of studying and engaging with the world. We study concepts such as sex, gender, and sexuality; identities such as nonbinary, woman, man, cisgender, transgender, gay, lesbian, bisexual, pansexual, asexual, and queer; the intersections of sex, gender, sexuality, race, class, nation, (dis)ability, and other related systems of identity and inequality; and academic subjects including feminist history, transgender studies, queer theory, sex and politics, gender and language, and ecofeminism. GSWS is both an academic discipline and a meeting place for students and faculty in every discipline who want to explore these critically important issues. The program is scholarly, and it is fully engaged with the world in which we live.
Be active
Major requirements
Beyond the classroom
At UVM, you’ll find many places where discussions about gender, race, and sexuality reflect your intellectual experience in the classroom. You can connect with other students, get involved as campus educators and advocates, and deepen your commitment to diversity and cultural understanding.
The UVM Women's and Gender Equity (WAGE) Center which raises awareness about critical issues related to gender, and the Center for Cultural Pluralism (CCP), which equips us with the cultural and social justice competencies necessary to function at our best, encourage conversation and collaboration.
The Prism Center serves the diverse queer and trans community at UVM, and is committed to creating a more socially just, equitable, and inclusive campus. The Mosaic Center for Students of Color (MCSC) also serves as an active and inclusive community for students of color from across the University. You can also find out about relevant student clubs and organizations (or learn how to start your own!) through the SGA Clubs & Orgs website.
Careers
- Advocate for domestic violence survivors
- Attorney
- Counselor
- Journalist
- Psychotherapist
- Social worker
- Policy analyst
- Teacher
- Union organizer
- University professor
Where alumni work
- American Academy of Pediatrics
- Change Media Group
- Holman Immigration Law
- Jitegemee, Inc.
- Pennsylvania Ballet Academy
- Steps to Success, Brookline
- Vermont Association of Business, Industry & Rehabilitation
Graduate Schools
- American University
- Linköpings Universitet
- University of New Hampshire
- University of Pennsylvania
Related Information
Minors
Gender, Sexuality and Women's Studies Undergraduate Minor
The requirements for the minor:
A total of eighteen credits (six courses) are required for the minor. (a) Core (nine credits): GSWS 1050 (or 1010), 2050, and 4050 (or another 4000-level course approved for GSWS credit). (b) Electives (nine credits): at least six hours must be taken at the 2000-level or above. No more than three credit hours may come from the following courses: GSWS 3050, 3991, and GSWS 3993. No more than three credit hours may come from classes also used to fulfill a major.
Sexuality and Gender Identity Studies Undergraduate Minor
The requirements for the minor:
A total of eighteen credits (six courses) are required for the minor. (a) Core (nine credits): GSWS 1050 (or 1010), 2070, and 4050 or another 4000-level course approved for SGIS credit. (b) Electives (nine credits): at least six hours must be taken at the 2000-level or above. No more than three credit hours may come from the following courses: GSWS 3050, 3991, and GSWS 3993. No more than three credit hours may come from classes also used to fulfill a major.
Popular Courses
- GSWS 1500 – Introduction to GSWS
- SOC 1330 – Sociology of Sexualities
- GSWS 2050 – Gender and Feminism(s)
- GSWS 2070 – LGBT Politics and History
- ENGS 2206 - Ecofeminism
- POLS 2455 – The Politics of Sex
- SOC 2335 – Gender, Sexualities, and Medicine
- LING 2990 – Language & Gender
- SOC 3335 – Sociology of Reproduction
Learning Outcomes
Upon completion of the GSWS BA degree, students will be able to:
- Understand gender and sexuality as systems of power intersecting with others such as race, class, and ability.
- Learn and apply the history, theory, and methodologies of gender, sexuality, and women’s studies.
- Communicate effectively in spoken, written, and/or creative work.
- Navigate the ethical connections between the academic study of GSWS and the non-academic world of everyday experience.