As a WGSS Major you have the option of choosing a specialization that focuses on
Public Health or Social Change. These specializations are not in addition to your
current major requirements but would overlap them.
Requirements and Application
18 credits of coursework / 6 courses
No more than 3 of the 18 credits may be lower-division (100-200 level courses)
All A through F graded courses must be passed with a C or higher
12 Credits within your Major Electives
3 Credits in a Focused Studies Course (WST 399)
3 Credit Approved Internship
Other requirement substitutions would need to be approved by the Undergraduate Program
Director
It is recommended to speak with the Undergraduate Program Director (lisa.diedrich@stonybrook.edu) so you can discuss the specialization prior to any enrollment decisions.
Gender, Sexuality, and Public Health
Students choosing to pursue the specialization in Gender, Sexuality, and Public health
receive additional preparation for a career in public health. Depending on the student’s
choice of courses, this specialization can be useful for students planning careers
in midwifery, medicine, nursing, or counseling and education related to sexuality
and/or reproduction.
Elective Courses for Gender, Sexuality, and Public Health
This is not an exhaustive list and courses can always be approved by the Undergraduate
Program Director
WST 111: Introduction to Queer Studies in the Humanities 3 credits
WST 112: Introduction to Queer Studies in the Social Sciences 3 credits
WST 391: Special Topics in Women’s and Gender Studies in the Humanities 3 credits
WST 392: Special Topics in Women and Science 3 credits (see department for approved topics)
WST 394: Special Topics in Medicine, Reproduction, and Gender 3 credits (see department for
approved topics)
WST 399: Topics in Gender and Sexuality (see department for approved topics)
WST 401: Seminar in Women’s and Gender Studies 3 credits (see department for approved topics)
WST 340: Sociology of Human Reproduction 3 credits
SOC 340: Sociology of Human Reproduction 3 credits
WST 381: AIDS, Race, and Gender in the Black Community 3 credits
AFS 381: AIDS, Race, and Gender in the Black Community 3 credits
HIS 374: Surveillance State: A History of U.S. Domestic Spying 3 credits
WST 374: Historical Perspectives on Gender Orientation 3 credits
PSY 349: Special Topics in Social Psychology 3 credits
Specialization in Gender and Social Change
Students choosing to pursue the specialization in Gender and Social Change receive
additional preparation for a career in social change creating professions, such as
law, social work, public policy, or the media. Depending on the student’s choice of
courses, this specialization can be useful for students planning careers in civil
rights work, community organizing, work with abused women and children, politics,
or visual media, to give only a few examples.
Elective Courses for Gender and Social Change
This is not an exhaustive list and courses can always be approved by the Undergraduate
Program Director
