Mission Statement

The Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies department prepares students to become future professionals, scholars, activists, and artists who engage critically with gender and sexuality issues in multicultural and transnational contexts.

Our departmental mission is:

1) To familiarize students with the histories of feminist thought and social movements.

2) To teach them how to apply feminist, queer, and transgender theories in their writing and research.

3) To train them in developing interdisciplinary problem-based methods applicable within and beyond scholarly settings.

Programs and Commitment

Our Department offers the following programs:

• • B.A. in Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies
  • M.A. in Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies
  • Ph.D. in Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies
  • Undergraduate Minor in Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies
  • Graduate Certificate in Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies

At the heart of all programs is a profound commitment to:

The critical study of gender and sexuality as an intellectual project indebted to past and present activist movements and committed to future social change.

Core beliefs and visions:

We believe in the transformative potential of feminist, queer, and trans studies. Our innovative approaches to research, teaching, and mentoring aim to enact positive effects in the world.

Course Focus and Career Preparation

Our courses help students gain the conceptual tools needed to:

Analyze and challenge gender and sexual norms.

Understand intersections with racial and ethnic formations, political and economic structures, and dominant standards of health and ability.

Opportunities for undergraduates:

• Conduct original research.
• Develop community-engaged projects.
• Complete on- and off-campus internships.

Career preparation for undergraduates:

Launch careers in law, education, healthcare, social work, public policy, and community organizing.

Graduate programs (M.A., Ph.D., and Graduate Certificate) offer:

Advanced training in theories of sex, gender, and sexuality.

Understanding of the history of feminist pedagogy and the formation of Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies as a field.

Development of boundary-pushing methodologies effective in both academic and non-academic research settings.

Interdisciplinary Research and Faculty Expertise

Our faculty:

Core faculty all hold graduate degrees or certificates in women’s, gender, or feminist studies.

Approximately 50 affiliated faculty work across a variety of fields, including the arts, humanities, social sciences, and health sciences.

Specializations in the department:

Study of bodies, disability, and the politics of health.

Analysis of racialized and sexualized representations in media, literature, and social sciences.

Critical examination of global economic processes and transnational social movements.

Collaboration and Knowledge Production:

The department fosters collaboration and collective knowledge production by actively forging alliances with feminist scholars, programs, and initiatives across campus. We aim to enhance gender and sexual diversity at Stony Brook University, throughout New York State, and beyond.