Stony Brook Undergraduate Bulletin - Spring 2025WSTDegrees & Requirements

Requirements for the Major and Minor in Women's and Gender Studies (WST)

Requirements for the Major in Women's and Gender Studies (WST)

The major in Women's and Gender Studies leads to the Bachelor of Arts degree. No more than three credits offered for the major may be taken Pass/No Credit or Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory. All other courses for the major must be passed with a letter grade of C or higher. No transferred course with a grade lower than C may be applied toward major requirements. No more than two 100-level courses may be applied toward major requirements. At least 18 credits must be in courses numbered 300 or higher. Students may choose to pursue an accelerated Women's and Gender Studies B.A. and Master of Public Health. For further information on the accelerated degree, please see the program Director.

Completion of the major requires 36 credits.

Core Courses
WST 102 Introduction to Women's and Gender Studies in the Social Sciences OR WST 103 Women, Culture, and Difference
2. WST 291 Introduction to Feminist Theory
3. WST 301 Histories of Feminism
4. WST 305 Feminist Theories in Context
5. WST 408 Senior Research Seminar for Women's and Gender Studies Majors and Minors
Focused Studies

One course in each of the following categories (See Note 1)

Women's and Gender Studies in a Global Context: WST 395 Topics in Global Feminism (or approved other course)
Gender, Race, and Ethnicity: WST 398 Topics in Gender, Race, and Ethnicity (or approved other course)
Gender and Sexuality: WST 399 Topics in Gender and Sexuality (or approved other course)

Electives
I) Twelve credits from WST courses. The following courses offered by other departments may also be used to satisfy this requirement (also see Note 2):

AAS 331 Japanese Literature in the Feminine Domain
AAS 372 Family, Marriage, & Kinship in China
AAS 392 Soc Sci Topics in Asian & Asian American Studies (approved topic: "Caste & Gender in Hindu Law")
AFH 382 Black Women's Literature of Diaspora
AFS 345 Culture & Gender
AFS 350 Black Women & Social Change
AFS 370 African-American Family
AFS 381 AIDS, Race, & Gender in the Black Community
ANT 367 Male & Female
ARH 391 Topics in Global Art (approved topic: "Images of Women in Visual Culture")
BIO 358 Biology of Human Social & Sexual Behavior
CCL 315 Gender & Sexuality in Ancient Greek Literature
CCS 311 Gender & Genre in Film
CCS 327 Topics in Histories of Culture (approved topics: "Queer Fictions of History; “Hormones & Behavior;” other topics when appropriate)
CLT 122 Images of Women in Literature
CLT 123 Sin & Sexuality in Literature
CLT 301 Theory of Literature (approved topic: "Queer Modernities")
EGL 276 Feminism: Literature and Cultural Contexts
EGL 310 Neoclassical Literature in English (approved topic: "Gender in the 18th Century")
EGL 350 Major Writers of American Literature, Colonial Period to 1900 (approved topic: "James, Stein, & Woolf")
EGL 352 Major Writers of 20th Century Literature in English (approved topic: "Virginia Woolf")
EGL 362 Drama in English (approved topic: "Women in Modern US Drama")
EGL 367 Contemporary Afro-American Literature (when topic appropriate)
EGL 371 Topics in Gender Studies in Literature
EGL 372 Topics in Women & Literature (approved topics: "Ecofeminism," "Mothering, Race, & Gender," "Women Writers")
EUR 390 Special Topics in European Studies (approved topic: "European Women Writers")
HIS 336 Women, Work, & Family in Modern European History
HIS 360 Women in Premodern Europe
HIS 340 Topics in Asian History (approved topic: "Women in 20th Century China;" other topics when appropriate)
HIS 392 Topics in European History (approved topic: "The Age of Jane Austen")
HIS 393 Topics in Modern European History (approved topic: "Sexual Politics in Modern Europe;” “The World of Jane Austen;” other topics when appropriate)
HIS 394 Topics in History of Human Reproduction
HIS 396 Topics in US History (approved topic: "Women & Work in 20th Century US")
HIS 401 Colloquium in European History (approved topic: "Heresy & Witchcraft in Middle Ages")
HIS 402 Colloquium in European History (approved topic: "Women, Militants, & the Vote")
HIS 414 Colloquium in American History (approved topic: "Sex & Death in American Murders")
HUI 231 Sex & Politics in Italian Cinema
HUI 235 Sex, Love, Tragedy: Early Italian Cinema
HUI 237 Images of Italian-American Women
LHD 301 Human Sexual & Gender Development Issues (approved topics: "Dirty Sex," "Gender & Technology," "Love & Power in Hollywood," "Men & Women in Society," "Men in America")
LHD 302 Colloquium in Human & Gender Development (approved topics: "Gender [& Sex] & Contemporary Media," "Pornography, Media, & AIDS")
LHD 401 Advanced Seminar in Human Sexual & Gender Development (approved topic: "Fetishes, Freaks, & Addictions")
MUS 314 Women Making Music
PHI 284 Intro to Feminist Theory (III)
PHI 384 Advanced Topics in Feminist Philosophy (III)
POL 330 Gender Issues & the Law
POL 347 Women & Politics
PSY 347 Psychology of Women
PSY 349 Special Topics in Social Psychology (approved topic: "Women's Health Issues")
RLS 366 Feminine Spirituality
SOC 247 Sociology of Gender
SOC 304 Sociology of the Family
SOC 340 Sociology of Human Reproduction
SOC 371 Gender & Work
SOC 390 Special Topics (approved topic: "Gender in Africa")
SOC 391 Special Topics (approved topics: "Bodies: A Social Primer," "Sociology of Masculinity;” “Gender in Africa;” other topics when appropriate)
SOC 394 Special Topics (approved topic: "Globalization, Gender, Migration;” “Gender & International Development;” other topics when appropriate)
SOC 395 Topics in Sci, Tech, & Society (approved topic: “Perverts, Pimps, & Pills;” other topics when appropriate)
SPN 410 Theory in Contexts (approved topic: "Money, Sex, & Power")
WSE 187 Women in the Laboratory
WSE 242 Society & Gender in Science & Engineering

Upper-Division Writing Requirement

Students must present to the director of undergraduate studies a minimum of ten typewritten pages of formal writing, prepared for an upper-division course listed above as acceptable for the major requirements. This written work must have been judged by the course instructor to be satisfactory for the upper-division writing requirement in the field of Women's and Gender Studies. Normally this requirement is met through the work in WST 408 .

Students should consult with the department advisor to ensure that their plan for completing the Upper Division Writing Requirement is consistent with university graduation requirements for General Education . Students completing the Stony Brook Curriculum (SBC) must complete a course that satisfies the "Write Effectively within One's Discipline" (WRTD) learning objective to graduate. The Upper Division Writing Requirement is consistent in most cases with the SBC learning outcomes for WRTD.

Notes:

The following courses are approved to replace WST 395 , 398, or 399)

Approved Replacements for WST 395

AAS 307 Women in US-Asian Relations
HIS 431 Women in Modern Japan
JPN 332 Japanese Literature in the Feminine Domain
SOC 391 Gender in Africa
SOC 394 Gender & International Development
WST 334 Women, Work & Family in Modern Europe
WST 360 Women in Premodern Europe
WST/AFS 350 Black Women & Social Change
WST/AFH/EGL 382 Black Women’s Literature of the Diaspora
WST/HIS 345 Women & Gender in Chinese History

Approved Replacements for WST 398

HIS 300 Race, Gender, Rights in U.S. Legal
HIS 396 Women of Color in American History
WST/EGL 372 Black Women Writers
WST/HUI 237 Images of Italian-American Women
WST 391/HUI 390/EGL369 Italian-Amer & Afri-Amer Women’s Literature

Approved Replacements for WST 399

ANT 295 Sex & Human Nature
CCS 325 Making Bodies Fit
EGL 390 Queer Studies: Race, Gender, & Sexuality in Literature
HIS 394 AIDS & Social History
POL 391 Sexualities & Politics
SOC 391 Sociology of Sexuality
WST 111 Intro to Queer Studies in the Humanities
WST 112 Intro to Queer Studies in the Social Sciences
WST 394 Special Topic: “Psychology of Reproduction”
WST 394 Special Topic: “Women, Science, Fiction, & Reproduction”
WST/ AFS 381 AIDS, Race, Gender in the Black Community
WST/ EGL 390 Queer Studies: Theorizing Race, Gender, & Sexuality
WST/ HIS 374 Historical Perspectives on Gender Orientation
WST/ SOC 340 Sociology of Human Reproduction

Related special topics courses given in various departments are acceptable for the Women's Studies major and minor with the approval of the undergraduate director. A list will be available on the Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies Department Website at the start of pre-registration each semester.
At least two WST topics courses (taught by WGSS faculty or affiliated instructors) must be used in satisfying Requirement B.
No more than six credits from WST 447 (Directed Readings) and WST 487 (Independent Project) may be applied toward the major.
No more than 3 credits of WST 475 (Undergraduate Teaching Practicum I) may be counted towards a WST Major.

No more than 6 credits of WST 488 (Internship) may be counted towards a WST Major.

Any course listed as -or cross-listed with- WST may count as an Elective (Requirement C). Other courses may count as qualifying electives if at least half the course content addresses issues concerning women, gender, and/or sexuality . Students may seek advance approval from tThe Undergraduate Program Director, who can review a course syllabus to determine if the course qualifies as an acceptable Elective. Availability of Elective courses depends on individual departments.

Students majoring in WST may choose an additional WST specialization (this is not required for the Major): in Gender, Sexuality, and Public Health, OR Gender and Social Change.

Specialization in Gender, Sexuality, and Public Health

Students choosing to pursue this specialization 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.

Requirements for the Specialization in Gender, Sexuality, and Public Health

18 credits of coursework (See Notes)
See the list of elective courses below; a current list of courses approved for this specialization can be found on the WGSS Department website. Upon request, t he Undergraduate Program Director can review a course syllabus to determine if the course qualifies as an acceptable course for this specialization.
Internship
Three of the 18 credits for the specialization must be in an approved internship or other related applied experience.

Notes:

No more than 3 of the 18 credits required for the specialization may be lower-division.
2. All A-F graded courses must be passed with a grade of C or better.
3. The specialization courses may overlap with major requirements, but not replace any.

WST 111 Introduction to Queer Studies in the Humanities
WST 112 Introduction to Queer Studies in the Social Sciences
WST 391 Music and Sexuality
WST 392 Special Topics in Women and Science (see department for approved topics)
WST 394 Special Topics in Medicine, Reproduction, and Gender (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 (see department for approved topics)
WST/ SOC 340 Sociology of Reproduction
WST/ AFS 381 AIDS, Race and Gender in the Black Community
HIS/ WST 374 Historical Perspectives on Gender Orientation
HIS 394 AIDS and Social History
PSY 349 Women's Health Issues

Specialization in Gender and Social Change

Students choosing to pursue this specialization 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.

Requirements for the Specialization in Gender and Social Change

18 credits of coursework (See Notes)

See the list of elective courses below; a current list of courses approved for this specialization can be found on the WGSS Department website. Upon request, t he Undergraduate Program Director can review a course syllabus to determine if the course qualifies as an acceptable course for this specialization.

Internship

Three of the 18 credits for the specialization must be in an approved internship or other related applied experience.

Notes:

No more than 3 of the 18 credits required for the specialization may be lower-division. 2. All A-F graded courses must be passed with a grade of C or better. 3. The specialization courses may overlap with major requirements, but not replace any.

Elective courses for the Specialization in Gender and Social Change

WST 310 Contemporary Feminist Issues
WST 377 / PSY 347 Psychology of Women
WST 391 Special Topics in Women's and Gender Studies in the Humanities (see department for approved topics)
WST 392 Special Topics in Women and Science (see department for approved topics)
WST 394 Special Topics in Medicine, Reproduction, and Gender (see department for approved topics)
WST 395 Topics in Global Feminism (see department for approved topics)
WST 396 Special Topics in the History of American Women (see department for approved topics)
WST 397 Social Sciences Topics in Women's and Gender Studies
WST 398 Topics in Gender, Race, and Ethnicity
WST/ SOC 247 Sociology of Gender
LHD 301 Human Sexual and Gender Development Issues
LHD 401 Advanced Seminar in Human Sexual and Gender Development
WST/ SOC 247 Sociology of Gender
WST/ POL 330 Gender and Law
WST/ POL 347 Gender and Politics
WST/ SOC 340 Sociology of Reproduction
WST/ AFS 350 Black Women and Social Change
WST/ SOC 371 Gender and Work
AAS 392 Gender and Caste in Hindu Law
AFS 345 Women in Africa and the Caribbean
CCS 401 Masculinity and Popular Culture
CFS 308 Violence in the Family
HIS 300 Race, Gender and Rights/US Legal
SOC 390 Special Topics (see department for approved topics)

Honors Program in Women’s and Gender Studies

Any Women’s and Gender Studies major who has maintained a grade point average (GPA) of 3.50 in the WaGS major and a 3.00 GPA overall are eligible to enroll in the Women’s and Gender Studies with honors program. The student must maintain these respective GPAs throughout the duration of the honors program. The student must enroll in the honors program before the end of the junior year. The student must identify a potential faculty member within the department to serve as a mentor, and, with the written approval of the mentor, submit the honors program application, which will describe the honors thesis project.

In the senior year, the student must enroll in WST 495 in the first semester and WST 496 in the second semester, for a total of six credits. This year long sequence of WST 495 /496 is in lieu of the general Senior Seminar, WST 408 . Since there are two semesters of required coursework, students in the program will complete 39 credits for the major, as opposed to 36 for students not enrolled in the program. The student’s honors thesis must be completed no later than four weeks prior to the end of the second semester, to allow for review by the honors committee and to allow for revisions. The honors thesis will be read by the student’s mentor and two other CAT faculty members or CAT affiliates.

If the honors program is completed with distinction and the student has achieved a 3.50 GPA in all WST courses taken in the senior year, honors are conferred.

Requirements for the Minor in Women's and Gender Studies (WST)

Only one course (no more than three credits) offered for the minor may be taken for Pass/No Credit, and no more than 6 credits may be taken for S/U. At least 15 credits must be graded with a letter grade.

Completion of the minor requires 21 credits.

WST 102 Introduction to Women’s and Gender Studies in the Social Sciences OR WST 103 Women, Culture, and Difference
2. WST 291 Introduction to Feminist Theory OR WST 301 Histories of Feminism
3. WST 407 Senior Research Seminar for Women's and Gender Studies Minors
4. Twelve credits chosen from among WST courses (or their crosslisted equivalents) and the list in WST major requirement C above. At least six of these credits must be numbered 300 or above. It is strongly recommended that these courses be chosen from among the following options: WST 390 , 391, 392, 393, 394, 395, 396, 397, 398, or 399.
No more than 3 credits of WST 488 (Internship) may be counted towards a WST Minor
No more than 3 credits of WST 475 (Undergraduate Teaching Practicum I) may be counted towards a WST or Minor