Women's and Gender Studies, B.A.

Saint Louis University's Department of Women’s and Gender Studies is open to people of all genders, with courses focusing on women, gender and sexuality across the curriculum of the humanities and social sciences and including professional schools such as nursing, law and social work.

Women’s and gender studies is the study of the human experience that places women and gender at the center of the analysis. It is an interdisciplinary field that draws from knowledge and expertise in the humanities, social sciences and natural sciences. It examines how gender inequality is built into social institutions and practices, envisions more egalitarian alternatives and studies strategies of social change.

Women’s and gender studies looks at how gender norms vary across cultures and how they interact with other systems of inequality, such as those based on race and class. Courses range from “Gender and Popular Culture” to “Violence Against Women;" from “Feminist Theory" to “Feminism in Action” and from “Multicultural U.S. Feminisms” to “Global Feminisms." 

Curriculum Overview

The bachelor's program offers engaging courses that develop students’ multicultural awareness. The program enables individuals to become more reflective about their own lives and the lives of people of all genders everywhere. Courses encourage students to be active citizens of the world.

Students majoring in women’s and gender studies take courses that focus on women, gender, sexuality, ethics, families and communities. Women’s and gender studies students learn skills designed to help them build communities, develop policies and understand social relationships. Courses pay particular attention to the intersection of issues of ethnicity, class and sex, and explore how gender differences structure society. Many students choose to double major in women's and gender studies and another discipline, introducing even more questions into both fields.

Fieldwork and Research Opportunities

All women’s and gender studies majors have a Praxis course requirement that can be satisfied by an internship. Faculty-supervised internships are possible with a wide range of agencies that focus on women, gender or sexuality.

All women’s and gender studies majors also have an Inquiry/Research Experience course requirement. The capstone course allows students to complete an individual research project with oversight from both the instructor and another faculty member with expertise in the student’s area of interest. In a cross-listed core collaborative inquiry course, students may work together on a faculty-supervised research project. In both cases, there are opportunities for mentoring and professional development.

Careers

Students pursue careers in social service agencies, government, corporations and educational institutions; some students go on to master’s or doctoral work in women’s and gender studies or pursue graduate work in a variety of fields, including social work and law.

Admission Requirements

Begin Your Application

Saint Louis University also accepts the Common Application.

Freshman

All applications are thoroughly reviewed with the highest degree of individual care and consideration to all credentials that are submitted. Solid academic performance in college preparatory coursework is a primary concern in reviewing a freshman applicant’s file.

To be considered for admission to any Saint Louis University undergraduate program, applicants must be graduating from an accredited high school, have an acceptable HiSET exam score or take the General Education Development (GED) test. 

Transfer

Applicants must be a graduate of an accredited high school or have an acceptable score on the GED.

Students who have attempted fewer than 24 semester credits (or 30 quarter credits) of college credit must follow the above freshmen admission requirements. Students who have completed 24 or more semester credits (or 30 quarter credits) of college credit must submit transcripts from all previously attended college(s).

In reviewing a transfer applicant’s file, the Office of Admission holistically examines the student’s academic performance in college-level coursework as an indicator of the student’s ability to meet the academic rigors of Saint Louis University. Where applicable, transfer students will be evaluated on any courses outlined in the continuation standards of their preferred major.

International Applicants

All admission policies and requirements for domestic students apply to international students along with the following:

• Demonstrate English Language Proficiency
• Proof of financial support must include:
  • A letter of financial support from the person(s) or sponsoring agency funding the time at Saint Louis University
  • A letter from the sponsor's bank verifying that the funds are available and will be so for the duration of study at the University
• Academic records, in English translation, of students who have undertaken postsecondary studies outside the United States must include the courses taken and/or lectures attended, practical laboratory work, the maximum and minimum grades attainable, the grades earned or the results of all end-of-term examinations, and any honors or degrees received. WES and ECE transcripts are accepted.

Scholarships and Financial Aid

There are two principal ways to help finance a Saint Louis University education:

• Scholarships: Scholarships are awarded based on academic achievement, service, leadership and financial need.
• Financial Aid: Financial aid is provided in the form of grants and loans, some of which require repayment.

For priority consideration for merit-based scholarships, apply for admission by Dec. 1 and complete a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) by March 1.

For information on other scholarships and financial aid, visit www.slu.edu/financial-aid.

1. Graduates will be able to employ central concepts from women’s and gender studies to analyze how culture and social institutions shape possibilities for justice in everyday life (introductory course; theory course).
2. Graduates will be able to demonstrate how contemporary feminist thought and movements can take different forms among diverse populations within the United States and/or around the globe (theory course; diversity and identity course).
3. Graduates will be able to articulate how the concept of intersectionality facilitates the analysis of individual and community experiences. This can be demonstrated in research papers and in approaches to community action and service (inquiry/research course; Praxis course; diversity and identity course).
4. Graduates will be able to apply research skills and methodologies shaped by the discipline of women’s and gender studies in an original and substantial theoretical or empirical research project (inquiry/research course).
5. Graduates will be able to clearly explicate how their activist or service-learning project intervenes in a current social justice issue pertaining to gender, race or other forms of social inequality (introductory course; Praxis course).

Women's and gender studies students must complete a minimum total of 30 credits for the major.

Courses may simultaneously count for multiple majors and minors, and for core requirements. No single course can count as both a required course and an elective for the WGS major/minor.

Continuation Standards

Students must maintain a GPA of 2.00 or above in courses for the women’s and gender studies major.

Graduation Requirements

• Complete a minimum of 120 credits (excluding pre-college level courses numbered below 1000).
• Complete the University Undergraduate Core curriculum requirements.
• Complete major requirements: minimum 30 credits required.
• Complete remaining credits with a second major, minor, certificate and/or electives to reach the minimum of 120 credits required for graduation.
• Achieve at least a 2.00 cumulative grade point average, a 2.00 grade point average in the major(s) and a 2.00 grade point average in the minor/certificate, or related elective credits.
• Complete department-/program-specific academic and performance requirements.
• Complete at least 50% of the coursework for the major and 75% for the minor/certificate through Saint Louis University or an approved study abroad program.
• Complete 30 of the final 36 credits through Saint Louis University or an approved study abroad program.
• Complete an online degree application by the required University deadline.

Roadmaps are recommended semester-by-semester plans of study for programs and assume full-time enrollment unless otherwise noted.  

Courses and milestones designated as critical (marked with !) must be completed in the semester listed to ensure a timely graduation. Transfer credit may change the roadmap.

This roadmap should not be used in the place of regular academic advising appointments. All students are encouraged to meet with their advisor/mentor each semester.  Requirements, course availability and sequencing are subject to change.