Otterbein College

What you'll study

The major requires 33 hours, including:

• Foundational core (12 hours): WGSS 1100 Introduction to Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies; WGSS 2001 Theories and Methods: Feminisms; WGSS 2002 Theories and Methods: Gender and Sexuality Studies; WGSS 3500 Advanced Seminar in Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies.
• Focus area / concentration (9 hours): After completing the 2000-level foundational sequence, majors declare a three-course concentration that supports coherent inquiry into an issue, period, discipline, theme, or research question. Students may choose from standard concentrations or design one with WGSS director approval. Example concentrations and sample coursework include:
• Gender, Culture, and Representation — e.g., Women as Subjects and Objects in the Visual Arts; Reading and Writing in Women’s Literatures; Women and Music; Studies in Film, Gender, and Sexuality.
• Power and Identity — e.g., Sociology of Gender; Psychology of Women; Gender and Communication.
• Social Activism and Political Change — e.g., Race, Gender, Class, and Media; Organizing across Race, Gender, and Class; Gender and Feminist Political Theory.
• Queer Studies — e.g., Reading and Writing in GLBTQ Literatures; Screening Sexualities; Queer Theory; The History of Sexuality in the U.S.; Gender, Sexuality, and Religion; Gender and Biology.
• Intersectional Studies — e.g., Poverty, Wealth, and Inequality; Mass Incarceration and the African-American Civil Rights Movement; Race, Gender, Class, and Media.
• Women and Leadership — e.g., Women and Leadership; Organizing Across Race, Class, Gender and Age; Leadership Practices.
• Individualized Concentration — designed by the student with department approval.
• Electives (9 hours): Special topics in WGSS, disciplinary courses affiliated with WGSS, selected FYS courses, or independent study.
• Senior capstone (3 hours): Choose one: WGSS 4200 Practicum in Collective Action; WGSS 4600 Senior Research Project; or WGSS 4900 Capstone Internship.
• At least 12 hours of the major must be at the 3000- or 4000-level.

Entry requirements

The course page does not list specific admission thresholds for the major; typical applicants should consult Otterbein's general undergraduate admissions information for institutional entry standards and contact the WGSS program for any department-level guidance.

Career prospects

The programme prepares students to apply skills in critical analysis, research, and interdisciplinary thinking to roles in areas such as community organizing, advocacy, education, cultural institutions, nonprofit work, public policy-related roles, or to continue into graduate study. Combining WGSS with another major (e.g., Psychology, Sociology, English, History/Political Science) broadens subject-matter expertise and career flexibility.

Scholarships & funding angle

No programme-specific scholarships are listed on the course page; prospective students should review Otterbein's general scholarships, financial aid, and work-study options and ask the WGSS director or financial aid office about department internships, practicum placements that may carry stipends, and opportunities to fund independent research or capstone projects.

Student learning outcomes

• Knowledge of women’s historical and contemporary status and contributions.
• Ability to analyze how culture, power, and social structures shape lived experience.
• Understanding of multiple histories of feminisms and feminist theory.
• Capacity to think comparatively about gender and sexuality across cultures and periods.
• Analysis of intersections between gender/sexuality and race, class, nationality, and ability.
• Critical examination of sexed and gendered identity construction.
• Awareness of how gender and sexuality shape personal and public life.
• Valuing the relationship between theoretical and experiential knowledge.
• Developing new ideas and theories that challenge assumptions and contribute to social change.