Bachelor of Arts (BA) Degree with a Major in Study of Women, Gender and Sexuality
Program Learning Outcomes for the BA Degree with a Major in the Study of Women, Gender and Sexuality
Upon completing the BA degree with a major in the Study of Women, Gender and Sexuality, students will be able to:
- Demonstrate an awareness of the diversity of feminist thought in the past and present.
- Demonstrate familiarity with key issues in the study of women’s lives and histories.
- Demonstrate knowledge of social, political, and cultural features of gender and sexuality in the US and globally.
- Understand diverse global feminist perspectives, including critical race studies and feminist contributions to social and critical theory.
- Demonstrate knowledge of the feminist concept of engaged research based upon cumulative practice as engaged researchers in extra-classroom activities.
- Develop skills in analytical writing as well as in oral and visual presentation.
Requirements for the BA Degree with a Major in the Study of Women, Gender and Sexuality
For general university requirements, see Graduation Requirements. Students pursuing the BA degree with a major in the Study of Women, Gender and Sexuality must complete:
- A minimum of 10-11 courses (30-31 credit hours), depending on course selection, to satisfy major requirements.
- A minimum of 120 credit hours to satisfy degree requirements.
- A minimum of 5 courses (15 credit hours) taken at the 300-level or above.
- A maximum of 2 courses (6 credit hours) from study abroad or transfer credit. For additional departmental guidelines regarding transfer credit, see the Policies tab.
All students must work out their individual courses of study with their faculty advisors. Each student’s course of study must be approved by the SWGS Undergraduate Advisor.
The courses listed below satisfy the requirements for this major. In certain instances, courses not on this official list may be substituted upon approval of the major’s academic advisor, or where applicable, the department's Director of Undergraduate Studies. (Course substitutions must be formally applied and entered into Degree Works by the major's Official Certifier.) Students and their academic advisors should identify and clearly document the courses to be taken.
Summary
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Total Credit Hours Required for the Major in the Study of Women, Gender and Sexuality | 30-31 | |
| Total Credit Hours Required for the BA Degree with a Major in Study of Women, Gender and Sexuality | 120 | |
Degree Requirements
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Core Requirements | ||
| SWGS 101 | INTRODUCTION TO WOMEN & GENDER | 3 |
| or SWGS 201 | INTRODUCTION TO LESBIAN, GAY, BISEXUAL, AND TRANSGENDER STUDIES | |
| Select 1 course from 3 of the 4 following fields (see course lists below): | 9 | |
Critical Race | ||
Global South | ||
Sexuality | ||
Theory | ||
| Research, Practicum, and Seminar | ||
| Select 1 from the following: | 6-7 | |
Research, Practicum, and Seminar | ||
| PRE-SEMINAR IN ENGAGED RESEARCH | ||
| ENGAGED RESEARCH PRACTICUM | ||
| ENGAGED RESEARCH SEMINAR | ||
Senior Thesis | ||
| RESEARCH IN THE STUDY OF WOMEN GENDER SEXUALITY | ||
| RESEARCH IN THE STUDY OF WOMEN GENDER SEXUALITY | ||
| Elective Requirements | ||
| Select 4 elective courses from department approved electives or from additional elective courses in Critical Race, Global South, Sexuality, or Theory (see course lists below) | 12 | |
| Total Credit Hours Required for the Major in Women, Gender and Sexuality | 30-31 | |
| Additional Credit Hours to Complete Degree Requirements * | 58-59 | |
| University Graduation Requirements * | 31 | |
| Total Credit Hours | 120 | |
Footnotes and Additional Information
| * | Note: University Graduation Requirements include 31 credit hours, comprised of Distribution Requirements (Groups I, II, and III), FWIS, and LPAP coursework. In some instances, courses satisfying FWIS or distribution requirements may additionally meet other requirements, such as the Analyzing Diversity (AD) requirement, or some of the student’s declared major, minor, or certificate requirements. Additional Credit Hours to Complete Degree Requirements include general electives, coursework completed as upper-level, residency (hours taken at Rice), and/or any other additional academic program requirements. |
Course Lists to Satisfy Requirements
Students must select a minimum of 1 course (3 credit hours) from 3 of the following 4 fields to fulfill Core Requirements: Critical Race, Global South, Sexuality, and Theory. To fulfill the remaining major requirements, students must complete a total of 4 courses (12 credit hours) from the department approved electives, or from additional elective courses in Critical Race, Global South, Sexuality or Theory. Course offerings may vary from year to year, and students are urged to consult with the Center for the Study of Women, Gender and Sexuality (CSWGS) Director of Undergraduate Studies or the Center's Director at the beginning of each semester.
Critical Race
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| ANTH 316 | BLACK DECOLONIAL FEMINISMS IN THE AMERICAS | 3 |
| EDUC 304 | RACE, CLASS, GENDER IN EDUCATION | 3 |
| ENGL 397 | TOPICS IN LITERATURE AND CULTURE 1 | 3 |
| FREN 308 | BEAUTY AND THE BEAST(S): SEX, VIOLENCE, AND FOLKTALES IN THE AFRICAN DIASPORA | 3 |
| FREN 337 | SHAKESPEARE IN THE CARIBBEAN: POST/COLONIAL READINGS | 3 |
| FREN 340 | GENDER AROUND THE WORLD | 3 |
| FREN 413 | BLACK VENUS/VÉNUS NOIRE: REPRESENTATIONS OF BLACK WOMEN IN THE LONG 19TH CENTURY | 3 |
| FREN 414 | SEX AND RACE IN THE FRENCH ATLANTIC | 3 |
| HART 306 | WHAT ARTISTS CITE: CORE TEACHINGS IN BLACK STUDIES | 3 |
| SOCI 307 | INTERSECTIONALITY | 3 |
| SOCI 343 | RACE, SOCIETY AND POPULATION CHANGE | 3 |
| SOCI 389 | RACE, GENDER, CLASS IN FILM | 3 |
| SWGS 247 | SEX, RACE, AND THE CITY | 3 |
| SWGS 327 / ENGL 381 | TOPICS IN WOMEN WRITERS | 3 |
| SWGS 329 / ENGL 369 | THE AMERICAN WEST AND ITS OTHERS | 3 |
| SWGS 338 / HIST 338 | 19TH CENTURY WOMEN'S NARRATIVES | 3 |
| SWGS 354 / ENGL 371 / SPAN 396 | CHICANO/A LITERATURE | 3 |
| SWGS 370 / ENGL 370 | AFRICAN AMERICAN LITERATURE | 3 |
| SWGS 389 / ENGL 389 | YOUTH STUDIES | 3 |
| SWGS 415 / LING 415 | SOCIOLINGUISTICS | 3 |
| SWGS 466 / SPAN 456 | LATIN AMERICAN WOMEN'S CULTURE | 3 |
Global South
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| ANTH 316 | BLACK DECOLONIAL FEMINISMS IN THE AMERICAS | 3 |
| ASIA 381 | SOUTH ASIAN DIASPORAS | 3 |
| FREN 337 | SHAKESPEARE IN THE CARIBBEAN: POST/COLONIAL READINGS | 3 |
| FREN 340 | GENDER AROUND THE WORLD | 3 |
| FREN 414 | SEX AND RACE IN THE FRENCH ATLANTIC | 3 |
| PJHC 371 | POVERTY, JUSTICE, AND HUMAN CAPABILITIES | 3 |
| POLI 459 | SEX, GENDER, AND POLITICAL REPRESENTATION IN LATIN AMERICA | 3 |
| SOCI 389 | RACE, GENDER, CLASS IN FILM | 3 |
| SPAN 361 | WOMEN AND GENDER IN SPANISH CULTURE | 3 |
| SWGS 247 | SEX, RACE, AND THE CITY | 3 |
| SWGS 250 / POLI 250 / ASIA 251 | SEX, MONEY, AND POWER AROUND THE WORLD | 3 |
| SWGS 315 / RELI 315 / ASIA 315 | GENDER AND ISLAM | 3 |
| SWGS 384 / HIST 384 / ASIA 328 | MODERN GIRL AND ASIA IN THE WORLD | 3 |
| SWGS 399 / ASIA 399 / MDEM 379 | WOMEN IN CHINESE LITERATURE | 3 |
| SWGS 449 / ANTH 449 | CULTURES OF SEXUALITY | 3 |
Sexuality
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| ANTH 346 | QUEER ARCHAEOLOGY | 3 |
| ANTH 399 | ANTHROPOLOGY OF REPRODUCTION | 3 |
| HART 363 | SENSORIAL QUEERNESS : QUEERING THE SENSORIAL | 3 |
| HART 364 | GENDER AND SEXUALITY IN FILM | 3 |
| HIST 391 | QUEER HISTORY | 3 |
| HUMA 134 | WHAT IS LOVE? A BIG QUESTIONS COURSE WITH AN INTERDISCIPLINARY EXPLORATION | 3 |
| LALX 238 | SPECIAL TOPICS 1 | 1-4 |
| LING 303 | LANGUAGE, GENDER & SEXUALITY | 3 |
| RELI 393 | MUTANTS AND MYSTICS: RACE, SEXUALITY, AND THE FUTURE OF THE HUMANITIES | 3 |
| SWGS 238 | SPECIAL TOPICS 1 | 1-4 |
| SWGS 247 | SEX, RACE, AND THE CITY | 3 |
| SWGS 306 / HEAL 306 | HUMAN SEXUALITY | 3 |
| SWGS 317 | TRANSGENDER STUDIES | 3 |
| SWGS 333 / ANTH 311 | MASCULINITIES | 3 |
| SWGS 364 / ENGL 354 | QUEER LITERARY CULTURES | 3 |
| SWGS 385 | SEXUAL DEBATES IN THE U.S.: SOCIAL AND CULTURAL CONTEXTS OF SUPREME COURTS DECISIONS | 3 |
| SWGS 477 | SPECIAL TOPICS 1 | 1-4 |
Theory
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| PHIL 267 | PHILOSOPHY OF SEX AND LOVE | 3 |
| PHIL 470 | ADVANCED TOPICS IN SOCIAL AND POLITICAL PHILOSOPHY | 3 |
| SWGS 238 | SPECIAL TOPICS 1 | 1-4 |
| SWGS 317 | TRANSGENDER STUDIES | 3 |
| SWGS 345 / HIST 340 | HISTORY OF FEMINISM | 3 |
| SWGS 380 / ENGL 382 | FEMINIST THEORY | 3 |
Department Approved Electives
Select up to 4 courses (12 credit hours) from the following (or select additional courses from the course lists above):
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| ANTH 321 | SOCIAL LIFE OF DNA | 3 |
| ANTH 346 | QUEER ARCHAEOLOGY | 3 |
| ANTH 380 | GLOBAL HEALTH JUSTICE: HEALTHCARE INEQUALITIES IN CONFLICTS | 3 |
| ANTH 381 | MEDICAL ANTHROPOLOGY | 3 |
| ANTH 382 | BODY, TECHNOLOGY, AND ENHANCEMENT | 3 |
| ANTH 428 | FEMINIST SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY STUDIES | 3 |
| ENGL 332 | LITERATURE OF THE BRITISH ENLIGHTENMENT | 3 |
| FREN 370 | WOMEN IN TALES OF THE FANTASTIC | 3 |
| FREN 460 | WOMEN IN FICTION AND HISTORY: NOTIONS OF THE FEMININE SINCE THE FRENCH REVOLUTION | 3 |
| FWIS 119 | THE BEAUTY OF THE BEAST: TELLING AND RE-TELLING THE TALE AS OLD AS TIME | 3 |
| HART 307 | WOMEN IN ANCIENT ART | 3 |
| HART 356 | SEX AND MONEY: THE SPECIES DIVIDE | 3 |
| HART 364 | GENDER AND SEXUALITY IN FILM | 3 |
| HIST 391 | QUEER HISTORY | 3 |
| LALX 238 | SPECIAL TOPICS 1 | 1-4 |
| LING 303 | LANGUAGE, GENDER & SEXUALITY | 3 |
| PHIL 267 | PHILOSOPHY OF SEX AND LOVE | 3 |
| PHIL 275 | FEMINIST PHILOSOPHY | 3 |
| POLI 339 | GENDER AND POLITICS | 3 |
| POLI 459 | SEX, GENDER, AND POLITICAL REPRESENTATION IN LATIN AMERICA | 3 |
| POLI 461 | WOMEN AND POLITICAL LEADERSHIP | 3 |
| RELI 238 | SPECIAL TOPICS 1 | 1-4 |
| RELI 393 | MUTANTS AND MYSTICS: RACE, SEXUALITY, AND THE FUTURE OF THE HUMANITIES | 3 |
| SOCI 301 | SOCIAL INEQUALITY | 3 |
| SOCI 307 | INTERSECTIONALITY | 3 |
| SWGS 205 / LING 205 | LANGUAGE AND SOCIETY | 3 |
| SWGS 238 | SPECIAL TOPICS 1 | 1-4 |
| SWGS 273 / ENGL 273 | MEDICINE AND MEDIA | 3 |
| SWGS 301 / ENGL 317 / MDEM 317 | ARTHURIAN LITERATURE | 3 |
| SWGS 303 | GENDER AND SCIENCE | 3 |
| SWGS 305 / ENGL 316 / MDEM 316 | CHAUCER | 3 |
| SWGS 306 / HEAL 306 | HUMAN SEXUALITY | 3 |
| SWGS 324 / SOCI 306 | SOCIOLOGY OF GENDER | 3 |
| SWGS 325 / SOCI 334 | SOCIOLOGY OF THE FAMILY | 3 |
| SWGS 327 / ENGL 381 | TOPICS IN WOMEN WRITERS | 3 |
| SWGS 331 / PSYC 331 | PSYCHOLOGY OF GENDER | 3 |
| SWGS 332 / ANTH 325 | SEX, SELF, AND SOCIETY IN ANCIENT GREECE | 3 |
| SWGS 333 / ANTH 311 | MASCULINITIES | 3 |
| SWGS 336 / ANTH 308 | THE ANTHROPOLOGY OF THE HISTORICAL IMAGINATION | 3 |
| SWGS 343 / ENGL 343 | JANE AUSTEN'S WORLDS | 3 |
| SWGS 353 / ANTH 354 | ILLNESS, DISABILITY, AND THE GENDERED BODY | 3 |
| SWGS 361 / GERM 338 / HUMA 373 | NEW GERMAN FILM: HITLER'S CINEMATIC CHILDREN | 3 |
| SWGS 364 / ENGL 354 | QUEER LITERARY CULTURES | 3 |
| SWGS 372 / ENGL 342 | SURVEY OF VICTORIAN FICTION | 3 |
| SWGS 385 | SEXUAL DEBATES IN THE U.S.: SOCIAL AND CULTURAL CONTEXTS OF SUPREME COURTS DECISIONS | 3 |
| SWGS 390 / SPAN 390 | HISPANIC CINEMA | 3 |
| SWGS 424 / FREN 424 | WOMEN IN FRANCE | 3 |
| SWGS 434 / HART 434 / MDEM 434 | SEEING SEX IN EUROPEAN ART, 1400-1700 | 3 |
| SWGS 465 / SOCI 465 | GENDER AND HEALTH | 3 |
| SWGS 477 | SPECIAL TOPICS 1 | 1-4 |
| SWGS 495 | INDEPENDENT STUDY | 1-4 |
Footnotes and Additional Information
| 1 | ENGL 397, LALX 238, and RELI 238 are Special Topics courses. Therefore, these courses only count toward the Study of Women, Gender and Sexuality major when the topic is related to the Study of Women, Gender and Sexuality. SWGS 238 and SWGS 477 only count toward a required field for the SWGS major when the topic is related to that field. For questions regarding a specific instance of ENGL 397, LALX 238, RELI 238, SWGS 238, or SWGS 477, consult the Center for the Study of Women, Gender and Sexuality (CSWGS) Director of Undergraduate Studies or the Center's Director. |
Policies for the BA Degree with a Major in the Study of Women, Gender and Sexuality
Program Restrictions and Exclusions
Students pursuing the major in the Study of Women, Gender and Sexuality should be aware of the following program restriction:
- As noted in Majors, Minors, and Certificates, students may not major and minor in the same subject.
Transfer Credit
For Rice University’s policy regarding transfer credit, see Transfer Credit. Some departments and programs have additional restrictions on transfer credit. The Office of Academic Advising maintains the university’s official list of transfer credit advisors on their website: https://oaa.rice.edu. Students are encouraged to meet with their academic program’s transfer credit advisor when considering transfer credit possibilities.
Departmental Transfer Credit Guidelines
Students pursuing the major in the Study of Women, Gender and Sexuality should be aware of the following departmental transfer credit guidelines:
- No more than 2 courses (6 credit hours) of transfer credit from U.S. or international universities of similar standing as Rice may apply towards the major.
- Requests for transfer credit will be considered by the Center for the Study of Women, Gender and Sexuality (CSWGS) Director of Undergraduate Studies, the Center's Director, (and/or the program’s official transfer credit advisor) on an individual case-by-case basis.
- Courses taken at another university must be equivalent in required reading, writing, research and testing, as well as classroom hours, of a Rice course. Regarding subject matter, however, there does not have to be an equivalent course in the Rice course offerings, unless the student requires distribution credit.
- Rice students planning to study at a foreign university must also obtain pre-approval from the Rice Study Abroad Office.
- Transfer credit received via the articulation of approved exam credit, such as advanced placement (AP) credit, international baccalaureate (IB) credit, or A-level credit will not be considered towards major requirements.
Distribution Credit Information
The determination of distribution credit eligibility is done initially as part of the new course creation process. Additionally, as part of an annual roll call coordinated each Spring by the Office of the Registrar, course distribution credit eligibility is routinely reviewed and reaffirmed by the Dean’s Offices of each of the academic schools.
Faculty and leadership in the academic schools are responsible for ensuring that the courses identified as distribution-credit-eligible meet the criteria as set in the General Announcements. Students are responsible for ensuring that they meet graduation requirements by completing coursework designated as distribution-credit-eligible at the time of course registration.
Distribution courses from the Study of Women, Gender and Sexuality (SWGS) are broad in theme and scope and prompt students to probe knowledge about how gender and sexuality are crucial components of political life, social life, and general well-being. They involve a broad, interdisciplinary spectrum of such knowledge and provide students with the tools for thinking critically about formations of gender and sexuality in diverse contexts. Current SWGS DI courses are 100- and 200-level introductions to the study of women and gender and to LGBT studies. (Courses that originate in other departments and fulfill SWGS requirements may or may not be distribution courses. Please check the course description.)
Additional Information
For additional information, please see the Center for the Study of Women, Gender and Sexuality website: https://cswgs.rice.edu/
Opportunities for the BA Degree with a Major in the Study of Women, Gender and Sexuality
Academic Honors
The university recognizes academic excellence achieved over an undergraduate’s academic history at Rice. For information on university honors, please see Latin Honors (summa cum laude, magna cum laude, and cum laude) and Distinction in Research and Creative Work. Some departments have department-specific Honors awards or designations.
Senior Thesis
Students complete the Study of Women, Gender and Sexuality senior thesis under the guidance of a faculty mentor. Students should confirm their eligibility with the CSWGS Director of Undergraduate Studies (major advisor) in the spring of their junior year.
Requirements for admission to the program are:
- a major in SWGS
- a cumulative Rice GPA at the end of the junior year of at least 3.00
- a SWGS major GPA of at least 3.50
- approval of proposal by CSWGS Director of Undergraduate Studies
The process of preparing the thesis begins in the spring of the junior year, when the student works with the Center for the Study of Women, Gender and Sexuality (CSWGS) Director of Undergraduate Studies and chooses a faculty mentor from the faculty affiliated with CSWGS. With guidance from those two faculty, the student produces a proposal. The proposal must be approved by the Center for the Study of Women, Gender and Sexuality (CSWGS) Director of Undergraduate Studies by the last day of the exam period in the spring of the junior year.
In the fall of the senior year, the student enrolls in SWGS 498 to work with that instructor and also consults regularly with their faculty mentor. In the spring of the senior year, the student enrolls in SWGS 499 and continues to work closely with that instructor and their faculty mentor as they complete the thesis. The student presents their project in a public event at the end of the semester.
The length and content of the thesis are to be coordinated with the student's instructor and faculty mentor. Generally senior theses are 40-50 double-spaced pages in length. The bibliography and theoretical approach must demonstrate an informed engagement with feminist, gender, and sexuality studies.
It is useful for the student, instructor, and faculty mentor to develop a project timeline that includes deadlines for various components of the work. Students wishing to undertake a thesis combining SWGS with another discipline or department at Rice select one primary instructional home for the thesis (SWGS, or ANTH, ECON, HIST, PSYC, etc.) and work with an advisor in both CSWGS and that location to create a thesis that draws on both in terms of content, method, and theoretical orientation. The thesis may receive academic credit in only one instructional location.
Research, Practicum, and Seminar
The Engaged Research Practicum and Seminar courses (SWGS 494, SWGS 496, and SWGS 497) are open to non-majors. Some background in the study of women, gender or sexuality, as well as permission of the instructor is required.
Additional Information
For additional information, please see the Center for the Study of Women, Gender and Sexuality website: https://cswgs.rice.edu/.
See https://humanities.rice.edu/student-life for tables of fellowships, prizes, and internships/practica that may be relevant to this major.