Women's and Gender Studies Major

The WGS Major is a Bachelor's of Arts (BA) degree, administered through the Center for Gender in Global Context (GenCen) and offered through the College of Arts & Letters (CAL). This degree is ideal for students who wish to study gender and its intersections with aspects within other fields of interest, and is also an excellent choice as a second major for anyone wishing to double-major. The major provides up-to-date knowledge about women and gender in comparative, transnational, historical, and global perspectives and equips students with the knowledge, theories, and methods relevant to a variety of careers and professions. This major emphasizes the intersections of gender with other social identities such as race, ability, and sexual orientation.

Past graduates of the WGS major have gone on to medical school focusing on women's health, law school, and top ranked graduate programs across fields. The program's focus on experiential and applied learning through opportunities like Women's and Gender Studies internships makes graduates of the major strong candidates for nonprofit, social service, and political or governmental jobs directly after graduation. See our student podcasts and alumni profiles or contact the GenCen Advisor to learn more.

Download the Women's and Gender Studies Major brochure [pdf]

Program Requirements

In addition to MSU and CAL graduation requirements, the WGS major requires at least 33 credits in:

• Three core Women's Studies courses: WS201, 202, and 203
• Two courses on global perspectives from an approved list
• Twelve credits in a chosen thematic area from an approved list
• A 2-4 credit WS493 internship
• The WS492 capstone course

View requirements for this degree (MSU Registrar's Office)

A current list of WGS courses and electives offered in 2023-2024 can be found linked here.

The Women's and Gender Studies major is designed to be highly flexible and fit into a four-year degree plan. The WGS major allows courses to overlap with other majors with approval of program advisors, and as a result many students are able to earn a double major in four years. Below is a sample four-year degree plan and template [download an accessible version].