Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies

Department Chair: Lori Baralt
Office: MHB-819
Telephone: (562) 985‑2850
Website: Women’s, Gender and Sexuality Department

Faculty: Lori Baralt, Azza Basarudin, Stacy Macias, Jennifer Reed, Shira Tarrant

Academic Advisor: Lori Baralt

Administrative Support Coordinator: Emily Ramirez-Uribe

College: College of Liberal Arts

Courses: WGSS

Career Possibilities

Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies equips students with the intellectual, social and professional skills to creatively address the world’s persistent and urgent problems. The major’s internship and senior capstone requirements provide opportunities for hands-on, self-directed, real-world analysis and problem solving.

Graduates are adept collaborators who have experience working in settings with diverse perspectives. They are persuasive and effective communicators, able to synthesize viewpoints and evaluate information to devise and implement recommendations in complex settings. They use these skills in a variety of fields, including community organizing, nonprofit administration, creative arts and humanities, education, health care, law, media and communication, psychology business, and public policy.

Gender Studies Scholar • Community Organizer • Writer • Social Worker • Teacher • Librarian • Lawyer • Journalist • Therapist • Counselor • Editor • Labor Organizer • Researcher • Midwife/Doula • Medical Professional • Public Health Worker • Film Maker • Public Artist • Social Service Worker • Professor • Urban Planner • College Student Service Worker • Sexual Assault Victim Advocate • Entrepreneur • Nonprofit Administrator (Some of these, and other careers, require additional education or experience. For more information, see the CSULB Careers Website.) For more information, please see the Career Development office. For more information, please see the Women’s, Gender & Sexuality Studies website.

Introduction

Majors in Gender, Women & Sexuality Studies analyze how gender and sexuality are structured by interlocking systems of power and shape our lives and experiences. By examining how gender and sexuality intersect with race, class, legal status and ability, students cultivate a deeper understanding of systemic and structural inequities and resistance movements for change. They ask urgent, critical questions and break down conventional academic assumptions, developing innovative methods for examining and addressing current issues in diverse local and global contexts. They apply their knowledge and gain real-world experience through a required internship and capstone project,

The Department offers a major, a minor, and a minor in Queer Studies. Designated WGSS courses may be used to fulfill General Education requirements for students of other majors.

Programs

Undergraduate Degrees

Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies, B.A.

Minor

Courses

Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies

General Education Category A must be completed prior to taking any upper-division course except upper-division language courses where students meet formal prerequisites and/or competency equivalent for advanced study.