Studies of Women, Gender, and Sexuality

The study of gender and sexuality has long constituted a vibrant and engaging arena for interdisciplinary work and intellectual inquiry. At the heart of this field is the assertion that gender and sexuality are fundamental categories of social organization and power that are inseparable from race, ethnicity, class, nationality, and other categories of difference. As an interdisciplinary field of study, WGS pays close attention to how social norms have changed over time and how they vary across cultures. The concentration also actively investigates the ways in which ideas about gender and sexuality have shaped public policy, civil rights, health care, religion, education and the law, as well as the depiction of women and men in art, literature, and the popular media. WGS courses are characterized by a strong commitment to critical thinking, as well as a spirit of open and sustained intellectual inquiry.

Students may pursue two secondary fields: a general secondary field in Women, Gender, and Sexuality studies, or a more specific secondary field in Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Studies. Both of these secondary fields will appear as “Women, Gender, and Sexuality” on students' transcripts:

• Studies of Women, Gender, and Sexuality
• Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Studies

The general WGS secondary field allows students to pursue a broad interest in studies of women, gender, and sexuality outside of their work for their concentrations. For the LGBT secondary field, students may take courses on topics such as the history of LGBT social movements; literary, cinematic and other representations of queerness; and political and theoretical constructions of sexuality and sexual difference. For both of the secondary fields, students take one foundational course in the history, methodology, or theory of gender and sexuality studies. The flexibility of the four remaining course requirements allows students to sample from the rich course offerings in WGS while developing core areas of interest.

Other Information

Students may petition to have one course from another department count toward the secondary field. Petition forms are available in the WGS office.

Students may petition to have a Freshman Seminar or a course from study abroad, Harvard Summer School, or other Harvard Faculty count for the secondary field. If the Freshman Seminar or the summer school course is taught by a faculty member with an appointment in WGS, the course would count as a “WGS course.” If the course is not taught by a WGS faculty member, it would count as one of the student's non-WGS course; other courses would need to be drawn from WGS course offerings.

No more than one course can be taken Pass/Fail or SAT/UNS. There is no grade minimum (as long as it is a passing grade) for the courses taken for secondary field credit.

Students pursuing a secondary field in WGS will receive preferential access to limited enrollment courses. Concentrators will be admitted first, but secondary field students will be the next preferred group.

Advising Resources and Expectations

Students who are considering a secondary field in Studies of Women, Gender, and Sexuality should meet with the Director of Studies, Caroline Light (clight@fas.harvard.edu) or the Assistant Director of Studies, Linda Schlossberg (617-496-9853, schloss@fas.harvard.edu), as soon as possible. Students should also inform the program using the Secondary Fields Web Tool in order to receive preferential access to limited-enrollment courses. Secondary field students are required to have an advising meeting with the Director of Studies or the Assistant Director of Studies by the end of their junior year to discuss their plans of study.