About This Program
Our Gender and Sexuality Studies program offers a multidisciplinary approach to understanding the complexities of gender and sexuality in contemporary society. With passionate faculty, engaging coursework and a welcoming community, you will have the opportunity to explore your interests, develop critical thinking skills and make a positive impact in the world. Read more...
Contact Information
Program Delivery
Examples of Possible Careers and Salaries*
General and operations managers
- 5.8% faster than the average
- 2,486,400 number of jobs
- $103,650 potential earnings
Human resources specialists
- 7.0% faster than the average
- 666,500 number of jobs
- $63,490 potential earnings
Lawyers
- 4.0% about as fast as the average
- 813,900 number of jobs
- $126,930 potential earnings
Legal support workers, all other
- -1.2% decline
- 50,400 number of jobs
- $59,540 potential earnings
Management analysts
- 10.7% much faster than the average
- 876,300 number of jobs
- $87,660 potential earnings
Office and administrative support workers, all other
- 4.0% about as fast as the average
- 220,800 number of jobs
- $35,890 potential earnings
* Source of occupation titles and labor data comes from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics' Occupational Outlook Handbook. Data comprises projected percent change in employment over the next 10 years; nation-wide employment numbers; and the yearly median wage at which half of the workers in the occupation earned more than that amount and half earned less.
Admission Requirements
The university affirmatively strives to provide educational opportunities and access to students with varied backgrounds, those with special talents and adult students who graduated from high school three or more years ago.
First-Year Students on the Kent Campus: First-year admission policy on the Kent Campus is selective. Admission decisions are based upon cumulative grade point average, strength of high school college preparatory curriculum and grade trends. Students not admissible to the Kent Campus may be administratively referred to one of the seven regional campuses to begin their college coursework. For more information, visit the admissions website for first-year students.
First-Year Students on the Regional Campuses: First-year admission to Kent State’s campuses at Ashtabula, East Liverpool, Geauga, Salem, Stark, Trumbull and Tuscarawas, as well as the Twinsburg Academic Center, is open to anyone with a high school diploma or its equivalent. For more information on admissions, contact the Regional Campuses admissions offices.
International Students: All international students must provide proof of English language proficiency (unless they meet specific exceptions) by earning a minimum 525 TOEFL score (71 on the Internet-based version), minimum 75 MELAB score, minimum 6.0 IELTS score or minimum 48 PTE Academic score, or by completing the ELS level 112 Intensive Program. For more information, visit the admissions website for international students.
Transfer Students: Students who have attended any other educational institution after graduating from high school must apply as undergraduate transfer students. For more information, visit the admissions website for transfer students.
Former Students: Former Kent State students or graduates who have not attended another college or university since Kent State may complete the reenrollment or reinstatement form on the University Registrar’s website.
Admission policies for undergraduate students may be found in the University Catalog's Academic Policies.
Some programs may require that students meet certain requirements before progressing through the program. For programs with progression requirements, the information is shown on the program's Coursework tab.
Program Requirements
Major Requirements
Course List Code | Title | Credit Hours |
GSS 10100 | INTRODUCTION TO GENDER AND SEXUALITY STUDIES | 3 |
GSS 30500 | METHODOLOGIES AND PRAXIS IN GENDER AND SEXUALITY STUDIES | 3 |
GSS 40450 | GENDER AND SEXUALITY ROUNDTABLE | 3 |
GSS 40591 | SEMINAR IN GENDER AND SEXUALITY STUDIES | 3 |
| 3 |
| GENDER AND LANGUAGE | |
| AFRICANA WOMEN'S LITERATURE (DIVG) | |
| WOMEN'S LITERATURE (DIVD) | |
| HISTORY OF WOMEN IN THE UNITED STATES | |
| TRANSGENDER STUDIES | |
| GENDER, POWER AND CONFLICT | |
| WOMEN, POLITICS AND POLICY (DIVD) | |
| FEMINIST HUMOR: DISARMING LAUGHTER, DISRUPTIVE DISCOURSE | |
| 3 |
| BLACK WOMEN, CULTURE AND SOCIETY: HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVES (DIVD) | |
| THE BLACK MAN: HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVES | |
| GENDER AND SEXUALITY IN AFRICA AND THE AFRICAN DIASPORA | |
| HISTORY OF SEXUALITY IN THE UNITED STATES | |
| LGBTQ RIGHTS AND CONTEMPORARY ISSUES | |
| WITCHES: THE MONSTROUS FEMININE | |
| GLOBAL FEMINISMS: A WORLD AND CENTURY OF WOMEN'S ACTIVISM | |
| RAPE CULTURE: RETHINKING DANGER, POWER, SEX AND FEMINIST FRAMINGS | |
| 3 |
| RACE, CLASS AND FEMINIST THOUGHT | |
| QUEER THEORY | |
| FEMINIST PHILOSOPHY (DIVD) | |
| ARENAS FOR FEMINIST THOUGHT: TOUCHY SUBJECTS, UNSETTLED MATTERS AND FEMINIST RESPONSE-ABILITY | |
| 9 |
| THE AFRICAN AMERICAN FAMILY: HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVES (DIVD) | |
| THE BLACK MAN: HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVES | |
| GENDER AND SEXUALITY IN AFRICA AND THE AFRICAN DIASPORA | |
| RACE, CLASS AND FEMINIST THOUGHT | |
| HUMAN BIOLOGY (KBS) | |
| GENDER AND COMMUNICATION (DIVD) | |
| LGBTQ POPULATIONS IN THE JUSTICE SYSTEM (DIVD) | |
| WOMEN IN CRIME AND JUSTICE (DIVD) | |
| GENDER AND LANGUAGE | |
| AFRICANA WOMEN'S LITERATURE (DIVG) | |
| WOMEN'S LITERATURE (DIVD) | |
| HUMAN SEXUALITY | |
| WOMEN'S HEALTH ISSUES | |
| SEXUALITY EDUCATION PROGRAMS | |
| ADVANCED HUMAN SEXUALITY | |
| WITCHES AND EUROPEAN HISTORY, 1500-1800 | |
| HISTORY OF WOMEN IN THE UNITED STATES | |
| HISTORY OF SEXUALITY IN THE UNITED STATES | |
| JEWISH WOMEN IN THE MODERN WORLD | |
| LGBTQ RIGHTS AND CONTEMPORARY ISSUES | |
| TRANSGENDER STUDIES | |
| QUEER THEORY | |
| GENDER, POWER AND CONFLICT | |
| FEMINIST PHILOSOPHY (DIVD) | |
| WOMEN, POLITICS AND POLICY (DIVD) | |
| SOCIOLOGY OF SEXUALITIES (DIVD) | |
| SOCIOLOGY OF GENDER (DIVD) | |
| LGBTQ THEATRE (DIVD) | |
| ARENAS FOR FEMINIST THOUGHT: TOUCHY SUBJECTS, UNSETTLED MATTERS AND FEMINIST RESPONSE-ABILITY | |
| KEY CONVERSATIONS THROUGH WOMEN'S STUDIES (DIVD) | |
| WITCHES: THE MONSTROUS FEMININE | |
| FEMINIST HUMOR: DISARMING LAUGHTER, DISRUPTIVE DISCOURSE | |
| GLOBAL FEMINISMS: A WORLD AND CENTURY OF WOMEN'S ACTIVISM | |
| RAPE CULTURE: RETHINKING DANGER, POWER, SEX AND FEMINIST FRAMINGS | |
| PIVOTAL PRAXIS: EXPERIMENTS IN ACTIONABLE FEMINISM | |
UC 10001 | FLASHES 101 | 1 |
| 14-16 |
| 6 |
| 3 |
| 9 |
| 6 |
| 6-7 |
| 6 |
| 39 |
Minimum Total Credit Hours: | 120 |
Graduation Requirements
Graduation Requirements Summary Minimum Major GPA | Minimum Overall GPA |
2.000 | 2.000 |
Foreign Language College Requirement, B.A.
Students pursuing the Bachelor of Arts degree in the College of Arts and Sciences must complete 14-16 credit hours of foreign language.1
To complete the requirement, students need the equivalent of Elementary I and II in any language, plus one of the following options2:
- Intermediate I and II of the same language
- Elementary I and II of a second language
- Any combination of two courses from the following list:
Roadmap
This roadmap is a recommended semester-by-semester plan of study for this major. However, courses designated as critical (!) must be completed in the semester listed to ensure a timely graduation.
Plan of Study Grid Semester One |
GSS 10100 | INTRODUCTION TO GENDER AND SEXUALITY STUDIES | 3 |
UC 10001 | FLASHES 101 | 1 |
Foreign Language Requirement | 4 |
Kent Core Requirement | 3 |
Kent Core Requirement | 3 |
| Credit Hours | 14 |
Semester Two |
Theory and Thought Elective | 3 |
Foreign Language Requirement | 4 |
Kent Core Requirement | 3 |
Kent Core Requirement | 3 |
Kent Core Requirement | 3 |
| Credit Hours | 16 |
Semester Three |
Thematic Elective | 3 |
Foreign Language Requirement | 3 |
Kent Core Requirement | 3 |
Kent Core Requirement | 3 |
General Elective | 3 |
| Credit Hours | 15 |
Semester Four |
GSS 30500 | METHODOLOGIES AND PRAXIS IN GENDER AND SEXUALITY STUDIES | 3 |
Discourse, Identity and Human Dynamics Elective | 3 |
Foreign Language Requirement | 3 |
Kent Core Requirement | 3 |
General Elective | 3 |
| Credit Hours | 15 |
Semester Five |
GSS 40450 | GENDER AND SEXUALITY ROUNDTABLE | 3 |
Major Elective | 3 |
Kent Core Requirement | 3 |
Kent Core Requirement | 3 |
General Elective | 3 |
| Credit Hours | 15 |
Semester Six |
Major Elective | 3 |
Kent Core Requirement | 3 |
Kent Core Requirement | 3 |
General Electives | 6 |
| Credit Hours | 15 |
Semester Seven |
Major Elective | 3 |
General Electives | 12 |
| Credit Hours | 15 |
Semester Eight |
GSS 40591 | SEMINAR IN GENDER AND SEXUALITY STUDIES | 3 |
General Electives | 12 |
| Credit Hours | 15 |
| Minimum Total Credit Hours: | 120 |
University Requirements
All students in a bachelor's degree program at Kent State University must complete the following university requirements for graduation.
NOTE: University requirements may be fulfilled in this program by specific course requirements. Please see Program Requirements for details.
Program Learning Outcomes
Graduates of this program will be able to:
- Identify key terms, theories and conceptual frameworks in the analysis of gender and sexuality.
- Examine the multiple and complex ways gender and sexuality are constructed through, and across, different identities, discourses and systems of power.
- Think critically about contemporary debates and issues related to gender and sexuality and devise policy interventions to address them.
- Apply multiple thematic areas in analyzing questions, dynamics and issues surrounding gender and sexuality and contribute with agency in social discourse.
Full Description
The Bachelor of Arts degree in Gender and Sexuality Studies takes a multidisciplinary and intersectional approach to examining ideas and processes that shape people's understanding about gender, sexualities and bodies throughout space and time. Scholarly investigation and production in this discipline emerged from sociological inquiry on human sexuality as well as from feminist, LGBTQ and anti-racist histories and activism to combat social inequality. This program skillfully provides both the theoretical and the praxis of the field while integrating these different and contributing perspectives regarding gender and sexuality.