WGSS Undergraduate Program

Summary

Students earn departmental honors in WGSS by producing an honors thesis that is pertinent to the field of Women, Gender & Sexuality Studies. An honors thesis is a piece of original research or other project that is supervised by a WGSS faculty member over two semesters and approved by a by a three-member thesis committee. 

Completing an honors thesis elevates your capstone experience into a two-semester project with one-on-one faculty supervision. It is especially recommended for students who are considering graduate school, but it can be tailored to suit whatever personal and professional motivations you bring to your work.

Eligibility

Students must have a 3.25 GPA overall and a 3.5 GPA in their WGSS major.

Preparation 

Take classes that help you explore your interests and build relationships with faculty you’d like to work with. By the end of your junior year, you should:

• Choose a research topic you would like to investigate 
• Identify a faculty supervisor with relevant expertise who is willing to support your work 
• Tell the WGSS Honors Coordinator about your plans   

Course Requirements 

Students must take 6 credit hours of honors thesis work — 3 hours per semester for 2 semesters, earning an A or B in the first semester and an A the second.

To complete these hours within the WGSS Department, students take:

• WGSS 498: Independent Study in WGSS
• WGSS 499: Honors in WGSS — or — WGSS 601: Senior Capstone

With their faculty supervisor’s support, students are also welcome to enroll in the required 6 credit hours through another department.

Double Majors

Students who are completing two majors and pursuing honors in both may use one honors thesis for both majors if they get approval from both departments. The thesis must be related to both majors, and the thesis committee must include faculty members from both departments.