Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies Major
Program Overview
Table of Contents
What is a Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies degree?
Gender and identity shape how we experience the world. Women’s, gender, and sexuality studies gives students the intellectual and practical tools for engaging with the ways gender and sexuality impact our lives – as employees, as citizens and individuals.
Why study Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies at Furman?
WGSS is about the world in which we live. Through a multidisciplinary approach among 13 academic departments, in addition to WGSS courses, explore the intersections of gender, race, ethnicity, age, class, ability, sexuality and religious affiliation. Learn to apply theoretical concepts to understand and dismantle oppression from racism to sexism and homophobia to classism to religious intolerance. Take your first steps by contacting admissions or reading more about how to apply.
How will you learn?
Participation in faculty-sponsored internships at local agencies that advocate for victims of child abuse, sexual assault, trafficking, prostitution and addiction or in faculty-supervised research on a collaborative projects are essential components to WGSS. May Experience courses, such as “Sex Goes to School: Sex Education in the United States and Sweden” (study away) or “Sexual Revolutions in America” (on campus) provide additional opportunities for intellectually engaging experiences. Plan a visit to Furman’s beautiful campus or start your application today.
Careers for women’s, gender, and sexuality studies majors
Furman’s diverse WGSS curriculum prepares you for myriad possibilities in the professional world. Some sample fields and vocations are:
- Educator
- Medical doctor
- Non-profit manager
- Local, state and federal government roles and agencies
- Lawyer
- Human resources professional
- Social worker
- Marketing and public relations professional
- Journalist
- Counselor
- Researcher
Featured Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies courses
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100%Students who double major
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80%Students who participate in an engaged learning experience
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2019Year WGSS became a major
Our faculty
Gretchen Braun
Kathleen Casey
Scott Henderson
Cynthia King
Elizabeth Smith
A vast array of careers awaits women’s, gender, and sexuality studies graduates who gain the intellectual and practical tools for navigating and engaging with the ways gender and sexuality figure into our lives. Graduates pursue fields such as education, medicine, non-profit management, local, state and federal government roles and agencies, the law, human resources, social work, marketing and public relations, journalism, counseling and research.
Vocations are wide ranging. Graduates go on to work as K-12 teachers; healthcare practitioners; non-profit employees; officials in local, state and federal government and agencies; lawyers; human resources; social workers; marketing and public relations practitioners; journalists; therapists and mental health providers; and academic researchers.
Gender studies graduates can earn an average base salary of $51,000, according to payscale.com. But salaries vary widely based on the chosen field and location. An executive for a non-profit organization can earn $91,000, on average. Those who go into law can demand an average salary of $130,000. Whereas a research assistant, on average, draws $27,000.
The B.A. at Furman is a four-year program.
