Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies

The Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies (WGSS) program gives students the intellectual and practical tools for engaging with the ways gender and sexuality impact our lives.

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Mayamiko (Maya) Bismarck

Program Overview

Through a multidisciplinary approach among thirteen academic departments, students explore the intersections of gender, race, ethnicity, age, class, ability, sexuality, and religious affiliation. Students can choose to major or minor in Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies and learn to apply theoretical concepts to understand and challenge forms of oppression from racism to sexism and homophobia, to classism and religious intolerance. Furman’s diverse WGSS curriculum prepares students to pursue a wide range of professional opportunities and/or additional education. Recent evidence on the pandemic’s imbalanced toll on working mothers who left the workforce and on queer youth who remained in unsafe or non-affirming homes, as well as the #MeToo movement’s focus on systemic abuse of power/privilege, reminds us that WGSS goes beyond curricular issues; it is about the world we live in.

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Major in Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies

Complete one of these introductory courses— Issues in WGSS or Queer Theory —and the equivalent of seven elective courses in at least three different disciplines. As a culminating experience, students either conduct directed research or participate in a supervised internship for course credit.

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Minor in Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies

Complete one of these introductory courses — Issues in WGSS or Queer Theory — and at least four additional courses, representing three different disciplines from a wide array of choices.

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Career Opportunities with WGSS

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

This carousel is presenting alumnus.
Queen Trapp

Meet An Alumnus

"I felt that it was important to focus my studies on WGSS because I saw that it intertwined with so many aspects of my life, both in and out of the classroom. To me, identity is so fascinating because it changes depending on the levels of both social and environmental factors and it was necessary to be able to learn, understand, and articulate these differences while at Furman."
Queen Trapp, '22
Lauren Pinion

Meet An Alumnus

""WGSS majors are not limited to a single future career. They graduate with the tools to be able to examine the society around them through highly developed critical thinking skills. This is not an insignificant or niche field of study; it is one that is applicable to every interaction we have and the ways we view everything else in our world.""
Lauren Pinion
Katie Norris

Meet An Alumnus

"Furman reinforces that the willingness to engage is an essential ingredient for a rich intellectual life. WGSS at Furman is a logical addition to the institution’s academic offerings. No matter where you fall upon the gender spectrum, gender is an inescapable part of life that informs how we see ourselves and those around us. WGSS, then, enables students to effectively engage with the world."
Katie Norris
Lauren Baham

Meet An Alumnus

""WGSS greatly empowered the way I see myself. The interdisciplinary studies of the program expanded my horizons about women's agency around the world, spanning from the legacies we have built, the systemic struggles we have faced, and our seats of power past and present. WGSS further anchored my upbringing that I have a seat at the table, or I simply make my own when circumstances demand. I have found it to be true that the deep critical thinking skills and wide perspective lens that WGSS teaches students enables them to tackle any career of their choosing and most importantly to be great lights in this world.""
Lauren Baham, '07
Hannah Jefferies

Meet An Alumnus

""For some years now, my professional tagline has been “Curious critical thinker with a passion for creative problem solving.” Many of the elements in that tagline trace back to my time at Furman. From co-leading the feminist student organization, taking WGSS courses for what was then a multidisciplinary concentration, to majoring in Sociology, I discovered my vocation at Furman: Practicing a healthy dose of skepticism, striving always to understand why things happen, and using available resources to turn problems into solutions. Curiosity and critical thinking are bedrocks of this program, and those serve you well in a variety of careers, including my chosen field of analytics.""
Hannah Jefferies, '08
Britt Riddle

Meet An Alumnus

""Furman’s WGSS program cultivates critical thinking skills that enable students to recognize and address issues of power and privilege in personal, professional, and systemic contexts. This foundation empowers graduates to engage in their careers and communities as thoughtful advocates who understand how identity informs experience and belonging.""
Britt Riddle, '08

Student Experiences

Period Packing Party, November 2024

In the Fall of 2023, the Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies Program launched a three-year interdisciplinary speaker series. For the first year, the series’ theme is broadly organized around multidisciplinary discussions of “the body.” In year two of our three year speaker series, we will explore the theme of “Belonging.” Talented Furman alumni will explore what it means to create communities of belonging both on and off campus.

In organizing this series, WGSS collaborated with many departments, centers, and institutes on campus. The series is generously sponsored by the Furman Humanities Center, the Reid Endowed Lecture Fund, the Center for Interpersonal Communication, the English, History, Biology, Psychology, Health Sciences, Politics and International Affairs, Music, and Art departments, the Duke Library, the Institute for the Advancement of Community Health, the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Dean, and the new Master’s program in Advocacy and Equity Studies. 

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Thank you for your interest in the Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies Program at Furman University. We are here to assist you with any questions or information you may need about our programs, courses, and events.