Dec 09, 2024  
2024-2025 Undergraduate Catalog 
    
2024-2025 Undergraduate Catalog

Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies B.A.


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TOTAL DEGREE HOURS: 120
Plans of Study

The Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies major focuses on feminist research and practice. WGS promotes social justice through the discovery and production of knowledge that emerges from feminist perspectives on culture and society. Students learn the analytic skills to engage the intersections of gender, race, ethnicity, class, sexuality, ability, and nationality in order to become responsible citizens in a diverse transnational environment. We expose limits in traditional higher education caused by excluding women and other marginalized groups and create knowledge that is transformative and inclusive. We connect academic work to the social, political, and economic world outside the university; in linking knowledge, research, and activism, students learn to think critically about social inequalities.

University Admissions - College of Arts and Sciences


Admission to the University is based on the University’s Undergraduate Admission Requirements that may be found by clicking on the following urls:

For Admission information specific to the College of Arts and Sciences, see the information at College of Arts and Sciences .

Graduation Requirements - College of Arts and Sciences


Satisfactory completion of the following requirements:

  • Students must complete all State and University level graduation requirements.
  • Maintain a minimum GPA of 2.0 in USF coursework. Note: Some Departments/program/major require a higher GPA. Students should refer to Department/program/major specific catalog requirements.
    • The College may approve an exception when a student has successfully earned the minimum grade required for all courses applied in the major but does not have a major GPA of 2.0.
  • Physical Education coursework is limited to two (2) semester hours.
  • ROTC courses that are primarily physical training and field experiences will not be applied to College of Arts and Sciences degree programs. All other military Science coursework will apply, in particular, coursework utilized toward completing an established ROTC minor will be applied to the total hours toward degree. 
  • When earning a second degree, double major or concurrent degree, the Major Core and Major Elective/Concentration areas of the degree audit must not overlap for both degrees.  All other areas of the degree audit may have overlapping credit hours applied.
  • Maximum of 20 hours of S/U option. S/U contracts must be negotiated in writing within the first three (3) weeks of the term. None of the 20 credits may be taken in the student’s major unless S/U is the only grading option. Coursework fulfilling the General Education Core Curriculum Requirements and the State Communication Requirement (formerly known as Gordon Rule Writing) and State Computation Requirement (formerly known as Gordon Rule Math) may not be taken S/U.
  • The Audit option is available only during the first 5 days of classes.
  • Complete all major course requirements.
  • College of Arts and Sciences students are expected to complete a minimum of 50% of their major and/or minor coursework in residence at USF. Some College of Arts and Sciences Departments/programs/majors have established additional major course hours to be taken in residency at USF. See the major or program section of the catalog for these credit-hour requirements.

Required Courses: (42 credit hours)


State Mandated Common Course Prerequisites - Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies B.A.


Following Florida BOG Regulation 8.010, state mandated common course prerequisites are lower-division courses that are required for progression into the upper division of a particular baccalaureate degree program. 

Transfer students should complete the State Mandated Common Course Prerequisites at the lower level prior to entering the university. If these courses are not taken at a Florida College System institution, they must be completed before the degree is granted. Successful completion of the common prerequisites alone does not guarantee a student admission into the degree program.

There are no State Mandated Common Prerequisites for this program. 

State Mathematics Pathway – Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies B.A. (6 Credit Hours)


The Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies B.A. uses the Mathematical Thinking in Context Mathematics Pathway with the following requirements:

Major Core Courses: 4 courses; 12 credit hours


Students must choose a total of 36 credit hours from courses offered by the Department of Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies. Transfer students may not apply more than 12 hours taken elsewhere toward the major at the University of South Florida.

Students taking Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies as a second major need to complete 30 credit hours. To do so, they must make a written request to the Undergraduate Director at the time they declare Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies as a second major.

Courses taken in the first major may not count toward the 30 hours in Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies as a second major.

Major Elective Courses: 8 courses; 24 credits


The remaining 24 hours of Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies coursework may be comprised of any courses offered by the Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies Department, including approved cross-listed courses. No more than twelve (12) hours of WST 4930 - Selected Topics  may count toward the 36 hour minimum.

Additional Information - Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies B.A.


GPA Requirements


Major GPA (All USF courses which are applied to major requirements):  2.0

General Education GPA (All USF courses which are applied to General Education requirements):   2.0
USF GPA:  2.0
Overall GPA 2.0

Grading Requirements


A grade of C- or better to meet major course requirements unless specified elsewhere. Will vary by area.

Note:  Some USF courses have higher grade criteria to meet prerequisite knowledge necessary for progression into higher level courses.

Residency Requirements - College of Arts and Sciences


Department and College of Arts and Sciences Major Academic Residency Requirement - 50% of major must be completed at USF.

USF Academic Residency Requirement - 30 of the last 60 hours earned must be from USF.

Internship Opportunities - Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies


Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies offers a number of internship opportunities to both majors and minors. Students work on-site and directly with a local organization and can earn from 1-3 credits. Majors may repeat the internship for a maximum of 6 credit hours; minors may repeat once for a maximum of 3 credit hours. Students interested in the internship should contact the Internship Director, Dr. Wendland.

Research Opportunities - College of Arts and Sciences


All undergraduate students in any degree program can participate in undergraduate research. There are a number of options to receive academic credit for a mentored research experience and to have the experience show on the official transcript. Students who wish to enroll in an undergraduate research course should consult with their academic advisor to understand how the credit will apply towards the degree requirements. If no credit is needed, students may be eligible to enroll in the 0-credit IDS 4914 - Advanced Undergraduate Research Experience  course. This course will not impact degree credits or GPA but will show on an official transcript and document the experience. The Office of High Impact Practices and Undergraduate Research will assist students in understanding the various course options.

Advising Information - College of Arts and Sciences


Undergraduate Advising Information

The College of Arts & Sciences (CAS) Advising Team provides students with support to create timely graduation plans that will integrate both their academic and professional goals.  Each of our undergraduate programs has dedicated professional advisors with specialized knowledge and understanding of the major requirements, course offerings, undergraduate research, and career opportunities in their field.  Additionally, we have dedicated pre-health and prelaw advisors to help students prepare for admission to professional graduate programs.

CAS Academic Advisor Contact information can be found here: CAS Advisors

To schedule an advising appointment: Advising Appointments

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