Bachelor of Arts in Gender, Women, and Sexuality Studies

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Bachelor of Arts in Gender, Women, and Sexuality Studies

What Will I Learn in the Gender, Women, and Sexuality Studies Major?

Explore how gender and sexuality influence culture, politics, and history with University of Portland’s bachelor of arts (BA) in gender, women, and sexuality studies degree. This interdisciplinary program equips you with the tools to examine identity, power, and systems of oppression through feminist and intersectional perspectives.

Rooted in social justice and advocacy, the gender, women, and sexuality studies degree program helps you think critically, write persuasively, and advocate for change. Whether your passion lies in advancing women’s rights, advocating for LGBTQ+ communities, or addressing global gender equity, UP prepares you to make a difference in fields like law, education, public policy, or nonprofit leadership.

Gender, Women, and Sexuality Studies Courses

The women, gender, and sexuality studies coursework spans multiple disciplines. Foundational courses cover topics like feminist theory, the politics of gender, and the history of sexuality, while electives let you explore areas such as the sociology of the family, human sexuality, and gender and work.

A capstone course allows you to integrate what you’ve learned, focusing on a topic that reflects your personal and academic interests. Along the way, you’ll collaborate with faculty across diverse fields, from political science and communication studies to theology and literature.

Degree Requirements

University Core

The Core at University of Portland enhances your exploration of gender, equity, and power through a broad liberal arts lens, offering deeper insight into the cultural and social forces that shape the world. Our curriculum supports your growth as a reflective thinker and compassionate advocate for justice and equity.

The Core

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More than a Degree

Enrich your gender, women, and sexuality studies degree through activism, internships, and community-based learning that empowers you to create change.

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Capstone Course

Your capstone experience is a personalized reflection of your academic journey. You’ll build a portfolio of work from different courses, write a reflective essay on your growth, and articulate how your education prepares you to engage meaningfully with the world after graduation.

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Internships and Career Preparation

Build professional skills, expand your network, earn course credit, and apply your knowledge to real-world situations through internship placements with organizations that support gender equity and social justice.

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Holy Cross Tradition

The Holy Cross tradition explores how systems of power and identity shape society, guided by a commitment to human dignity and the pursuit of justice. At UP, service and community are central to your education, and they inspire you to lead with empathy.

The UP Difference

Here’s what makes University of Portland stand out.

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Undergraduate Minors

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Student-to-Faculty Ratio

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Student Clubs and Organizations

Gender, Women, and Sexuality Studies Student Spotlight

“This program created a niche within academia where I was able to thrive and grow immensely––both as a student and as a human being. Being assigned female at birth made many feminist-based issues very personal to me; that drive was reinvigorated as my understanding of my own gender identity shifted. It was within these contexts that I could engage my own implicit biases, challenge my peers, and be challenged by my professors on the ways in which we are all complicit in oppressive systems and structures as well as the ways we can resist and even uproot them. In fact, the mentoring and reliability of the professors alone was enough to make me consider teaching within this discipline as an exciting potential career path. I am eager to continue my academic pursuit of Gender and Women’s Studies in the years to come––all thanks to this program."

Keaton Gaughan ‘18, PhD Candidate at NYU

Careers and Outcomes

A degree in gender, women, and sexuality studies creates endless career opportunities. Equipped with strong critical thinking, research, and communication skills, you’ll know how to challenge inequality, shape public discourse, and advance social change across government, nonprofits, healthcare, business, media, and more.

Potential Job Titles

Career options as a gender, women, and sexuality studies major range from:

  • College Professor
  • Human Rights Lawyer
  • Legislative Aid
  • Public Relations Manager
  • Survivor Advocate

Graduate Studies

Many graduates pursue advanced degrees in law, social work, public administration, or related fields to deepen their expertise and expand their impact. Whether you want to attend law school, earn a master’s degree, or pursue a PhD in women, gender, and sexuality studies, your education at UP ensures you’re ready to take that step.

Alumni Employers

UP graduates with a degree in women, gender, and sexuality studies work to create a more just and equitable world alongside their employers, which include:

  • Americorps
  • L’Academie de Nantes
  • Providence Health & Services

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Shape a More Inclusive World

With interdisciplinary coursework, real-world experience, and a focus on social justice, you’ll develop the tools to challenge inequality and promote equity in a wide range of fields. Apply to University of Portland’s bachelor of arts in gender, women, and sexuality studies degree program and lead the way.

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