Why Major in Women’s, Gender, & Sexuality STudies?
The central focus of the Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies Program is to explain how gender is produced within social institutions and how these institutions affect individual lives and to analyze the mutual constitution of gender, race, ethnicity, class, sexuality, nationality, and religion. The program addresses issues of neglect, omission, and bias in curricula while honing critical thinking skills vital to a liberal education.
Why Women’s, Gender, & Sexuality STudies?
The Women’s, Gender and Sexuality Studies program at UNCG is an interdisciplinary field that dovetails with many professions and helps to cultivate many of the necessary skills employers look for in job candidates. Likewise, with an ever-diversifying workforce, employers are increasingly in need of employees who understand multicultural perspectives about things like sexual harassment, pay equity, and equal employment opportunities. Perhaps more importantly, Women’s, Gender and Sexuality Studies graduates report that their education has given them the support and courage they needed to pursue their dreams.
A Day in the Life
Claudia Stakoe, WGSS Major
Living near Downtown Greensboro has been the perfect change for transfer student Claudia Stakoe. Join her for a day around UNCG and Greensboro as a UNCG Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies and History double major.
I love majoring in Women’s and Sexuality studies because I have such a close-knit relationship with my professors and my peers, and I get to learn about history through an intersectional lens.
-Claudia Stakoe
Skill Development
Skills Developed by Women’s, Gender, & Sexuality Studies Majors
- Ability to discover and understand the intersections between racism, sexism, classism, homphobia and other forms of oppression
- Ability to cultivate understanding among people with different backgrounds and identities
- Knowledge about power relationships and injustice
- Ability to accept intellectual and personal challenges, take a stand and support it with evidence
- Ability to assess needs
- Formulate and defend positions
- Communicate orally and written in a clear and effective manner
- Summarize concepts and ideas
- Explain concepts and ideas that suit a wide variety of audiences
- Critical thinking skills
- Ability to analyze and synthesize information
- Ability to recognize assumptions and make inferences
- Ability to create research designs
- Evaluate ideas and research
- Gather information and data
- Interpret research and data
- Reading and thinking critically; using unfamiliar materials for generating new ideas
- Reading and analyzing texts
- Perform close readings texts to provide an analysis
- Able to argue or defend a position
- Able to write clearly and cohesively
Career Outlook
Graduates of our program have careers in politics and law, social work, psychology, human relations, sports and recreations, and sociology, administration, the arts, business, education, health sciences, and media, among other fields.
Note: This is not an exhaustive list, and many other careers are available. Some positions may require additional education or experience.
WGSS can prepare you for careers such as:
- Social Worker
- Professor
- Community Worker
- Human Resources Diversity Specialist
- Volunteer Coordinator
- Corporate Communications Coordinator
- Community Service Agency Director
- Executive Director of a Non-Profit Organization
- Child and Youth Worker
- Market Researcher
- Event Planner
- Librarian
- Advertising
- Advocate for victims of domestic violence and hate crimes
- Grant Writer
- Researcher
- School Counselor
- Special Education Teacher
- Journalist
- Editor
- Lawyer
- Union Organizer
- Project Manager
- Lobbyist
- Policy Analyst
- Public Relations Specialist
- Legislative Aide
- Educational Administrator
- Elementary, Middle, and/or High School School Teacher
- ESL Teacher
- Program director of a rape crisis center