These requirements are for students who matriculated in academic year 2024-2025. Students who matriculated prior to fall 2024 should refer to the Archives to view the requirements for their Bulletin year.

Summary of Degree Requirements

University Requirements

  • MATH 0701 (4 s.h.) and/or ENG 0701 (4 s.h.), if required by placement testing.
  • All Temple students must take a minimum of two writing-intensive courses as part of the major. The specific courses required for this major are GSWS 3097 or ENG 3097, and GSWS 4396.
  • Students must complete requirements of the General Education (GenEd) Program. See the General Education section of the Undergraduate Bulletin for more details.

College of Liberal Arts Requirements

  • Completion of a minimum of 123 credits, including:
    • 90 credits in CLA/CST courses;
    • 45 credits of which must be at the upper level (numbered 2000-4999).
      • For Social Science majors, 6 upper level credits (numbered 2000-4999) must be taken in Humanities Subject Areas: Arabic, Chinese, English, French, German, Greek (Ancient), Greek and Roman Classics, Hebrew, Hindi, Italian, Japanese, Latin, Philosophy, Religion, Russian, and Spanish in the College of Liberal Arts, Art History in the Tyler School of Art and Architecture, or any department in the College of Science and Technology.
    • A minimum GPA of 2.0, cumulatively, in CLA/CST coursework, and in the major.
    • Only courses in which a student receives a grade of at least C- can satisfy GenEd, major, minor, or CLA Foreign Language and Global Studies requirements.
    • Professional Development Requirement
      • All students in the College of Liberal Arts are required to take a 1 credit seminar in professional development. CLA 1002 Professional Development for Liberal Arts Majors is the appropriate course option for this major. Other courses that fulfill this requirement may be found on the CLA College Requirements page. Only one course in this category may count towards graduation.
    • Foreign Language/Global Studies Requirements:
      • All students must complete or test out of the first and second levels of a foreign language - these courses are numbered 1001 and 1002;
      • All students must complete at least one course from the GenEd Global/World Society category; and
      • All Bachelor of Arts students must complete one of the following options:
        • Third semester of a foreign language;
        • Demonstrated proficiency beyond the third semester in a foreign language (placement exam or certification from the language department);
        • Take one Global Studies course from the list on the CLA College Requirements page;
        • Study Abroad at an approved program; or
        • Take a second General Education Global/World Society course.
      • Notes on Foreign Language Study
        • The third level of language is numbered 1003 in French, Spanish, and Portuguese and numbered 2001 in all other foreign language subjects.
        • Students are strongly encouraged to take the third level of a foreign language as it is the minimum required for election to the prestigious honor society Phi Beta Kappa. (Taking the course does not guarantee admission but not taking it guarantees exclusion.)
        • See the College of Liberal Arts Policies section of this Bulletin for more information on the Foreign Language Placement, Regression in Coursework, and guidelines for students' other experiences with language.

General Electives are typically one-third of a student's program of study and can be focused on a second major, a minor, or towards some other personal enrichment or professional goals. See an academic advisor for assistance in developing an academic plan for these courses.

Major Requirements (33 credits in Gender, Sexuality and Women's Studies)

Introductory Gender, Sexuality and Women's Studies courses
GSWS 1006Introduction to Gender, Sexuality and Women's Studies3
GSWS 3015Sexuality and Disability3
GSWS 3097Feminist Theory3
or ENG 3097 Feminist Theory
Two-course sequence 1
GSWS 4389Field Work3
GSWS 4396Research Seminar3
Elective Courses
Select two courses in Gender, Sexuality and Women's Studies numbered 2000-49996
Select two courses from the GSWS Sexuality Electives List (see course list below)6
Select two courses from the GSWS Race and Diversity Electives List (see course list below)6
Sexuality Electives
ANTH 3355
Anthropology of Sexuality and Gender
GSWS 2002
Gender in the Cinema
or LGBT 2003
Gender in the Cinema
GSWS 2007
Creative Writing: Fiction: LGBTQ Lives
or LGBT 2007
Creative Writing: Fiction: LGBTQ Lives
GSWS 2128
Men and Masculinities
or LGBT 2128
Men and Masculinities
GSWS 2202
Religion and Human Sexuality
or LGBT 2002
Religion and Human Sexuality
or REL 2002
Religion and Human Sexuality
GSWS 2207
Creative Writing: Non-Fiction: Queer Lives
or LGBT 2207
Creative Writing: Non-Fiction: Queer Lives
GSWS 2305
LGBTQ Film: The Coming of Age Genre
or LGBT 2305
LGBTQ Film: The Coming of Age Genre
GSWS 2306
LGBTQ Film: Queer Representation
or LGBT 2306
LGBTQ Film: Queer Representation
GSWS 2405
Queer Lives
or LGBT 2405
Queer Lives
GSWS 2406
LGBTQ Social Movements
or LGBT 2406
LGBTQ Social Movements
GSWS 2815
Love, Marriage, and Family
or LGBT 2815
Love, Marriage, and Family
GSWS 3016
Sexuality Education
or LGBT 3016
Sexuality Education
GSWS 3017
Social Perspectives on Digital Pornography: The Other Sex Ed
or LGBT 3017
Social Perspectives on Digital Pornography: The Other Sex Ed
GSWS 3124
Politics of Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity
or LGBT 3124
Politics of Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity
or POLS 3124
Politics of Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity
GSWS 3205
Queer Novels of the 20th Century
or LGBT 3205
Queer Novels of the 20th Century
GSWS 3206
Queer Novels of the 21st Century
or LGBT 3206
Queer Novels of the 21st Century
GSWS 3546
Sexuality and Gender
LGBT 2400
Topics in LGBT Studies
GSWS Race and Diversity Electives
AAAS 2133
The African American Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender Experience
AAAS 2142
The Black Male Experience
ARTH 3302
Women and Art
ASST 3031
Women in Chinese Literature
or CHI 3031
Women in Chinese Literature
or GSWS 3031
Women in Chinese Literature
HIST 3542
Women and Society in Japan
HIST 3566
Race, Gender, and Empire in the Iberian World
HIST 3675
Third World Women's Lives
GSWS 3003
Women Writers In Black Literature
GSWS 3231
German Minority Identities: Gendered and Cultural Dimensions (in English)
or GER 3231
German Minority Identities: Gendered and Cultural Dimensions (in English)
GSWS 3235
Weimar Culture: Race, Gender, Sexuality and Nation (in English)
or GER 3235
Weimar Culture: Race, Gender, Sexuality and Nation (in English)
GSWS 3259
Women and Poverty
or SOC 3259
Women and Poverty
GSWS 3431
Women's Lives Modern Europe
or HIST 3431
Women's Lives in Modern Europe
GSWS 4411
Secularism: Jewish and Muslim Women
or REL 4411
Secularism: Jewish and Muslim Women
Total Credit Hours33
1

The final requirement for the major is a two-course sequence. This sequence should be taken during the major's last three semesters of enrollment. Students will select a field assignment (internship) with the assistance of the advising coordinator. This sequence is designed for students to learn how to write a research paper.