Women's, Gender and Sexuality Studies is an interdisciplinary field that examines how systems of oppression, resistance and privilege operate. It is designed to provide students with an understanding of the importance of gender and sexuality as categories of analysis and their intersections with race, ethnicity, class, age, nationality and (dis)ability.
The Department of Women’s, Gender and Sexuality Studies at The Ohio State University offers an undergraduate major and minor, graduate minor, Master of Arts and Doctor of Philosophy degrees. Its 17 faculty members, along with more than 25 Graduate Assistants and more than 60 affiliated faculty members in various departments throughout the University, teach about 3,000 students each year in WGSS courses.
The M.A. in Women’s, Gender and Sexuality Studies is a two-year program that prepares students for careers in agencies and institutions that serve underrepresented populations, for Ph.D. work in women’s, gender and sexuality studies or a discipline in a related area, or for advanced professional training in such fields as law and public policy. Students who have completed the M.A. degree have gone on to Ph.D. work in Women’s, Gender and Sexuality Studies, as well as East Asian Languages and Literatures, English, History, Film/Media Studies, Anthropology, and Sociology. Other recent graduates have taken such positions as editors, researchers, and community TV producers. The Ph.D. offers students advanced training suitable for obtaining jobs in academia and other areas.
The department has the following standing committees:
- Graduate Studies;
- Undergraduate Studies;
- Anti-Racism;
- Research and Development;
- Speakers and Events;
- Tenure and Promotion.
Committee assignments are determined in the summer before the start of the academic year and include WGSS faculty, affiliated faculty, graduate students, and undergraduate students where appropriate. WGSS graduate students also serve on other committees and projects on an ad hoc basis. In addition, The Ohio State University provides a number of services that support students’ scholarly pursuits. The Younkin Success Center houses both the University Center for Advancement in Teaching (UCAT) and Counseling and Consultation Services. Within the Multicultural Center, programming related to Women’s, Gender and Sexuality Studies is coordinated by staff members to focus on racial, ethnic, sexual and gender identities as well as initiatives for women students. The Women’s Place coordinates programs and projects and serves as an institutional advocate for women’s issues.
The Council of Graduate Students is the governing body for students in graduate programs at The Ohio State University. As an organization, it has advocated for improved university-sponsored benefits for funded graduate students and provides some funding for student research. Other related resources include the following interdisciplinary centers for study, research, and public programming: the Wexner Center for the Arts, the Institute for Collaborative Research and Public Humanities, the Mershon Center for International Security and Public Policy, the Kirwan Institute for the Study of Race and Ethnicity, and the John Glenn Institute for Public Service and Public Policy.