Degree Requirements

The Program in Women's & Gender Studies offers three levels of academic engagement: Concentration, Minor, and Major. Each is designed for students seeking an academic framework for the study of women, gender, and sexuality using analytical tools and methodologies of a variety of disciplines including history, literature, visual studies, LGBTQ studies, anthropology, media studies, and more.  

The Concentration and Minor are ideal for students who wish to balance the focus of their major program of study with a fuller understanding of how gender and other social constructs shape our understanding of ourselves and the communities and world in which we live.

For more information, see the specific requirements below, consult the degree chart in the MIT Bulletin (majors / minors), review HASS Concentration guidelines, browse all WGS courses, or consult the SHASS resource page for majors and minors.

  • The concentration in Women's & Gender Studies consists of at least three Women's & Gender Studies subjects.

    • WGS.101 Introduction to Women's & Gender Studies (HASS-H, CI-H) is required and offered each semester 

      • Two additional courses of the student’s choiceOnly one of these subjects can be counted towards the HASS-Distribution. 

    Concentration proposal and completion forms are available online in Websis through the My Forms tab. Students should complete the concentration proposal form by the second semester of their junior year.

    Students interested in a concentration in Women's & Gender Studies should consult with the Women's & Gender Studies Program Manager, (wgs@mit.edu).

  • The SHASS WGS minor consists of at least 6 Women's & Gender Studies subjects arranged into three levels of study:

    Tier I

    Required: WGS.101 Introduction to Women's & Gender Studies (offered every semester) [HASS-H, CI]

    Tier II

    Four subjects, at least one HASS-H class and at least one HASS-S class. [One of these four classes may be taken at Harvard, Wellesley or Cambridge with the permission of the Director.]

    Tier III

    Required: Advanced Seminar in Women's & Gender Studies: WGS.301J/17.007J Feminist Thought or WGS.303 / 21H.109 Gender: Historical Perspectives.

    Students who minor in Women's & Gender Studies do not have to complete a separate concentration, but must still fill out concentration proposal and completion forms. 

    Of the six classes required for the HASS minor, at most five will count toward satisfaction of the eight-subject Institute HASS Requirement. Of these five, at most one will count toward the satisfaction of the HASS-Distribution.

    Students interested in a minor in Women's & Gender Studies should consult with the Women's & Gender Studies Program Manager, (wgs@mit.edu), and then submit paperwork to the Program Manager and WGS  Faculty Director for review and signature. Completed paperwork should be submitted to the SHASS academic administrator. 

The two options for pursuing a Major in Women's & Gender Studies are:

  • The full major in Humanities/Course XXI.

  • The joint major in Humanities and either Science/Course 21-S or Engineering/Course 21-E.

Students must declare their majors by the end of their second year. Students interested in a major in Women's & Gender Studies should consult with the Women's & Gender Studies Program Manager (wgs@mit.edu), and then submit the necessary paperwork to the Program Manager and WGS Faculty Director for review and signature. Lastly, completed paperwork should be submitted to the SHASS academic administrator.

  • The full major in Women's & Gender Studies includes:

    • WGS.101, Introduction to Women’s and Gender Studies

    • Seven topic courses

    • WGS.301 Feminist Thought OR WGS.303 Gender: Historical Perspectives

    • Pre-thesis tutorial and a thesis

      • Alternatively, students may take an additional two topic courses in lieu of writing the thesis.

    Students must work with the WGS Program Manager to complete the Interdisciplinary Major Proposal form.

  • A joint major in Women's & Gender Studies and Science or Women's & Gender Studies and Engineering includes:

    • WGS.101, Introduction to Women’s and Gender Studies

    • Five topic courses

    • WGS.301 Feminist Thought OR WGS.303 Gender: Historical Perspectives

    • Pre-thesis tutorial and a thesis

      • Alternatively, students may take an additional two topic courses in lieu of writing the thesis

    The Science/Engineering portion of the joint major consists of six elective subjects from the curriculum of any one science or engineering field, approved by a faculty member in the field. 

    Students must work with the WGS Program Manager to complete the 21E/21S Major Proposal form.