Sexuality, Women’s & Gender StudiesGetting Started in the Major

Your First Course

We recommend that students interested in the study of sexuality, women's and gender studies begin with SWAG 100 The Cross-Cultural Construction of Gender. Taught by a member of the SWAGS Department, this course introduces students to issues involved in the social and historical construction of gender identities and roles from a cross-cultural and interdisciplinary perspective. Topics, which change from year-to-year, have included gender and sexuality; the uses and limits of biology in explaining gender differences; women’s participation in production and reproduction; the intertwining of gender, race, nationality, and class in explaining oppression and resistance; women, men and globalization; and gender and militarization. This course is offered once a year, usually in the fall, and is required for the Sexuality, Women's and Gender Studies (SWAGS) major. Other 100-level SWAGS courses also serve as good entry points into this field of study. Check the catalog to see which 100-level SWAGS courses are being offered in the upcoming semester.

If no 100-level courses are available, or none spark your interest, then we recommend that you begin with a 200-level course instead, provided that you have met the prerequisites.

Please note: First-year students and transfer students who do not have a SWAGS advisor but have questions about SWAGS major should contact the chair of the SWAGS department.

Major Form

Majors will find their academic planning lives can be improved by using our SWAGS Major Form. The form is a fillable PDF so you can save it to your device and fill it out on your computer, or you can print it and fill it out by hand. Bring it with you to advisor meetings and add/drop so that both you and your advisor can see what you have taken and what you still need to take. You can also begin to see some patterns, perhaps, in your choices.

How to Declare a SWAGS Major

As of summer 2022 the process for declaring or adding a major has been moved entirely into Workday. Follow this useful "How to" guide which shows you step-by-step how to declare or add a major (or in Workday lingo "Add a program of study"). If there is a SWAGS professor you would prefer to have as your advisor, please let the ADC know prior to declaring in Workday. Once your major declaration has been submitted in Workday, your request will be routed to the ADC of SWAGS for approval, and you will be assigned an academic advisor in SWAGS.

Shortly after becoming a SWAGS major you will receive a welcome email from the SWAGS ADC. Attached will be your SWAGS Major Form with the SWAGS courses that you have taken already entered. The form is a fillable PDF so you can save it to your device and fill it out on your computer, or you can print it and fill it out by hand. Bring it with you to advisor meetings and drop/add so that both you and your advisor can see what you have taken and what you still need to take to complete your SWAGS major. You can also begin to see some patterns, perhaps, in your choices.