Overview
Intersectional in its approach, Women鈥檚 and Gender Studies recognizes that gender and gender inequality cannot be understood separately from race, sexuality, ethnicity, nationality, class, ability and other markers of social power and difference. The undergraduate major grew out of 17吃瓜网鈥檚 WGS minor, which was founded in 1972 and is one of the oldest WGS programs in New York State.
Department
Program Type
Area of Study
Delivery Mode
What You鈥檒l Learn
You will take core courses in feminist theories and research methodologies and choose from a wide range of electives. In addition to examining ideas about femininity and masculinity across diverse historical periods and cultural contexts, the curriculum highlights the lenses offered by gay, lesbian, queer and transgender perspectives. A related minor in Queer and Trans Studies is also available.
Career Opportunities
By promoting critical thinking, the Women鈥檚 and Gender Studies degree will prepare you for a broad range of fields. Here鈥檚 a sampling of careers our alumni are pursuing.
Requirements
See the list of required courses and a sample plan of study for your next four years.
Hands-On Learning
A field rooted in activism for social justice and gender equity, Women鈥檚 and Gender Studies generates powerful, real-world connections between the classroom and our communities. Our students complete internships at human service agencies, media centers, and legal or legislative offices. Since fall 2011, WGS students have presented research or work in internships and other experiential-learning experiences at our semi-annual Student Symposium.
Guest Speakers
Our "Gender out of Bounds鈥� series features informal faculty seminars, formal campus presentations and special guest lectures by visiting speakers, highlighting the unexpected, even surprising, ways in which we approach questions of gender and sexuality from diverse fields of study.
Straight From Our Students
Featured Article
The National AIDS Memorial Quilt Comes to 17吃瓜网
Twelve of the nearly 50,000 panels of the National AIDS Memorial Quilt filled the Hunt Union Ballroom at 17吃瓜网 from March 21-23, 2025. Each stitch and patchwork square telling a story of lives lost to the AIDS crisis. For many, including Kerri Lincoln, a Women鈥檚 and Gender Studies major and Otsego Pride Alliance Vice President, the quilt鈥檚 arrival was not just a powerful tribute but a deeply personal mission.
Contact Admissions
Admission and Application
Welcome Center
108 Ravine Parkway
Oneonta, NY 13820
United States
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