All Courses

In order to earn a Bachelor of Science, a Minor, a Graduate Certificate in WGS, or a Minor in Queer Studies there are core classes that are required.  Depending on what degree you choose, the credit hour amount may change.

View our most current list of classes offered by other departments that will count toward your WGS Major, WGS Minor, Queer Studies Minor, and the Graduate Certificate.

All WGS and cross-listed WGS courses

WGS 180: Feminist Media Studies
Draws on intersectional feminist theories and methods of analysis to examine representations of gender, sexuality, and race in contemporary media creation and cultural affect/experience. CUE

WGS 191: Women, Gender Identity and Ethnicity
Focuses on the significance of gender and ethnic minority identities in society, providing a non-traditional, interdisciplinary, and comparative perspective on the experiences of women in the U.S. Cross-listed with ES 191. CUE. Also offered as WGS 191H.

WGS 199: Special Topics
Foundations of intellectual inquiry. In-depth study of a substantive problem. Also offered as WGS 199H.

WGS 215: Making “Real Men”: Masculinities In The United States
Examines how race, gender, and sexualities influence the diverse experiences of boys/men in the U.S., focusing on discourses of masculinity, socialization of boys/men, boys’/men’s actions and perceptions of themselves, other boys/men, women, and social realities. CU. Also offered as WGS 215H.

WGS 250: Introduction To Queer Studies
An introduction to queer theory and activism. Studies include social and historical construction of gender and sexuality, politics of coming out, transgender theory, mainstream LGBT movement, historical trauma and violence, connections between sexuality, race, ethnicity, class, ability, national citizenship, role of allies and social change. SPWE

WGS 260: Introduction To Transnational Feminisms
Survey focusing on women, gender constructions, histories, and issues in post-colonial settings in Africa, Asia, and/or Latin America. SPWG

WGS 280: Women, Health, and Sexuality
Provides students with an in-depth examination of women’s sexual and reproductive health issues. SPWG

WGS 299: Special Topics
In-depth study of an aspect, concept, or problem.

WGS 300W: Feminist Theories
Foundational overviews of the history of feminist theory. Also addresses contemporary ethnic minority and international theorists. This course fulfills NAU’s junior-level writing requirement. AHI

WGS 301: Gender, Health And Healing
Represents health concepts basic to the mind-body processes and life experiences of women throughout the life cycle. Uses traditional and current feminist research. SPW

WGS 310: Chicana Feminisms: Theory, Literature, And Activism
Studies Chicana Feminist theories, literature, history, film, and art as action for social change. Cross-listed with ES 310. CUE

WGS 325: “Sister Nation”: Indigenous Women in the U.S. 
Focuses on a deeper theoretical and an applied understanding of how Indigenous women understand themselves, their communities, and responsibilities. We utilize and demand a comprehension of Western and Indigenous knowledge systems. Cross-listed with AIS 325 and ES 325. CUE

WGS 333: Queer Theories: Intersections Between Sexuality, Gender And Ethnicity In The U. S.
Builds on conceptual knowledge gained in WGS 250 and advances queer theory to explore the intersectionality of racism, ableism, cissexism, citizenship status, decolonization, heteropatriarchy, and capitalism.  Themes/topics include queer crip anarchism; border politics and immigration; the prison industrial complex and prison abolition; queer Indigenous studies; criminalization and policing of bodies; histories of art, activism, and resistance. CUE

WGS 340: Gender And Violence
In depth exploration of the links between social constructions of gender and violence against women in American culture and institutions. While the emphasis of the course will be on the psychological, sociological and cultural context of the United States, international perspectives and concerns will also be explored.

WGS 345: Writing as Resistance
Students will learn to tell their stories creatively and in resistance to oppressive histories and current representations. We will spend time reading memoirs and doing writing workshops in class. Students will leave with powerful narratives about their lives in ways that have radical potential for both disruption and building individual and collective resilience. No previous creative writing experience needed.

WGS 353: Sexuality and Politics in Antiquity 
Explores the ways in which sexual behavior and identity intersected with power relations in various ancient societies, shaping “citizen” identities and socio-political relations within democratic and other institutional contexts, as well as setting and challenging limits imposed upon non-dominant gender groups. Cross-listed with HIS. SPW

WGS 355: History Of Feminisms And Feminist Historiography
Examines differing histories of international feminist movements and the writing of histories of the same. Looks at how scholars have sought to build alliances across various cultural and political borders. Cross-listed with HIS 355. GD

WGS 360: Topics In Global Feminisms
Variable content, focusing on the histories, theories, geographies, practices and global contexts of non-Western feminisms. CUG. Also offered as WGS 360H.

WGS 364: Seminar in Feminist Philosophy 
In-depth study of Feminist Philosophy. Provides an opportunity to look at feminist theory engaging such areas as cognitive science, epistemology, aesthetics, the history of thought, and social and political theory. Cross-listed with PHI 364

WGS 370: Doing Feminisms
Enables you to learn how intersectional identities (gender, race, sexuality, class, ability and age) operate in a community context. Areas of focus include work, family, immigration, dislocation, environmentalism, health and other topics. Grounded in feminist methodologies, students will do interviews, ethnography and analysis by looking at real people’s lives and creating practical solutions for social change.

WGS 382: Queer Literature And Film
Designed to provide an opportunity for students to critically analyze important poetry, novels, memoir, and film central to the field of queer studies. The course material will emphasize the intersectionality of various forms of structural oppression related to race, gender, class, sexuality, heteronormativity, cissexism, disability and citizenship and how artistic expression can be a vehicle for radically altering communities for social justice. Includes a creative writing assignment. AHIE

WGS 399: Special Topics
In-depth study of an aspect, concept, or problem within a program of study.

WGS 408: Field Work Experience
Individualized supervised field experience in an appropriate agency or organization. Department consent required.

WGS 410: Gender and Nature
This course explores the critical intersections of gender, nature, and culture. How is nature gendered? How is the culture-nature binary related to the subjugation of women and people of color? How are sexist patriarchal attitudes linked to the destruction of nature? What is the role of sensuality in constructs of gender and human relationships with nature? Co-convened with WGS 510.

WGS 432: Queering Schools: Rethinking Sexuality And Gender Identit(Ies) In Educational Contexts
This course offers critical, feminist, queer, and post-modern theoretical grounding that supports an examination of issues of sexuality and gender identity/performance in educational contexts (pre K-Higher Education). Students will develop frameworks for evaluating and responding to school policies and educational experiences from a variety of contexts: as students, as parents, as educators, and as citizens. Cross-listed with ECI 432.

WGS 465: Directed Readings In Women’s And Gender Studies
With the approval and direction of the women’s studies director, you develop a reading list, submit a reading journal, and meet with the director of your project regularly. Variations of these requirements can be approved. Department consent required.

WGS 470: Advanced Readings In Queer Studies
The culminating experience for queer studies and WGS minors if desired. Readings will be focused on a particular area of expertise. Recent topics include: Sex, Love, and Romance; Controversies in Cross-Dressing.

WGS 485: Undergraduate Research
Original research, with content and nature of project approved by the women’s studies director. You present research results at end of the course. Projects must have substantial grounding in research methods. Department consent required.

WGS 491C: Women’s And Gender Studies Research
The culminating experience for WGS majors, and WGS and QS minors if desired. Integrates perspectives gained in women’s studies courses and provides understanding of how women’s studies fits into and enriches one’s understanding of society, culture, letters, the arts, and other fields. Also offered as WGS 491CH.

WGS 497: Independent Study
Original research, with content and nature of project approved by women’s studies director. You present research results at end of the course. Projects must have substantial grounding in research methods. Department consent required.

WGS 499: Contemporary Developments
Examines recent trends and investigations in a selected area.

WGS 510: Gender and Nature
This course explores the critical intersection of gender, nature, and culture. How is nature gendered? How is the culture/nature binary related to the subjugation of women and people of color? How are sexist/patriarchal attitudes linked to the destruction of nature? What is the role of sensuality in constructs of gender and human relationships with nature? Co-convened with WGS 410.

WGS 599: Contemporary Developments
Examines recent trends and investigations in women’s studies.

WGS 600: Introduction To Feminist Theories
Survey of feminist theories, their arguments and strategies for transformation, with particular focus on how gender intersects with race, class, sexuality, imperialism, neo-imperialism, and resulting global inequalities.

WGS 601: Topics In Feminist Studies
Explores feminist theory and research, through such topics as transnational feminisms, gender and development, reproductive rights, women and war, sexualities, Third World feminisms, and Third Wave feminism.

WGS 652: Gender Issues In Education
This course is an exploration of the complexities of issues surrounding the topics of gender in education. Sociocultural, political, historical, and personal contexts will be covered in this course with a focus on teaching and learning within schools. Cross-listed with ECI 652.

WGS 685: Graduate Research
Letter grade or pass-fail.

WGS 697: Independent Study
Directed study on selected topics in women’s studies.