Gender, Women's and Sexuality Studies

Gender, Women's and Sexuality Studies (GWS) is an interdisciplinary academic field. It critically engages beliefs, attitudes, assumptions and norms about gender, women and sexuality and their intersections with other axes of difference including race, ability, nationality and class. Studying this field equips students with critical analytical skills necessary to understand how power works in national and transnational contexts and to address and offer creative solutions to issues of equity, diversity and social justice in our world today.

Appalachian's Bachelor of Arts degree in Gender, Women's and Sexuality Studies is housed in the Department of Interdisciplinary Studies. The program has two primary faculty members, yet you'll be learning from 53 affiliated faculty members representing five colleges and 15 departments on campus.

Besides the BA, Appalachian also offers a Gender, Women's and Sexuality Studies minor, a Girls' Studies minor and an LGBT Studies minor. At the graduate level, there is a 12-hour graduate certificate and a 9-hour graduate minor in Gender, Women's and Sexuality Studies.

• Human rights and diversity leadership
• Advocates for victims of domestic violence and hate crimes
• Social and human services
• Business entrepreneurship
• Director, university women's center or LGBT center
• Equity and diversity education leader
• Professor
• Student development professional
• Clergy
• Public health research and education
• Nursing
• Environmental research, activism and sustainability
• Broadcasting, journalism, news media and new media online
• Government, public policy, politics, law
• Science and technology (research, etc.)
• Artist
• Publishing (writer, editor, etc.)
• Nonprofit organizations

• Complete an application (apply using the Common Application)
• Provide your official high school transcript(s)
• Provide your official or unofficial college transcript(s) for any completed college coursework*
• Submit $65 application fee (or approved fee waiver)
• Submit official or self-reported SAT (school code: 5010) or ACT (school code: 3062) scores (or apply with a test waiver)
• Complete your FAFSA (application opens Oct. 1; school code: 002906)