Academics: Undergraduate Studies
Director of Undergraduate Studies
fgss@cornell.edu
607.255.6480
Unlike most programs in the College, Feminist, Gender, & Sesxuality Studies offers an undergraduate major as well as an undergraduate minor. Those who major in FGSS frequently pursue dual majors in other departments; they go on to careers in law, media, social work and research, development, and activist work, among others. Undergraduate students in other colleges at Cornell will need to work out special arrangements and should speak to the Director of Undergraduate Studies (DUS).
Undergraduate Major
Undergraduate students in the College of Arts and Sciences who want to
major in FGSS can apply directly to the program by contacting the DUS.
Prerequisite Courses
Before applying to the major, the student must complete any two
FGSS courses with a grade of B- or better. For FGSS courses that are cross-listed with another department, students may register through FGSS or the cross-listing department. FGSS courses at the 200-level or above may count as both prerequisites and as part of the FGSS major. First-year writing seminars may count as prerequisites but not as part of the major.
Required Course Work
A minimum of 36 credits in FGSS courses with a grade of C- or higher is required for the major. For FGSS courses that are cross-listed, students may register through FGSS or the cross-listing department. These 36 credits must include the following three courses:
- FGSS 201 Introduction to Feminist, Gender, and Sexuality Studies
- FGSS 202 Introduction to Feminist, Gender, and Sexuality Studies Theories
- FGSS 400 Senior Seminar in Feminist, Gender, and Sexuality Studies
The 36 credits must also include three FGSS courses, each with a significant focus on one of the following categories:
- LBG studies
- intersecting structures of oppression: race, ethnicity, and/or class
- global perspectives: Africa, Asia, Latin America, or Middle East, by itself or in a comparative or transnational framework
A student with a double major may count up to three FGSS courses toward the FGSS major that she/he is simultaneously counting toward a second major.
Undergraduate Minor
Undergraduate students in any college at Cornell may minor in Feminist, Gender, & Sexuality Studies in conjunction with a major defined elsewhere in the university. The minor consists of five FGSS courses with a grade of C- or higher, registered through FGSS or the cross-listing department, none of which may be counted toward the student’s non-FGSS major. An exception to this rule may be made for students in the contract colleges, who may petition the FGSS DUS to count one class from the major toward the FGSS minor. First-year writing seminars may not be included within the five required courses. The five courses required for the FGSS undergraduate minor must include:
- FGSS 201 Introduction to Feminist, Gender, and Sexuality Studies
- FGSS 202 Introduction to Feminist, Gender, and Sexuality Studies Theories
- any FGSS course that satisfies at least one of the three categories required for a major as defined above
- any two additional FGSS courses of the student’s choice
Honors
To graduate with honors a student majoring in FGSS must complete a senior thesis
under the supervision of a FGSS faculty
member, and defend that thesis orally
before an honors committee. To be eligible, a student must have at least a cumulative 3.0 GPA in all coursework and a 3.3 GPA in all courses applying to the FGSS major. Students interested in the Honors program should consult the DUS late in the spring semester of their junior year, or very early in the fall semester of their senior year. FGSS Honors Guidelines
The Lesbian, Bisexual, & Gay Studies Program offers an undergraduate minor and a graduate minor. Undergraduates in any college at Cornell can minor in LBG Studies in conjunction with a major defined elsewhere in the university. The minor consists of four courses in LBG Studies, no more than two of which can come from a single discipline. The same courses cannot be counted toward an undergraduate major and an LBG minor; furthermore, the same course cannot be counted toward both a FGSS minor and an LBG Studies minor. Students who wish to apply for the undergraduate minor should make an appointment with the Director of Undergraduate Studies.
