Gender Studies Schools and Programs in The United States

Gender Studies Studies in The United States

Gender studies examines how gender and sexuality shape personal experience, culture, politics and institutions. In the United States the field grew out of women's studies, and it is taught under several names: Gender and Sexuality Studies, Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies, Gender and Women's Studies, or Gender, Sexuality and Feminist Studies. It is an interdisciplinary subject. Yale University describes it as drawing on history, literature, cultural studies, social sciences and natural science. The directory lists 37 schools for gender studies in the United States.

How the degree is organised

Gender studies is mainly an undergraduate subject. Students take it as a major within a bachelor's degree, which EducationUSA describes as usually completed in four years of full-time study, or as a minor next to another major. US undergraduate education is based on the liberal arts and sciences, so students take classes in a wide variety of subjects in addition to the major, and the major is normally declared by the end of the second year.

The size of the major is set by each university and is counted in courses or credits:

• At The University of Chicago the major in Gender and Sexuality Studies consists of 11 courses, and courses may be double-counted with other majors
• At Yale University twelve term courses are required, including a senior essay; the major may be taken as a primary major or as one of two majors
• At Brown University, where a major is called a concentration, Gender and Sexuality Studies requires 10 courses, or 12 for honours
• At New York University the major requires nine 4-credit courses (36 credits)
• At the University of Washington in Seattle the Bachelor of Arts in Gender, Women and Sexuality Studies requires 55 credits under the curriculum in force since autumn 2025

Many students combine the subject with a second field. Duke University reports that the most common recent double majors with Gender, Sexuality and Feminist Studies have been Psychology, Biology, Global Health, English and International Comparative Studies. Some universities offer the subject only as a minor: Johns Hopkins University has an undergraduate minor in the Study of Women, Gender, and Sexuality.

Graduate study

EducationUSA describes the master's as a two-year degree and the doctorate as a five to eight-year programme. The University of Washington offers a Ph.D. in Feminist Studies and graduate certificates in Feminist Studies and in Sexuality and Queer Studies. Duke University states that it does not currently offer a Ph.D. in the field; instead it offers a graduate Certificate in Feminist Studies, taken alongside a degree in another department.

Admission and language

Teaching is in English, and US universities require an English language proficiency test before admission. Students apply to the university or college, not to the gender studies department, and choose the major later. At the University of Wisconsin-Madison, for example, there are no course, grade or credit requirements to declare the Gender and Women's Studies major. EducationUSA advises starting the search for a university at least 12 to 18 months before the academic year of entry.

Students who start at a community college can follow the "2+2" route described by EducationUSA: two years of community college followed by two years of university study to complete the bachelor's degree. An F student visa requires admission to an institution certified by the Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP).

Where to study gender studies in the United States

The listed schools include large research universities and small liberal arts colleges. Denver, Baltimore and Boston each have two listed schools; the other cities have one. Examples include:

• Dartmouth College in Hanover, which states that its Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies programme was founded in 1978
• The University of Washington in Seattle, with a major, a minor and a Ph.D. programme
• Duke University in Durham, with a major, minors and a graduate certificate
• The University of Wisconsin-Madison, The University of Chicago, Yale University, Brown University and New York University
• Johns Hopkins University and UMBC in Baltimore, and Suffolk University and Emmanuel College in Boston
• Liberal arts colleges such as Bryn Mawr College, Middlebury College, Pitzer College and Colorado College

Recognition and careers

US institutions are accredited by independent bodies, and EducationUSA notes that recognition of degrees by other institutions and by employers is linked to an institution's accreditation. A bachelor's degree with a gender studies major is a general academic degree. It does not lead to a regulated profession, so students who plan to return home should check how their country recognises a US bachelor's degree.

Career information for this major comes mainly from the universities themselves. Duke University states that its recent graduates have gone on to advanced degrees, training in the legal and medical professions, community service and nongovernmental agencies, government, the creative arts and positions in the corporate world. The University of Washington lists alumni careers in politics, law, medicine, public health, museology, academia and social policy.

Frequently asked questions

Is gender studies a full degree or a minor in the United States?

Both exist. Many universities offer it as a major within a bachelor's degree and also as a minor; some, such as Johns Hopkins University, offer only a minor.

Can I combine gender studies with another major?

Yes, this is common. Yale University allows it as one of two majors, and Duke University reports that many of its students complete a double major.

Can I do a Ph.D. in gender studies?

Some universities offer one, for example the Ph.D. in Feminist Studies at the University of Washington. Others, such as Duke University, offer a graduate certificate taken together with a doctorate in another field.