Gender, Sexuality, and Women's Studies with Teacher Certification in Elementary School Teacher in Grades K-6 (B.A.)

Students who wish to pursue K-6 teacher certification in Elementary Education must apply and be admitted to the Teacher Education Program.  Once admitted, students will be matriculated into the B.A. in Elementary Education program as a second major.

Please visit the Teacher Education Program website for the required sequence of courses and other program requirements, guidelines, and procedures. Students are advised to review the Teacher Education Program Handbook.

120 credits of coursework is required for the baccalaureate degree with a minimum 3.0 overall GPA.  Major GPA requirements differ depending on field of study. Consult the Teacher Education Program Handbook for more information.

Program Requirements Overview

General Education Requirements21
World Languages and Cultures Requirements3-6
Major Requirements33
Teacher Education Program Requirements60
Free Electives3-0
Total Credits120

Major Requirements

Required Core
GLQS 100Introduction to Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer (GLBTQ) Studies3
GLQS 201Queer Identities in a Transforming World: The Trouble with Normal3
GSWS 102Introduction to Women's and Gender Studies3
GSWS 200Transnational Feminisms3
GSWS 402Senior Seminar in Gender, Sexuality, and Women's Studies3
Historical Issues
HUMN 283Women, Gender, and Sexuality in the Ancient World3
or GSWS 201 Inventing Feminism
Theoretical Issues
GSWS 301Feminist Theory in Transnational Contexts3
Professional Development
Select one of the following:3
The Entrepreneurial Mindset and Innovation
Workplace Writing
Psychology of Leadership: Theory and Application
Writing Women Safe: Writing, Rape Prevention, and Community Activism
Major Electives
Select three courses from the list below. At least 6 credits must be at the 200-level or above.9
Total Credits33

Major Electives

ENFL 365Gender and Sexuality in Film3
ENGL 117World Literature: Voices of Tradition and Challenge3
ENGL 227Queer Fiction3
ENGL 230Images of Muslim Women in Twentieth Century Literature and Culture3
ENGL 250Special Topics in English or American Literature3
ENGL 252Special Topics in Comparative Literature3
ENGL 294Women Poets3
ENGL 301The Novels of Toni Morrison3
ENGL 372Women Prose Writers3
ENGL 492Seminar in Comparative Literature3
ENGL 493Seminar in American Literature3
ENGL 494Seminar in English Literature3
ENTR 201The Entrepreneurial Mindset and Innovation3
ENTR 290Special Topics in Entrepreneurship3
ENTR 301Creating Your Startup Business Model3
ENTR 302Preparing to Pitch and Launch Your Startup3
GLQS 206Introduction to Fat Studies: Exploring Fat Studies through Race, Class, Gender, and Queerness3
GLQS 302Special Topics in Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer Studies3
GSWS 201Inventing Feminism3
GSWS 208Men and Masculinities3
or SOCI 208 Men and Masculinities
GSWS 301Feminist Theory in Transnational Contexts3
GSWS 302Special Topics in Gender, Sexuality, and Women's Studies3
GSWS 308Gender and Sexuality in Asian American Literature3
or ENGL 308 Gender and Sexuality in Asian American Literature
GSWS 314Women and Migration3
or HIST 314 Women and Migration
GSWS 316Victimology3
or JUST 316 Victimology
GSWS 345Imaging Medieval and Early Modern Women3
or HUMN 345 Imaging Medieval and Early Modern Women
GSWS 355Human Trafficking3
or JUST 355 Human Trafficking
GSWS 376Feminist Jurisprudence3
or JURI 376 Feminist Jurisprudence
GSWS 401Independent Study: Gender, Sexuality, and Women's Studies3
GSWS 403Seminar on Gender and Crime3
or JUST 403 Seminar on Gender and Crime
GSWS 410Cooperative Education: Gender, Sexuality, and Women's Studies3
GSWS 436Washington, D.C. Internship3
or POLS 436 Political Science Washington, D.C., Internship
GSWS 481The Legal Rights of Women3
HIST 215U.S. Women’s History3
HIST 309Feminist Ideas in Western Thought3
HIST 334Women and Gender in the Middle East: Past and Present3
PHIL 339Contemporary Continental Philosophy3
RELG 267Women and Religion3
RELG 304Feminist Views of Religion3
POLS 214Women in Politics3
POLS 416Special Topics in Political Science3
SOCI 411Special Topics in Sociology3
WRIT 206Workplace Writing3
WRIT 208Digital Writing: Composing with Text, Image, and Sound3
WRIT 400Community Writing: Theories, Practices, and Partnerships3
SOCI 426Sociology of Sexuality3
SOCI 430Sociology of Gender3
AFAM 207The Black Woman: An Introductory Course3
ANTH 340The Anthropology of Work3
ANTH 380Anthropology: Gender and Sexuality3
ANTH 423Community and Health3-4
ARHT 190Women and Art3
ARTX 201Culture and Appearance3
EDFD 264Gender Issues in Education3
FSHD 205Women in Contemporary Society3
FSHD 345Gender in a Changing World3
FREN 283Introduction to Women Authors of French-Speaking Africa3
or FRIN 283 Introduction to Women Authors of French-Speaking Africa
HUMN 283Women, Gender, and Sexuality in the Ancient World3
HUMN 383Women in Antiquity3
HLTH 290Human Sexuality3
HLTH 295Sexuality Education in the Schools3
JUST 320Women and Prison3
LALS 205Image and Identity: Representation of Latin American Women in Film and Fiction3
LNGN 255Language and Gender3
PSYC 265Psychology of Women3
PSYC 294Psychology of Leadership: Theory and Application3
RUIN 297Women in Russian Literature3
SPAN 473Sexual Subversion in Contemporary Hispanic Literature and Film3

Second Major in Elementary Education

Elementary Education (B.A.)

General Education Requirements

Click here for a list of courses that fulfill General Education categories.

A. New Student Seminar
Complete a 1 credit New Student Seminar course.1
C. Communication
1. Writing 3
2. Literature3
3. Communication
Fundamentals of Speech: Communication Requirement (Fulfilled in the Teacher Education sequence.)
D. Fine and Performing Arts
Complete a 3 credit Fine and Performing Arts course.3
F. Humanities
1. Great Works and Their Influences3
2. Philosophical and Religious Perspectives
Philosophical Orientation to Education (Fulfilled in the Teacher Education sequence.)
G. Computer Science
Complete a 3 credit Computer Science course.3
H. Mathematics
Mathematics in Elementary Schools I (Fulfilled in the Teacher Education sequence.)
I. Natural Science Laboratory
Complete a 4 credit Natural Science Laboratory course that also fulfills the Teacher Education Health/Hygiene requirement.4
J. Physical Education
Complete a 1 credit Physical Education course.1
K. Social Science
1. American and European History
Historical Foundations of American Education (Fulfilled in the Teacher Education sequence.)
2. Global Cultural Perspectives
Transnational Feminisms (Fulfilled in the major.)
3. Social Science Perspectives
Introduction to Psychology (Fulfilled in the Teacher Education sequence.)
L. Interdisciplinary Studies
Perspectives on Early Childhood and Elementary Education in a Democracy (Fulfilled in the Teacher Education sequence.)
Total Credits21

World Languages and Cultures Requirements

Click here for a list of courses that fulfill World Languages and Cultures categories.

World Languages
Based on placement exam complete one or two sequential courses in one language.3-6
World Cultures
Introduction to Women's and Gender Studies (Fulfilled in the major.)
Total Credits3-6

Recommended Roadmap to Degree Completion

This four-year plan is provided as an outline for students to follow in order to complete their degree requirements within four years.  This plan is a recommendation and students should only use it in consultation with their academic advisor.

First Year
FallCreditsSpringCredits
GENERAL EDUCATION (A) New Student Seminar: GNED 1991GENERAL EDUCATION (C2) Literature: WRIT 1063
GENERAL EDUCATION GENERAL EDUCATION (C1) Writing: WRIT 1053GENERAL EDUCATION (J) Physical Education1
GENERAL EDUCATION (C3) Communication: CMST 1013GENERAL EDUCATION (K1) Social Science – American and European History: EDFD 2213
GENERAL EDUCATION: (D) Fine and Performing Arts3GENERAL EDUCATION (K3) Social Science – Social Science Perspectives: PSYC 1013
GENERAL EDUCATION: (F1) Humanities – Great Works and Their Influences3GLQS 2013
GLQS 1003GSWS 1023
 16 16
Second Year
FallCreditsSpringCredits
GENERAL EDUCATION (H) Mathematics: MTHM 2013Apply to the Teacher Education Program.
GENERAL EDUCATION (K2) Social Science – Global Cultural Perspectives: GSWS 2003GENERAL EDUCATION (I) Natural Science Laboratory4
GENERAL EDUCATION (L) Interdisciplinary Studies: ECEL 2003World Language 23
World Language 13FSHD 3143
FSHD 2143MTHM 3023
 Theoretical Issues Major Elective3
 15 16
Third Year
FallCreditsSpringCredits
ECEL 2793GENERAL EDUCATION (G) Computer Science3
GENERAL EDUCATION (F2) Humanities – Philosophical and Religious Perspectives: EDFD 220 3ECSE 3393
READ 3993ECEL 4083
Historical Issues Major Elective3READ 4083
Professional Development Major Elective3GSWS 4023
 15 15
Fourth Year
FallCreditsSpringCredits
ECEL 4102ECEL 4149
ECEL 4121ECEL 4213
ECEL 4273No other coursework permitted.
Major Elective3 
Major Elective3 
Major Elective3 
 15 12
Total Credits 120