Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of General Studies in Human Sexuality
Why study human sexuality?
- Explore the diverse range of human sexual practices and taboos
- Compare scientific, historical, and creative understandings of sexual desire
- Learn to analyze and address problems of sexual violence, reproductive justice, and LGBTQ inclusivity
Human Sexuality students focus on the social, political, and medical constructions of human sexuality. They draw from interdisciplinary methods, theories, and research to better understand how the social construction and lived experiences of sexuality relate to society, politics, medicine, and social movements.
Undergraduate Admission
Admission to KU
All students applying for admission must send high school and college transcripts to the Office of Admissions. Prospective first-year students should be aware that KU has qualified admission requirements that all new first-year students must meet to be admitted. Consult the Office of Admissions for application deadlines and specific admission requirements.
Visit the International Support Services for information about international admissions.
Students considering transferring to KU may see how their college-level course work will transfer on the Office of Admissions website.
First and Second Year Preparation
Students are encouraged to take WGSS 111 and meet with the academic advisor.
Requirements for the B.A. or B.G.S. Major
Students must complete 10 courses (30 hours) in the major, including a maximum of 2 courses (6 hours) at the 100 or 200 level and a minimum of 4 courses (12 hours) at the 500+ level.
In addition, students must complete coursework in the following areas:
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Introduction | 3 | |
| Introduction to Human Sexuality Studies | ||
| Social Science Perspective | 3 | |
| Satisfied by one course (3 credit hours) that addresses sexuality from a social scientific perspective. | ||
Eligible courses include: | ||
| Human Sexuality | ||
| Language, Gender, and Sexuality | ||
| Health, Gender, and Society | ||
| Religion, Power, and Sexuality in Arab Societies | ||
| The Anthropology of Gender: Female, Male, and Beyond | ||
| Intimate Relationships | ||
| Gender and Society | ||
| Psychology of Women | ||
| Health and Human Sexuality | ||
| Human Sexuality | ||
| Policing the Womb | ||
| Women and Violence | ||
| The Rhetoric of Women's Rights | ||
| Feminist Contemporary Political Theory | ||
| Politics of Identity | ||
| Humanities Perspective | 3 | |
| Satisfied by one course (3 credit hours) that addresses sexuality from a humanistic perspective. | ||
Eligible courses include: | ||
| Sex in History | ||
| LGBTQ U.S. History, 1600-1900 | ||
| LGBTQ U.S. History, 1900-Present | ||
| History of Women and the Body | ||
| Black Feminist Theory | ||
| Black Love and Romance | ||
| Pregnancy in Modern Literature | ||
| Angry White Male Studies | ||
| Religious Perspectives on Selfhood and Sexuality | ||
| The Anthropology of Gender: Female, Male, and Beyond | ||
| Sexual Politics in Chinese Literature and Culture: Premodern Times | ||
or EALC 618 | Sexual Politics in Chinese Literature and Culture: Premodern Times | |
| Gender and Religion | ||
| Philosophy of Sex and Love | ||
| Gender and Sexuality in Greek Culture | ||
| Gender and Sexuality in Roman Culture | ||
| Skin, Sex, and Disease | ||
| The Body, Self and Society | ||
| Sexuality and Gender in African History | ||
| International Perspective | 3 | |
| Satisfied by any course (3 hours) that addresses sexuality with a focus primarily on global or non-US contexts. | ||
Eligible courses include: | ||
| History of Women and the Body | ||
| Language, Gender, and Sexuality | ||
| International Women's Rights | ||
| Judaism and Sexuality | ||
| Religion, Power, and Sexuality in Arab Societies | ||
| Love, Sexuality and Gender in Japanese Literature | ||
or EALC 575 | Love, Sexuality and Gender in Japanese Literature | |
| International Women Filmmakers | ||
| Politics of Human Trafficking | ||
| Gender and Sexuality in Greek Culture | ||
| Gender and Sexuality in Roman Culture | ||
| Making a Pandemic: The History and Politics of HIV/AIDS | ||
| Sexuality and Gender in African History | ||
| Electives | 12 | |
| Satisfied by four additional courses (12 credit hours) that address sexuality. | ||
Eligible courses include any of the above courses or the following: | ||
| Introduction to Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies | ||
or WGSS 102 | Introduction to Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies, Honors | |
| Perspectives in Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Studies | ||
| Introduction to Queer Theory: Tools for Deconstructing Gender | ||
| Sex and Gender in New Media | ||
| The Politics of Physical Appearance | ||
| Feminism and Social Change | ||
| History of Feminist Theory | ||
| Gender, Sexuality and the Law | ||
| Love, Sex, and Globalization | ||
| Other Courses That May Count for Major Requirements: | ||
| The topics in the following courses vary by semester. If the majority of the course content addresses sexuality, this course may count toward a specific requirement within this program. Confirm with the major advisor. | ||
| Study Abroad Topics in: _____ | ||
| Studies in: _____ | ||
| Study Abroad Topic in: _____ | ||
| Independent Study | ||
| Women and Literature: _____ | ||
| Service Learning in Women, Gender and Sexuality Studies | ||
| Studies in: _____ | ||
| Methods | 3 | |
| Satisfied by: (suggested for the junior year) | ||
| Doing Feminist Research | ||
| Capstone Project | 3 | |
| Satisfied by successful completion of WGSS 601. For students pursuing department honors, successful completion of the WGSS 498/WGSS 499 sequence (each for 3 credits) fulfills the capstone requirement. | ||
| Honors in Women, Gender and Sexualty Studies (By permission of honors supervisor) | ||
| Seminar in Women, Gender and Sexuality Studies (Spring Only) | ||
| Total Hours | 30 | |
Human Sexuality Major Hours & Major GPA
While completing all required courses (above), majors must also meet each of the following hour and grade-point average minimum standards:
Major Hours
Satisfied by 30 hours of major courses.
Major Hours in Residence
Satisfied by a minimum of 15 hours of KU resident credit in the major.
Major Junior/Senior (300+) Hours
Satisfied by a minimum of 24 hours from junior/senior courses (300+) in the major.
Major Hours at Advanced Levels
Satisfied by a maximum of 6 hours at the 100-200 level and 24 hours at 300-600 level (at least 12 of which must be at 500-600 level)
Major Junior/Senior (300+) Graduation GPA
Satisfied by a minimum of a 2.0 KU GPA in junior/senior courses (300+) in the major. GPA calculations include all junior/senior courses in the field of study including F’s and repeated courses. See the Semester/Cumulative GPA Calculator.
Overlap Policies
Students who wish to pursue more than one program offered by the department of Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies may do so with the following restrictions: No more than four courses may be used to fulfill requirements for both the Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies major and the Human Sexuality major – two of which would be specifically WGSS 501 and WGSS 601. No more than two courses may overlap between any of our majors and minors, or between our two minors – one of which would be WGSS 501. Students earning an undergraduate certificate in addition to another WGSS program can overlap one course – the introductory-level requirement.
For students pursuing a Bachelors of Arts degree, refer to this sample 4-year plan for a BA in Human Sexuality or use the left-side navigation.
For students pursuing a Bachelor of General Studies degree, refer to this sample 4-year plan for a BGS in Human Sexuality or use the left-side navigation.
Summary
- 3.5 GPA in the Human Sexuality major
- A senior honors thesis related to Human Sexuality written over two semesters (in two three-credit courses)
- Double majors: earn Honors in both majors with one thesis that is relevant to both programs.
GPA Requirements
Students need a 3.5 GPA in their Human Sexuality major to qualify for Departmental Honors. There is no minimum for a student's overall GPA.
Honors Thesis
Students write an honors thesis that is pertinent to the study of Human Sexuality. An honors thesis is a piece of original research or other project supervised by a faculty member of any department. In most cases, the result will be a written document of some length, but the student and thesis advisor may also agree on alternative, creative formats for the thesis project.
To complete the project, students must take 6 credit hours of honors thesis work (3 hours per semester for 2 semesters) and they must earn an A or B in the first semester and an A the second. For these 6 hours, students typically enroll in:
- WGSS 498 Independent Study in the fall of the senior year
- WGSS 499 Honors in Women, Gender and Sexualty Studies in the spring of the senior year
After completing these credits, the honors thesis or project must be reviewed and approved by a three-member thesis committee. The thesis committee must include the advisor and two other faculty members. At least one of the committee members must have a faculty appointment in WGSS or serve as WGSS affiliate faculty.
Typical Timeline
- Fall Semester of the Junior Year: Take WGSS 501 to develop research interests and an idea for your thesis. Enroll in other courses that let you develop expertise in this area.
- Spring Semester of the Junior Year: Get to know faculty members who share similar research interests by enrolling in their courses or visiting them in office hours. Identify a professor willing to supervise the thesis. Inform the WGSS Honors Coordinator!
- Fall Semester of the Senior Year: Enroll in 3 credit hours of WGSS 498. Begin researching the thesis topic. Form a three-person faculty committee in consultation with the thesis advisor. Before enrolling for spring courses, complete the Honors Intent Form.
- Spring Semester of the Senior Year: Enroll in 3 credit hours of WGSS 499. Finish the thesis and submit to the committee for approval.
- If the thesis is passed, the thesis advisor needs to sign and submit the Honors Certification Form to College Undergraduate Academic Services at least a week before the end of the graduation term. The thesis advisor should also notify the Honors Coordinator of the result.
Double Majors
With proper planning, double majors in Human Sexuality and a second academic program may complete a single honors project to satisfy departmental honors in both of their majors. The honors project must still meet the standards set by both departments. For example, a student double majoring in Human Sexuality may work with an advisor from their second major and enroll in credits from the second major, as long as their project addresses themes of human sexuality. They must convene a faculty committee to review the project, and at least one member of that committee must be a member of the WGSS Department or serve as affiliate faculty.
Students pursuing this option are encouraged to work closely with the WGSS Honors Coordinator to make sure the project in their second major meets WGSS requirements.