Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies is a vigorous field which seeks to uncover and understand the effects of gender categories and sex roles on our history, knowledge, cultures, and individual experiences. To that end, Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies is resolutely interdisciplinary and intersectional, drawing on the insights of a new generation of scholars and teachers that encourages analysis of gender and sexuality in critical and creative ways.

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Latest News

Jacqueline Hanson '23

Jacqueline Hanson ’23 wins one of 50 Order of Omega national scholarships

One of only 50 Order of Omega national scholarships was won by Jacqueline Hanson ’23 of DeForest, Wisconsin. Hanson says receiving the award was a […]

Some of the new members of Iota, Iota, Iota chapter

Ripon College forms new chapter of Iota, Iota, Iota honor society

Ripon College has formed a new chapter of Iota Iota Iota (Triota), the national women’s and gender studies honor society. Initiation of the inaugural 17 […]

Mary Unger

Ripon receives grant to support diversity, equity and inclusion efforts on campus

Ripon College has been awarded a $5,000 grant from the Council of Independent Colleges, funded by the Mellon Foundation, to support diversity, equity and inclusion […]

Faculty

A headshot of Erin Bryan.

Bryan, Erin K.

Assistant Professor of Music and Voice Area Coordinator

Ursula Dalinghaus

Dalinghaus, Ursula M.

Assistant Professor of Anthropology

Robin Forbes-Lorman

Forbes-Lorman, Robin

Associate Professor of Biology

Sarah Frohardt-Lane

Frohardt-Lane, Sarah

Associate Professor of History, Chair of History Department

Meg Gannon Portrait

Gannon, Megan

Associate Professor of English, Chair of English Department

Ann Pleiss Morris

Pleiss Morris, Ann

Associate Professor of English

Mirachle-Rose Toppar

Toppar, Miracle-Rose

Assistant Professor of Economics and Business Management

Mary Unger

Unger, Mary

Associate Professor of English and Director of Women's, Gender and Sexuality Studies

Advising

Ripon College faculty and professional staff are dedicated to helping you reach your goals, whatever they may be and however often they may change along the way. It’s part of our value statement to you.

As a student at Ripon, you will be assigned a faculty adviser based on your area(s) of interest. You will meet with your faculty adviser throughout your time as a student to discuss your current aspirations, plan your course schedule and plot a future trajectory. We also work collaboratively with Ripon College Career and Professional Development to help match your interests and skills to concrete goals and construct a plan for professional success offering personalized career counseling, off-campus learning opportunities and an online job board with potential to connect with local, national and international employers.

Advising at Ripon

Requirements

Requirements Table for Major in Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies 32 credits
Core Courses WGS 110 Introduction to Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies, 350 Theory and Methodology in Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies, and 550 Senior Studies.
Electives 12 credits from the WGS program:
WGS 100 Topics in Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies, 105 Biology of Sex and Gender, 115 Music and Gender, 204 Topics in Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies, 224 Gender, Sex, and Sexuality: Cross-Cultural Views, 245 Gender and Sexuality in Contemporary Art: From Paintings to Performance Art, 263 Women in American History, 300 Departmental Studies, 312 Sociology Through Film, 313 Biology of Sex and Gender, 365 WWII Home Fronts, and 391 Economics of Discrimination.

8 credits from the below list of affiliated courses. No more than 8 credits may count towards the WGS major and another major or minor.

Affiliated courses:
ANT 222 Anthropology and Contemporary Global Issues; ANT 314 Religion, Magic, and Witchcraft; ANT 317 Anthropology of Money (same as ECO 317); ANT 319 Your Money or Your Life? Global Perspectives on Credit and Debt (same as ECO 319); ART 215 Controversies and Contexts of Art; CMM 112 Communicating Identity; CMM 336 Social Movement Communication; ECO 361 Development Economics I; EDU 260 Diversity in American Education; EDU 316 Middle School Education; EXS 353 Sociological Aspects of Physical Activity; HIS 260 Black Power; HIS 262 American Race Relations; HIS 264 History of Immigrants and Immigration Policy in the United States (same as POL 269); PHL 353 Human Rights; POL 268 Diversity and American Politics; SOC 201 Social Problems; SOC 204 Sociology of Jobs and Work; SOC 205 Sociology of Deviance; SOC 301 Social Movements; SOC 302 Sociology of Health and Medicine; SOC 304 Sociology of Inequalities; SOC 308 Public Sociology and Activism.
This list is not exhaustive. Students should consult with the WGS program director about other classes that may count towards the WGS major or minor.

Requirements Table for Minor in Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies 20 credits
Core Courses WGS 110 Introduction to Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies, and 350 Theory and Methodology in Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies.
Electives 8 credits from the WGS program:
WGS 100 Topics in Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies, 105 Biology of Sex and Gender, 115 Music and Gender, 204 Topics in Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies, 224 Gender, Sex, and Sexuality: Cross-Cultural Views, 245 Gender and Sexuality in Contemporary Art: From Paintings to Performance Art, 263 Women in American History, 300 Departmental Studies, 312 Sociology Through Film, 313 Biology of Sex and Gender, 365 WWII Home Fronts, and 391 Economics of Discrimination.

4 credits from the list of affiliated courses. No more than 4 credits may count towards the WGS major and another major or minor.

Career Tracks

Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies provides students with a focus to their liberal arts and sciences programs that can lead to careers and graduate programs in a variety of fields. It often provides a background for further work in other disciplines of the social sciences, humanities and biological sciences, as well as for professional careers in government, business, law, social services and other fields.

Recent graduates also have gone to graduate school programs in information science and library studies. Others have moved directly into the professional workforce in public relations, human resources, community outreach and other careers.