WGST 112: Introduction to Women's and Gender Studies

A social science perspective of women in psychological, sociological, historical, anthropological, economic, and political contexts; the changing roles, images, and institutions.

WGST 113: Women's Health

Basic functioning of the female body; effects of society on processes of health and disease.

WGST 301: Psychology of Marriage

The psychological, physiological, and social characteristics of marriage.Cross-listed course: PSYC 301

WGST 304: Race, Class, Gender, and Sexuality

Historical and contemporary power relationships in race, social class, gender, and sexual orientation. Cross-listed course: SOCY 304, POLI 305

WGST 307: Feminist Theory

Historical development of feminist theory and contemporary debates within feminism.Cross-listed course: POLI 307

WGST 308: African-American Feminist Theory

An interdisciplinary survey of the contributions of African-American women to feminist theory.Cross-listed course: AFAM 308

WGST 309: LGBTQ+ Studies

Overview of theories, history, literature, politics, legal, health, and social issues connected to sexualities, including the intersections of gender, race, and social class.

WGST 321: Sexuality, Gender, and Power in Ancient Rome

Sexuality as a social construct exemplified in standards of sexual behavior in ancient Rome and their reinforcement of the ruling ideology; feminine virtue, definitions of manliness, attitudes toward homosexuality.Cross-listed course: CLAS 321

WGST 333: Sex, Gender, and Religion

Gender and sexuality in the shaping of social and individual identity in religious contexts.Cross-listed course: RELG 333

WGST 352: Gender and Politics

Impact of gender on the distribution of power in society; foundations for intersections of gender, race, social class, and sexuality and their economic, social, and political concomitantsCross-listed course: POLI 352

WGST 392: Global Women's Health

This course examines health concerns important in the lives of women around the world through an overview of contemporary issues and challenges in the field of global health, broadly construed.Cross-listed course: ANTH 392

WGST 398: Gender, Sexuality, and Sports Media

How the sports media culture helps create and maintain, as well as challenge, inequalities based on gender and sexual identity. Students will learn how gender and sexuality are constructed through sports media and how they intersect with race, class, able-bodiedness and nationality.Cross-listed course: JOUR 345

WGST 430: Literature and AIDS

When Philadelphia appeared in movie theaters and Angels in America appeared on the Broadway stage in 1993, they signaled a shift in cultural representations and in popular understandings of HIV/AIDS. While stigma and trauma lingered, these representations indicated a shift in the cultural imagination. Two years later, the death toll in the US would peak as new drug therapies became available and HIV became a manageable condition rather than a death sentence. This class will examine that pivotal moment in Americanculture, as well as what happened before, what happened after—and what has happened since. We will examine literature, film, and other cultural representations, paying attention to social and political contexts. Though we will focus primarily on American cultural responses, we will also consider some international representations. How did HIV/AIDS influence American culture in the first two decades, 1981-2001? How are those early decades still represented in popular culture? How was HIV/AIDS represented in literature and film? in children’s literature? in popular music? What can those texts teach us about the history of LGBTQ activism and protest, death and dying, rage and remembrance, the nature of community and our responsibility for one another?Cross-listed course: ENGL 439

WGST 432: Men and Masculinities

This course provides an overview of psychological, social, physical, and emotional issues related to men’s lives. Major topics include: gender construction, men and work, men and health, men in relationships, male sexualities, men in families, and masculinities in the media and popular culture.Cross-listed course: PSYC 432

WGST 437: Women Writers

Representative works written by women.Prerequisites: C or higher in both ENGL 101 and ENGL 102.Cross-listed course: ENGL 437

WGST 551: Adolescent Mentoring

Application of skills and theories of adolescent mentoring taught in the classroom to a supervised, structured mentoring field experience.Cross-listed course: CRJU 551

WGST 554: Women, Gender, and Crime

Impact of gender-based relations on crime and the criminal justice system. Cross-listed course: CRJU 554

WGST 627: Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT) Health

Health status and concerns of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender communities. Includes an examination of measurement issues and methodological considerations in research, as well as intervention efforts targeting LGBT populations.Cross-listed course: HPEB 627Must be upper-division undergraduate (junior/ senior standing)

WGST 112: Introduction to Women's and Gender Studies 

A social science perspective of women in psychological, sociological, historical, anthropological, economic, and political contexts; the changing roles, images, and institutions. This course will be offered online only.

WGST 113: Women's Health

Basic functioning of the female body; effects of society on processes of health and disease. This course will be offered online only.

WGST 304: Race, Class, Gender, and Sexuality 

Historical and contemporary power relationships in race, social class, gender, and sexual orientation. This course will be offered online only.  Cross-listed course: SOCY 304, POLI 305

WGST 307: Feminist Theory

Historical development of feminist theory and contemporary debates within feminism. This course will be offered online only.Cross-listed course: POLI 307

WGST 352: Gender and Politics

Impact of gender on the distribution of power in society; foundations for intersections of gender, race, social class, and sexuality and their economic, social, and political concomitants. This course will be offered online only.Cross-listed course: POLI 352

WGST 454: Women and the Law

Constitutional and statutory case law dealing with gender equality issues. Topics include abortion, affirmative action, pornography, sexual harassment, fetal protection policies, employment discrimination, and women in the military. This course will be offered online only. Cross-listed course: POLI 454

WGST 112: Introduction to Women's and Gender Studies

A social science perspective of women in psychological, sociological, historical, anthropological, economic, and political contexts; the changing roles, images, and institutions. 

WGST 113: Women's Health 

Basic functioning of the female body; effects of society on processes of health and disease. 

WGST 300: Sex and Gender

Offers a sociological lens to develop critical ways of thinking about sex and gender as social processes in everyday lives. This course considers how sex and gender shape and affect the experiences of women, men, girls, boys, and individuals who live in the spaces in-between (those who are intersex or transgender) across a wide range of social institutions (family, work, education, politics, etc.).Prerequisite: SOCY 101Cross-listed course: SOCY 301

WGST 304: Race, Class, Gender, and Sexuality

Historical and contemporary power relationships in race, social class, gender, and sexual orientation.Cross-listed course: SOCY 304, POLI 305

WGST 305: Sociology of Families

Sociological perspectives related to various aspects of family behaviors, roles, and values.Cross-listed course: SOCY 305

WGST 308: African-American Feminist Theory

An interdisciplinary survey of the contributions of African-American women to feminist theory.  Cross-listed course: AFAM 308

WGST 388: Cultures, Pregnancy, and Birth

Anthropological study of pregnancy and birth with a cross-cultural focus comparing the United States to other nations. Examination of cultural factors such as prenatal care, dietary practices, taboos, birth location, practitioners, and birthing styles. Cross-listed course: ANTH 388 

WGST 398: Special Topics Womanist Ethics

Exploration of Black Womanist ethics that focus on analyzing and dismantling oppression around issues of race, gender, sexuality, and social class.Cross-listed course: RELG 491, AFAM 398 

WGST 398: Special Topics WGST Research Seminar

Students will learn and practice methods of historical research, using the history of the women’s studiesprogram at USC as subject matter. They will become familiar with origins of the discipline of women’s studies and explore the ways USC’s fifty-year old program has followed or broken from national patterns.Cross-listed course: HIST 498 

WGST 430: Special Topics American Popular Culture Since 1890

A history of the contributions of the popular aspects of American culture and their interactions with American institutions Cross-listed course: HIST 449

WGST 437: Women Writers

Representative works written by women.  Prerequisites: C or higher in both ENGL 101 and ENGL 102.Cross-listed course: ENGL 437

WGST 445: LGBTQ+ Literature

This course will examine LGBTQ+ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, queer, and other nonnormative sexualidentities) literatures and cultures. Prerequisite: C or better in ENGL 101 and ENGL 102.Cross-listed course: ENGL 445

WGST 454: Women and the Law

Constitutional and statutory case law dealing with gender equality issues. Topics include abortion, affirmative action, pornography, sexual harassment, fetal protection policies, employment discrimination, and women in the military.Cross-listed course: POLI 454 

WGST 499: Community Service Internship

Supervised experience addressing a community organization's needs and allowing the student to explore an aspect of the community related to women's and gender studies issues. Contract approval by advisor required.Prerequisites: C or better in WGST 112 or WGST 113; C or better in one additional WGST course at the 200-level or higher 

WGST 551: Adolescent Mentoring

Application of skills and theories of adolescent mentoring taught in the classroom to a supervised, structured mentoring field experience.Cross-listed course: CRJU 551

WGST 554: Women and Crime

Impact of gender-based relations on crime and the criminal justice system.Cross-listed course: CRJU 554

WGST 598: Special Topics Service Learning and the Art of Grant Writing

This course provides an introduction to grant writing and grant administration. It is designed for students in various disciplines who want to understand the grant process from the introductory stages to the final stages of iimplementing the grant. Beginners in grant writing and those who already have some grant writing experience are welcome.

WGST 621: Maternal and Child Health

Public health issues, social and behavioral science, policies, programs, and services related to maternal and child health in the United States and other countries.Cross-listed course: HPEB 621Must be upper-division undergraduate (junior/ senior standing)