About us

Wayne State University's Gender, Sexuality and Women's Studies Program (GSW) emerged out of the collective protest movements of the 1970s. Founded in 1975, initially named Women's Studies, the program sought to better reflect the university's diverse student population and emergent fields of study.

In 2010, our name changed to the Gender, Sexuality and Women's Studies Program, continuing to reflect the program's commitment to being the interdisciplinary home for students with interests in women's history, feminism, trans studies and queer studies. We established the Minor in Queer Studies in 2020.

Our program offers a flexible major in gender, sexuality and women's studies and two minors. With over 120+ students in the program, the GSW program supports an environment where students can develop their interests through diverse course offerings in the humanities, historical studies and the social sciences. We bolster student learning outside of the classroom with a learning community, academic and professional workshops and our Dr. Thomas Klein Lecture Series. We also support graduate students across the university researching gender and sexuality. GSW graduates become experts in critical thinking, sharp analysis, clear writing and deep research, skills that prepare them for careers in health, psychology, communications, business, law, education and non-profit/community justice.

In addition to our academic programs, the GSW program has a long legacy of supporting, participating in and co-facilitating feminist and queer campus initiatives, including Coming Out Week, Pride Week and, together with the Office of Multicultural Student Engagement, the annual Dr. Rae Lee Siporin Rainbow Graduation Awards and Homecoming Ceremony.

Contact us

5057 Woodward Ave., Suite 9204
Detroit, Michigan 48202

313-577-6331
GSWprogram@wayne.edu

Land acknowledgment

Wayne State University rests on Waawiyaataanong, also referred to as Detroit, the ancestral and contemporary homeland of the Three Fires Confederacy. These sovereign lands were granted by the Ojibwe, Odawa, Potawatomi and Wyandot nations, in 1807, through the Treaty of Detroit. Wayne State University affirms indigenous sovereignty and honors all tribes with a connection to Detroit. With our Native neighbors, WSU can advance educational equity and promote a better future for the earth and all people.