Requirements

Undergraduates can pursue a primary major, supplementary major, or minor in Gender Studies. Each path includes two required courses along with a number of elective courses and, for majors, a capstone course or independent research project. Primary and supplementary majors who started at Notre Dame in 2022 or later must draw at least 3 of their elective courses from the Core Electives list.

Primary Major (10 courses; 30 credit hours)

• 2 required courses:
  • Introduction to Gender Studies
  • Perspectives on Gender: Theory and Practice
• 6–7 elective courses
  
  • 3 elective courses with the GSCE - Gender Studies Core Elective attribute
  • 3–4 additional Gender Studies electives
• 1 senior capstone project:
  • seminar track: Interdisciplinary Seminar
  • research track: senior thesis (6 credits)

Supplementary Major (8 courses; 24 credit hours)

• 2 required courses:
  • Introduction to Gender Studies
  • Perspectives on Gender: Theory and Practice
• 5 elective courses
  • 3 elective courses with the GSCE - Gender Studies Core Elective attribute
  • 2 additional electives
• 1 senior capstone project:
  • seminar track: Interdisciplinary Seminar
  • research track: capstone essay (3 credits; completed in Fall of senior year)

Minor (5 courses; 15 credit hours)

• 2 required courses:
  • Introduction to Gender Studies
  • Perspectives on Gender: Theory and Practice
• 3 Gender Studies elective courses

“Immersing myself in the Gender Studies curriculum was one of my best decisions while at ND. It greatly expanded my vision of the world and of social justice.”

—Michael Zimmer ’94