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Gender and Women’s Studies (BA)

Explore the intersectionality of gender issues to advocate for equity.

Program Type
Bachelor
Faculty
Location
Program Start
September and January
Program Options
Honours
Major
Minor

Why choose this program?

An alternative to the traditional curriculum, Gender and Women’s Studies provides you with the opportunity to examine history, social structures, the sciences, language, literature, and culture from critical and illuminating perspectives. 
 
You'll investigate the ways that gender intersects with other variables such as race, class, and cultural difference.

Admission requirements

Minimum admission requirements

To be considered for admission to this program, you must meet minimum academic criteria:

  1. Completion of secondary school (Grade 12)
  2. Achievement of the minimum average for your program of choice.
  3. Completion of Grade 12 English (or equivalent course).

Admission to many Dalhousie programs is competitive. This means that meeting minimum requirements does not guarantee admission.

Program-specific admission requirements

  • Minimum overall average: 70%

  • Academic English 12

  • Four additional academic subjects

Financial information

A university education is a significant financial investment. Every student is unique, and so are their financial circumstances. We offer competitive tuition, a robust scholarship and bursary program, and resources and support to help you explore financial options and develop a plan that works for you. 

Program options

You can enter the following programs in Gender and Women’s Studies: Minor, Major, Double Major, or a Combined Honours program. These programs include courses in the disciplines of Economics, English, Sociology and more, and in interdisciplinary and professional fields, including Contemporary Studies, Law, and Nursing.


The following Gender and Women’s Studies program options are offered by Dalhousie University’s Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Connect with an academic advisor after you start your studies to explore options such as:  

  • Bachelor of Arts with Major in Gender and Women’s Studies

  • Bachelor of Arts Double Major Bachelor of Arts with Combined Honours 

  • Minor in Gender and Women’s Studies  

What you will learn

Gender and women’s studies is a dynamic and rapidly expanding interdisciplinary area of study. With every course you take in Gender and Women’s studies, you’ll gain a better understanding of women’s roles in history. You’ll also see how aspects of gender, race, class, sex, age, sexual orientation, and health intersect, and how they contribute to complex social relationships—and all too frequently, to injustice and discrimination.

Sample courses may include:

  • Introduction to Gender and Women's Studies

  • Gender and Diversity

  • Modern Russian Culture and Civilization

  • Queering Foundations

  • Philosophy of Sex and Love

  • Women and the Economy

  • African Caribbean Women Writers

  • Sociology and Anthropology of the Body

  • Love, lust, and desire in Italian Renaissance Art

  • Contemporary Issues in Gender and Development

  • The Birth of Pop: How Visual Culture Makes Meaning

  • Indigenous Women and the State

Our courses provide students with opportunities of uniting theory with social and cultural practice, addressing contemporary issues that individuals and institutions are grappling within today’s changing world order.  

Careers

With a degree in Gender and Women’s Studies, and the ability to think critically and solve problems collaboratively, you’ll be ready to contribute to society by challenging some of its most deeply embedded and regressive ideas, and by prompting change within your chosen career. 

Future studies could include programs at the graduate level in interdisciplinary, cultural, or educational studies. You may also pursue a professional degree in social work, law or the health professions.