About the Program

Minor

The Department of Gender and Women’s Studies offers an innovative interdisciplinary undergraduate minor program in Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender (LGBT) Studies. LGBT Studies works to establish sexuality as a crucial category of analysis in the humanities and social sciences. It draws on disciplines such as anthropology, sociology, psychology, history, literature, and cultural studies in order to document the extent to which sexuality itself is a complex cultural and historical phenomenon that bears careful examination. Just as Women's Studies, for instance, is not only by, about, and for women, LGBT Studies is not only by, about, or for lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender people — it includes all humanity in its purview.

A large portion of the energy spent developing this field has been devoted to discovering (and recovering) the history, dynamics, and complexities of same-sex relationships. Both those relationships and their study have had to combat a variety of delegitimizing forces originating from numerous social locations. The study of same-sex relationships within LGBT Studies has intended to provide legitimacy to those kinds of relationships, to the communities of people organized around and involved in those relationships, and to the history of those people and those communities. In working toward this end, the field of LGBT Studies has necessarily worked to theorize the concept, practice, and history of sexuality itself. It has learned to examine the various ways intimacies and sexual experiences are constructed and perceived in different periods, cultures, and social classes. The field of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Studies both addresses the particularities of the modern forms of sexuality we call lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (forms of sexuality that have only recently been able to claim for themselves the right to serious academic study) and further addresses the phenomenon of sexuality itself in all its historical and cross-cultural diversity.

There is currently no major program in LGBT Studies. Students interested in pursuing studies in this field at the major level should consider the major in Gender and Women's Studies.

Declaring the Minor

All minors must be declared no later than one semester before a student's Expected Graduation Term (EGT).  To declare the minor, students must complete the LGBT Minor Worksheet once they have decided to minor in the program. After fulfilling all course requirements, students must complete a Completion of L & S Minor form and submit it to the GWS undergraduate adviser at 608 Social Sciences Building. 

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Minor Requirements

Students who have a strong interest in an area of study outside their major often decide to complete a minor program. These programs have set requirements.

General Guidelines

1. All minors must be declared before the first day of classes in your Expected Graduation Term (EGT). For summer graduates, minors must be declared prior to the first day of Summer Session A. 

2. All upper-division courses must be taken for a letter grade. 

3. A minimum of three of the upper-division courses taken to fulfill the minor requirements must be completed at UC Berkeley.

4. A minimum grade point average (GPA) of 2.0 is required in the upper-division courses to fulfill the minor requirements.

5. Courses used to fulfill the minor requirements may be applied toward the Seven-Course Breadth requirement, for Letters & Science students.

6. No more than one upper division course may be used to simultaneously fulfill requirements for a student's major and minor programs.

7. All minor requirements must be completed prior to the last day of finals during the semester in which the student plans to graduate. If students cannot finish all courses required for the minor by that time, they should see a College of Letters & Science adviser.

8. All minor requirements must be completed within the unit ceiling. (For further information regarding the unit ceiling, please see the College Requirements tab.)

Requirements

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SOCIOL 135 can be substituted, but only when LGBT 20AC is not offered.

Advising

The Department of Gender and Women’s Studies Undergraduate Advising office provides students with the following assistance to help guide them through the academic bureaucracy and hopefully ensure that they have a successful undergraduate experience at Berkeley:

• Counseling regarding their education and GWS courses.
• Declaring the major.
• Assessing their progress in the major.
• Administrative concerns (i.e., course enrollment, Add/Drops, L&S policy).
• Graduation.
• Major information, courses, independent studies, honors program, GWS student group.
• Graduate programs and career information and referrals.

The department strives to and is committed to providing a safe, inclusive environment for all students. Students are welcome, feel supported, respected, and valued, and receive the ultimate advising experience to ensure academic advancement through the program.

The Undergraduate Advisor's Office (UA) is located in 608 Social Sciences Building.  You can contact Eric Stanley, VP of Pedagogy at eric.stanley@berkeley.edu for further assistance regarding the major and minor programs.

Courses

Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Studies