Women's and Gender Studies

 

Women's and Gender Studies Program Scholarship Award Ceremony event on March 5th, 2025.

The Women's and Gender Studies Program (WGSP) offers courses about women and gender for all students. The program is designed to explore the experiences and cultural contributions of women and those in the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender (LGBT) community as well as examine the societal implications of gender. Informed by feminist, gender, and sexuality theory, the courses in the WGSP challenge false assumptions and theories about women, gender, sexuality, race, and class; encourage rigorous critical thinking; raise issues of gender bias and the subjective nature of knowledge; support students' development as individuals and as participating members of their larger communities; and expand options for all beyond traditional gender roles. These writing-intensive courses help students consider the differences gender and sexuality make-in family relationships, friendships, education, and work. These classes are comfortable settings for delving into scholarship and theory.

In addition to the interdisciplinary introductory courses on women's, gender, and LGBT studies, courses in the program include women's history, philosophy, literature, sociology, psychology, physical education, and health. Honors modules are available for some classes. Opportunities to pursue independent study projects are also available. Service learning and Honors internships opportunities are frequently offered. Most courses fulfill General Education requirements in the humanities or behavioral and social sciences distribution areas as well as the College's multicultural requirement.

A certificate in women's and gender studies can be earned by students who complete 12 or more credits in courses approved by the WGSP. These courses must include WMST 101, Introduction to Women's Studies. The WGSP also features speakers, seminars, and other programs, including active women's and gender studies student clubs. Student awards and scholarships are presented annually.

For more information at the Germantown Campus, please visit the office at 186 Humanities and Social Sciences Building; for more information at the Takoma Park/Silver Spring Campus, please visit the office at 227 North Pavilion. The collegewide Women's and Gender Studies Program office, located in CC005 on the Rockville Campus, provides academic advising and materials and information on upcoming events.

Women's and Gender Studies Certificate

Learn more about program outcomes, required courses, transfer opportunities, and career information.

• Women's and Gender Studies Certificate

For working professionals and students, this badge (PDF, ) validates that the earner/student participant has demonstrated competencies in gender equity topics via critical analysis through a series of activities and written artifacts without significant course completion. Learn more.  

Upcoming Events

WGSP Student Empowerment Resource Fair and Enhancing Your Career with Women’s and Gender Studies Panel
Wednesday, September 30, 2026 at the Resource Fair: 10:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. Student Services Atrium (Rockville)

This student-focused resource fair brings together MC and community resources to empower students with the information they need to be successful at MC and beyond. This resource fair differs from others held on campus in that the entities included focus on intersectional aspects of personal, social, and academic engagement to increase a sense of belonging and inclusivity as well as empower students to advocate for themselves and seek allies and support.

Enhancing your Career with Women’s and Gender Studies:
Wednesday, September 30, 2026 from 2-3 p.m., TC 136 (Rockville)

Join us for a panel of working professionals across various fields discussing how a certificate or coursework in Women’s and Gender Studies can enhance employability and success on the job. Panelists come from non-profit, education, legal, activism, and local government organizations.
Contact: Leah.Sneider@montgomerycollege.edu or Shweta.Sen@montgomerycollege.edu 

More Than Karens: GenX Women's Activism
Humanities Week October  28, 2026 (details TBD)

Generation X, those born between 1965-1980, is often thought of the forgotten generation, but even though they were getting less attention, women in this group made great strides in promoting women's rights and what would later be called intersectional activism. In this panel, we will talk with GenX women about how they have experienced gender inequality in their younger years and today, and what their hopes for the future are.  The panel discussed will be driven by questions from students.
Contact: Rachel.Sullivan@montgomerycollege.edu 

Glenstone: How Art, Architecture and Nature Create a State of Mind
Thursday, October 29, 2026 from 1:00 to 2:30 p.m. CF-101 (TPSS)

How can the power of art, the energy of architecture, and the restorative qualities of nature unite to create not only a place but a state of mind? Nora Severson Cafritz, the Senior Director of Collections at Glenstone Museum in Potomac, MD, who oversees Glenstone's 2,000-piece contemporary art collection and art program, will describe the vision of Glenstone's founders, Emily Wei Rales and Mitch Rales. Learn about this remarkable place that invites members of the public to experience a world-class collection of iconic modern art. Cafritz will also discuss one of the museum's current exhibitions, featuring the work of artist and activist Andrea Bowers, whose art embodies the values of collaboration and solidarity around the issues of ecology and bodily autonomy. Co-sponsored by Women's and Gender Studies Program.  
Contact: Heather.Satrom@montgomerycollege.edu 

Women Who Wrote Back-Three Feminist Voices from Colonial India.
Wednesday, November 11, 2026, from 11:15 a.m.-12:15 p.m., Room TBD (Rockville)

In the anthology Feminism: The Essential Historical Writings, Miriam Schneir claimed that “No feminist works emerged from behind the Hindu purdah or out of the Muslim harems; centuries of slavery do not provide a fertile soil for intellectual development or expression.” To challenge this claim, Professor Shweta Sen will examine excerpts from three pioneering works of feminist writing from nineteenth- and early twentieth-century colonial India: “Married Life” by Pandita Ramabai, a renowned Sanskrit woman scholar who wrote and published in multiple languages; “My Life” by Rassundari Devi, who was married off at the tender age of twelve and whose autobiography was an act of resistance against the oppressive social system; and “Sultana’s Dream” by Rokeya Sakhawat Hossain, a prominent Muslim feminist, writer, educator, and political activist who spoke out against purdah and the oppression of women in Bengal. Sponsored by Women’s and Gender Studies and History.
Contact: Shweta.Sen@montgomerycollege.edu 

Gender, Sexuality, Addiction and Recovery
November, the week of the 17th, 11 a.m.-1p.m. (details TBD)

Students share their stories of addiction and recovery and the roles of gender and sexuality in their journey.
Contact: Rachel.Sullivan@montgomerycollege.edu 

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