Department of Race, Gender, & Sexuality Studies

Students in the Africana Studies program will…

• Content: Analyze major historical, political, social, economic, and cultural developments and institutions of people of African descent, including diverse communities of Black people in the United States and abroad.
• Knowledge of the Field: Demonstrate a broad understanding of the field, its intellectual and institutional history, its multidisciplinary / interdisciplinary nature, its core concepts and theoretical frameworks, as well as its body of literature and key historiographical debates.
• Analytical Framework: Identify the foundations and workings of racism, colonialism, classism, heteropatriarchy, and other systems of oppression, as well as the ability to effectively employ the theoretical concept of intersectionality.
• Skills & Methods: Demonstrate critical thinking and analysis, research, and writing skills, as well as evaluate and employ the field’s major methodological approaches and schools of thought.
• Relevance & Applicability in a Diverse World: Develop cultural competence and debate current sociopolitical issues and initiatives that are relevant to people of African descent.
• Global Citizenship & Community Engagement: Apply knowledge to research and develop solutions to challenge systemic oppressions and take action to create social change in local communities and the world at large.

At the successful completion of the program in Asian Studies, students will:

• Form a deeper understanding of the history, politics, and culture of East and Southeast Asia
• Gain experience in East and Southeast Asia through language training and Study Abroad experiences
• Understand the impact of global politics in the region

The Minor in Migration Studies has three main learning and professional outcomes:

• Thanks to the required “Introduction to Migration Studies” course and to the range of electives, we expect all students to walk away from the Minor with a solid foundation in the growing interdisciplinary field of migration studies. In addition to enhancing their global awareness, this program will cover key disciplinary and methodological approaches to migration and immigration.
• Because students will largely craft their own program of study, drawing from a rich and interdisciplinary array of courses, students will develop deep content knowledge in areas of interest to them. While one student may concentrate heavily on questions related to law, policy, and international relations, another student may graduate with insights about representations of the migratory experience in art and literature, as well as the ways local groups use the arts to elaborate upon their identities and strengthen communities.
• Finally, by formalizing experiential learning in partnership with our local communities, the Migration Minor will help prepare students for a variety of professions. Students will gain essential hands-on experience for future careers in nongovernmental organizations, legal services, ESL programs, healthcare service, cultural centers, community organizations, workers collectives, and more.

Upon graduation students with a B.A in Women’s and Gender Studies will have gained the following skills, knowledge, and abilities:

• Critical-Historical Awareness: Students will be adept at considering gender in diverse national and international contexts as a result of studying the multiple and contested meanings and roles of gender from a historical, a multidisciplinary, and a transnational perspective, and will have developed an understanding of how gender is related to other social categories such as race, ethnicity, social class, sexuality, religion, and nationality.
• Interdisciplinary Content: Students will have acquired theoretical, methodological, and empirical perspectives for studying and critically analyzing the history, status, and experiences of women from diverse backgrounds.
• Disciplinary Skills: Students will be skilled at integrating theory and practice and will be able to communicate effectively in both writing and speaking.
• Practical Skills: Through independent learning or internships, students will be prepared to enter the workplace, graduate programs, and community-based volunteer work with an understanding of social justice issues informed by interdisciplinary scholarship and perspectives.
• Leadership Skills: Students will continue in leadership roles that they have either begun or further developed while at Simmons.

By the time a student has completed the GCS program, they will have the following competencies.

Intellectual Engagement

• Clearly articulate the core concepts, main themes, relevant literatures, and central figures in the fields of intersectional feminist studies and critical race studies
• Evaluate, compare, and critique theories and methodologies of gender, race, sexuality, class, ability, and culture
• Situate current realities of gender, sexuality, race, ability, class, and culture within broader, intersectional, historical and geopolitical contexts
• Do graduate-level research, including articulating the main methodologies in students’ chosen fields and then applying those practices in their own work

Public Engagement

• Locate themselves in key debates within the fields of feminist studies and critical race studies, taking a stand on issues and problems and offering solutions
• Effectively communicate and publicize research-based, action-oriented inquiry
• Engage in respectful, informed dialogue in public settings

Professional Engagement

• Evidence in-depth understandings of a specific topic aligned with their future professional endeavors
• Creatively problem solve, and communicate those solutions to wider publics using various mediums (writing, speaking, podcasts, videos, performances, workshops)
• Produce convincing and directed articulations that illustrate the relationship between their master’s work and desired professional outcomes