Studies of Women, Gender, and Sexuality

Last Updated

July 01, 2026

Student Handbook
The student handbook details the regulations, rules, and procedures that apply to students, including department-specific requirements. Students are responsible for familiarizing themselves with the policies and following the procedures outlined. Harvard Griffin GSAS reserves the right to make changes to the Policies at any time without advance notice. These changes may affect such matters as tuition and other fees, degrees, and programs offered (including the modification or possible elimination of degrees and programs), degree and other academic requirements, academic policies, rules pertaining to student conduct and discipline, fields or areas of concentration, and other rules and regulations applicable to students.
- Student Handbook 2026–2027
Forms
Access the latest registration, financial aid, teaching, readmission, and dissertation forms here.
- Forms
Program Requirements
This section provides information about policies regarding transfers to different degree programs and rescinding admissions.
Academic Calendar
The Academic Calendar can also be found on the FAS Registrar's website or in calendar form on the Harvard Griffin GSAS website. When an official deadline falls on a holiday observed by the University, the effective deadline is the next business day.
- Academic Calendar
Degree Calendar
The degree calendar outlines deadlines for degree applications, dissertation submission, and degree recommendations.
- Degree Calendar

Aims

The secondary field in studies of women, gender, and sexuality (WGS) has two aims:

to help qualify students for employment relating to studies of women, gender, and sexuality
to support graduate students with WGS-related interests and help form productive and lasting scholarly communities.

Admission

The secondary field in WGS is open to all students enrolled in doctoral programs in Harvard’s graduate and professional schools.

To apply for the Secondary Field, graduate students should complete a plan of study form and make an appointment with the WGS Director of Graduate Studies (DGS). At this meeting, the DGS will review the student's plan of study and discuss options for completing the Secondary Field requirements.

WGS encourages students to declare their interest in the Secondary Field early in their doctoral program to ensure that they can fulfill all requirements in a timely manner.

Coursework

The secondary field requirements are four graduate-level courses in the studies of WGS, an article-length paper suitable for publication, and to serve one semester as a salaried teaching fellow in a course offered by WGS faculty.

Course 1 – Graduate Proseminar (WGS 2000)
Course 2 – WGS theory foundation course
- WGS 1210 (or a Graduate Consortium in Women’s Studies [GCWS] foundation course, or a course substitute preapproved by the DGS)
Courses 3 and 4 – Additional graduate courses
- Two additional graduate courses (or upper-level seminars) taught by members of the Committee on Degrees in the Studies of WGS (or other graduate courses in the field, as deemed appropriate by the WGS DGS in consultation with the student).
Article-length paper
- To demonstrate mastery in the field, students must compose an article-length paper of publishable quality that uses WGS frameworks (this may be a chapter of the dissertation).
Teaching
- Service as a salaried teaching fellow for one semester in a course offered by WGS faculty (or in another course pre-approved by the DGS).

These courses may be used to satisfy departmental requirements. For courses numbered below 2000 (primarily for undergraduates), graduate students must complete the designated graduate-level requirements.

Please consult the WGS website for a list of faculty who teach WGS courses and a list of pre-approved courses.

Courses offered by the inter-institutional Graduate Consortium in Women’s Studies may also be used to fulfill course requirements for the Secondary Field in studies of WGS.

Notes Regarding Requirements

All four graduate-level courses in the studies of WGS must be completed with a grade of B+ or above.
Students pursuing a secondary field in WGS receive preferential access to limited-enrollment courses.
Students may petition to have graduate courses from another department or program count toward the secondary field. Petition forms and instructions are available on the WGS website forms page. (Contact the WGS DGS with questions regarding courses that may require prior approval.)
The WGS website has a list of faculty who teach WGS courses and a list of pre-approved courses.
Courses offered by the inter-institutional Graduate Consortium in Women’s Studies (GCWS) may also be used to fulfill course requirements for the secondary field in studies of WGS.
Courses may count toward the secondary field and toward the course requirements for the PhD. For courses numbered below 2000 (primarily for undergraduates), graduate students must complete the designated graduate-level requirements.
Language courses taken on a satisfactory/unsatisfactory basis may not be used to fulfill secondary field requirements.
Generals reading courses may not be used to fulfill Secondary Field requirements.
Graduate students may not complete a Secondary Field in their own program and may only declare one secondary field.
Students are responsible for observing the Registrar’s deadlines for filing secondary field forms in order to receive institutional acknowledgment of their completion of a secondary field. Students should consult the Registrar’s calendar to determine the applicable deadlines.

Contact

Committee on Degrees in Studies of Women, Gender, and Sexuality (WGS)

Boylston Hall, Ground Floor
5 Harvard Yard
Cambridge, MA 02138

Phone: (617) 495-9199
Fax: (617) 496-9855
Email: wgs@fas.harvard.edu
Website: http://wgs.fas.harvard.edu

Students with specific questions about the secondary field should contact Professor Sarah Richardson, Director of Graduate Studies, at srichard@fas.harvard.edu.

Let us know your thoughts

Was This Helpful?

Yes

I found what I was looking for.

I couldn't find what I needed.

Events Calendar

Explore Events

View All Events View Academic Calendar