Department ofWomen's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies

Pathways to Impact

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Pathways to Impact

A Degree That Moves Communities Forward

A degree in Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies (WGSS) prepares students to analyze systems of power, understand diverse lived experiences, and apply research to real-world challenges.

Whether your goal is health care, law, education, public policy, nonprofit leadership, or community advocacy, WGSS strengthens your ability to lead with insight and impact.

Why Add WGSS?

A major or minor in WGSS develops the transferable skills needed to help people, build healthy communities, advance justice, and drive meaningful social change.

Students strengthen skills in:

  • Critical thinking and analytical reasoning
  • Written and oral communication
  • Research and evidence-based analysis
  • Leadership and social action
  • Cultural competency and interpersonal engagement
  • Problem-solving and ethical decision-making

These skills are highly valued by employers, graduate programs, and professional schools across industries.

A group of ten college students pose together in front of a Women's Legal Centre banner inside a law library in Cape Town, South Africa. Bookshelves filled with law volumes line the wall to the left. The banner describes the organization as an African feminist legal centre advancing women's rights and equality through litigation, advocacy, education, advice, research, and training.
Students visit the Women's Legal Centre in Cape Town, South Africa, an African feminist organization dedicated to advancing women's rights and equality through litigation, advocacy, and education.
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Explore by Interest

Interested in Supporting and Uplifting People?

WGSS explores gender, health disparities, and social justice. Students develop an understanding of how identity, policy, and systems affect individual wellbeing.

You will learn to

  • Address gender-specific health needs
  • Advocate for women’s and LGBTQ+ health rights
  • Promote equitable access to care
  • Analyze how healthcare systems impact marginalized communities

Popular Double Majors and Minors

  • Biobehavioral Health
  • Psychology
  • Nursing
  • Human Development and Family Studies
  • Premed or health-related pathways
Jenna Krick
’25
Women's Studies
|
Psychology
|
Diversity Studies certificate
As a Chaiken Scholar and Women’s Studies major marshal, Jenna connected advocacy with direct community support through her work with the Mid-State Literacy Council and Penn State Berks Benefitting THON. She plans to pursue graduate study in counseling and mental health care, with a focus on advancing equity in the field, reflecting how WGSS prepares students to support individuals and communities with empathy and purpose.
Jenna Krick
Carter Gangl
’23
Psychology
|
Women’s Studies minor
|
Sexuality and Gender Studies minor
As an at-large representative in the University Park Undergraduate Association, Carter led efforts to develop an identity-based campus resource map and expand gender-neutral bathroom signage to improve accessibility for LGBTQ+ students and other underrepresented groups. Through research and diversity-focused internship work, Carter demonstrates how WGSS prepares students to build more inclusive institutional spaces.
Carter Gangl is an at-large representative on the University Park Undergraduate Association. Credit: UPUA. All Rights Reserved.
Dana Cuomo
’15g
Geography
|
Women’s Studies
Dana partnered with a Penn State graduate student to visualize student-reported experiences of gender-based violence at Lafayette College. Using feminist geography and spatial analysis, the Harm Mapping Project informed institutional safety improvements and sparked campus-wide dialogue. Her work highlights how WGSS graduates use research and interdisciplinary methods to create more equitable environments.
Penn State alumna Dana Cuomo, left, and current geography graduate student Lily Houtman display one of the maps from their Harm Mapping Project, which visualizes student-reported experiences of gender-based harm at Lafayette College, where Cuomo is a faculty member.
Maggie Day
’25
Spanish
|
Education and Public Policy
|
Women’s Studies minor
Maggie founded the Reproductive Justice Project student organization, leading campus-wide efforts focused on bodily autonomy and community empowerment. Through education abroad and collaborative advocacy initiatives, she worked to advance equitable systems and policy change. Her leadership demonstrates how WGSS prepares students to strengthen communities through informed action.
Maggie Day

Interested in Creating Healthy Communities?

Students examine how public policy, research, and structural inequality influence community health.

You will learn to

  • Conduct research on health disparities
  • Develop policy solutions
  • Improve public health outcomes
  • Work across disciplines to build sustainable change

Popular Double Majors and Minors

  • Public Policy
  • Sociology
  • Community, Environment, and Development
  • Global and International Studies
  • Social Data Analytics

Interested in Advancing Justice?

WGSS centers intersectionality, feminist theory, and critical analysis of systems of power.

You will learn to

  • Advocate for gender equality
  • Shape policy that promotes justice
  • Analyze legal and political systems
  • Address systemic inequities

Popular Double Majors and Minors

  • Political Science
  • Criminology
  • Philosophy
  • African American Studies
  • Pre-law pathways
Stephanie A. Kobal
’04
Women’s Studies
|
Marketing
Stephanie is a shareholder and land use attorney who works on complex real estate development, zoning, and redevelopment projects across the Lehigh Valley. Recognized in 2025 as a GlobeSt. CRE Woman of Influence, she credits her women’s studies education with shaping the critical thinking and strategic perspective that guide her legal and community leadership.
Stephanie Koenig. Credit: Provided by Stephanie Koenig. All Rights Reserved.
Isabella Teti
’18
Women’s Studies
|
Political Science
Isabella combined scholarship and activism as a grassroots organizer and climate policy advocate. Mobilizing constituents to support bipartisan legislation and equity-focused reform, she translated academic insight into public policy impact. Her leadership reflects how WGSS prepares graduates to engage civic systems and advance justice at scale.
After graduation, Teti will be a campus organizer with the U.S. Public Interest Research Group at the University of Maryland, College Park. Credit: Chuck Fong. All Rights Reserved.
Clara Miller
’20
Women’s Studies
|
Plant Pathology minor
Clara distinguished herself through undergraduate research examining the surveillance of marginalized populations and leadership in feminist programming. She worked in disability support services while preparing for doctoral study, and she exemplifies how WGSS prepares graduates to advance equity through scholarship and institutional change.
After graduation, Clara Miller will work in disability support services while applying to graduate school. Credit: Chuck Fong. All Rights Reserved.
Noa Diggs
’26
Criminology
|
Women’s Studies minor
|
Social Justice in Education minor
Noa explores systemic inequities in law and public policy through global study and campus advocacy. From examining alternative drug policy approaches in Amsterdam to organizing initiatives focused on racial and gender equity, she is preparing for a future in public policy and law. Her experience reflects how WGSS equips students to analyze systems of power and pursue justice-driven reform.
Noa Diggs
Azniv Nalbandian
’19
Women’s Studies
|
Russian
Azniv combined academic excellence with athletic leadership as president and captain of the Penn State Women’s Rugby Club. After graduation, she pursued elite athletics while preparing for law school, demonstrating how WGSS empowers students to lead boldly and advocate for change in every arena.
Azniv Nalbandian
  • Read Azniv's Story
Katie Dallas
’26
English
|
Women’s Studies minor
Through a competitive internship with Nike, Katie contributed to equity-centered storytelling focused on diversity, youth empowerment, and social impact. Her experience illustrates how WGSS prepares students to shape narratives, amplify underrepresented voices, and influence institutional culture on a global scale.
Katie Dallas stands outside the Serena Williams Building at Nike World Headquarters in Beaverton, Oregon. Credit: Katie Dallas. All Rights Reserved.
Emily Cotrufello
’25
English
|
International Politics
|
Women’s Studies minor
Emily connected activism and service through leadership in Days for Girls at Penn State, advancing menstrual health advocacy and building community partnerships. Combined with her global study experience, her work reflects how WGSS empowers students to turn passion into action and lead meaningful change.
Emily Cotrufello

Interested in Enacting Social Change?

Students study activism, social movements, and strategies for inclusive leadership. 

You will learn to

  • Challenge inequitable systems
  • Organize and mobilize communities
  • Communicate across differences
  • Lead institutional and societal change

Popular Double Majors and Minors

  • Communications
  • Education
  • Labor and Human Resources
  • International Politics
  • Organizational Leadership

Out-of-Classroom Opportunities

WGSS students gain hands-on experience in organizations focused on advocacy, public policy, health care, education, and social services.

Students have interned with:

  • Local and national nonprofit organizations
  • Gender equity and domestic violence prevention agencies
  • Reproductive health and healthcare organizations
  • Legal aid and public defender offices
  • Government and policy offices
  • Community education and youth programs

Through internships, students build professional skills in:

  • Policy research and analysis
  • Community outreach
  • Program development
  • Advocacy and organizing
  • Grant writing and communications

WGSS courses connect global perspectives on gender, identity, and justice.

Students can:

  • Study gender and social movements internationally
  • Examine global health and reproductive rights
  • Explore human rights and international policy
  • Compare feminist movements across cultures

Education abroad experiences deepen students’ understanding of how gender intersects with culture, politics, and economic systems worldwide.

Popular destinations for WGSS students:

  • Austria
  • United Kingdom

Students in WGSS have opportunities to conduct independent and collaborative research.

Research topics may include:

  • Gender and public policy
  • LGBTQ+ studies
  • Health disparities
  • Labor and economic justice
  • Media representation
  • Intersectionality and identity

Students can:

  • Work with faculty mentors
  • Present at undergraduate research exhibitions
  • Contribute to policy briefs
  • Pursue honors theses

Research experience strengthens preparation for graduate school, law school, and policy careers.

Career Paths

  • Law school
  • Graduate school to study homeland security, forensic psychology, library and information science, social work, or women’s, gender, and sexuality studies
  • Public Relations Consultant
  • Business Operations Manager
  • Community Researcher
  • Assurance Manger
  • Editor
  • Professor
  • Data Analyst
  • Project Manager
  • Communications
  • Consulting
  • Management
  • Non-Profit
  • Risk Analysis
  • Social Service
  • Deloitte
  • UNICEF
  • UMPC
  • Chief
  • Merck
  • U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs
  • Salesforce
  • Elsevier
  • Universities