Program Overview

Program Overview

The Gender and Diversity Studies major at Xavier University is an interdisciplinary program that examines gender and diversity in their broadest, most inclusive sense. As a student in the GDST major, you will learn frameworks for analyzing the nature of diversity, including socioeconomic, political, psychological, and cultural experiences between and among individuals and groups defined by gender, race, sexual orientation, ethnicity, socioeconomic class, age, religious beliefs, and physical/mental abilities.

Curriculum

The curriculum for the Gender and Diversity Studies major is as follows:

• First Year:
  • Fall:
    • First Year Seminar OR Theology 111 (3cr.)
    • PHILOSOPHY 100 Introduction to Ethics (3cr.)
    • Historical Perspectives (3cr.)
    • Second language (3cr.)
    • CORE 101: GOA Co-Curriculum Program I (0cr.)
  • Spring:
    • Theology 111 OR First Year Seminar (3cr.)
    • ENGLISH 101 English Composition (3cr.)
    • Mathematical Perspectives (3cr.)
    • Second language II (3cr.)
    • Philosophy 200 Philosophical Perspectives (3cr.)
    • CORE 102: GOA Co-Curriculum Program II (0cr.)
• Sophomore:
  • Fall:
    • Intro to Gender and Diversity Studies (3cr.)
    • Diversity in American Context course (3cr.)
    • Scientific Perspectives (3cr.)
    • Writing Intensive Elective (3cr.)
    • E/RS elective (3cr.)
  • Spring:
    • Diversity in a Global Context (3cr.)
    • Natural Science Elective (3cr.)
    • Theological Perspectives (3cr.)
    • Creative Perspectives (3cr.)
    • General Elective (3cr.)
• Junior:
  • Fall:
    • Gender and Diversity Studies Intersectionality Course (3cr.)
    • Gender and Diversity Studies Elective (3cr.)
    • ENGLISH 205 Literature and Moral Imagination (3cr.)
    • Humanities Elective (3cr.)
    • General Elective (3cr.)
  • Spring:
    • Gender and Diversity Studies Theory Course (3cr.)
    • Gender and Diversity Studies Elective (3cr.)
    • Soc. Sci core Elective (3cr.)
    • Oral Communications Elective (3cr.)
    • General Elective (3cr.)
• Senior:
  • Fall:
    • Gender and Diversity Studies elective (3cr.)
    • Gender and Diversity Studies elective (3cr.)
    • Gender and diversity Studies 498 - Gender and Diversity Studies Capstone (3cr.)
    • General Elective (3cr.)
    • General Elective (3cr.)
  • Spring:
    • Gender and Diversity Studies elective (3cr.)
    • Gender and Diversity Studies elective (3cr.)
    • Gender and diversity Studies 498 - Gender and Diversity Studies Capstone (3cr.)
    • General Elective (3cr.)
    • General Elective (3cr.)

Sample Courses

The following are sample courses for the Gender and Diversity Studies major:

• Intro to Gender and Diversity Studies (SOCW 206)
• Race, Class, Gender & Media (COMM 323)
• Black Theology (THEO 322)
• Gender & Diversity in Film (ENGL 359)

Clubs

There are several clubs available for students in the Gender and Diversity Studies major, including:

• Citizens of the World
• LGBTQ Alliance Group
• ProudXU
• Xavier Inclusion Club

Related Programs

The following are related majors and minors:

• Related Majors:
  • BA in English
  • BS in Criminal Justice
  • BA in International Studies
  • BSBA in International Business
  • BA in Political Science
  • BS in Psychology
  • BS in Sociology
• Related Minors:
  • Africana Studies
  • Art History
  • Asian Studies
  • Catholicism and Culture
  • Criminal Justice
  • Deaf Studies
  • English
  • Gender and Diversity Studies
  • History
  • Jewish Studies
  • Latin American, Latinx, & Caribbean Studies
  • Political Thought
  • Political Science
  • Peace Studies
  • Psychology
  • Social Work
  • Sociology
  • Theology

Program Features

The Gender and Diversity Studies program at Xavier University offers several features, including:

• Building a unique career focus through an interdisciplinary curriculum
• Developing essential research skills through a year-long thesis project
• Education for the greater good, rooted in Jesuit principles of justice and solidarity
• Located in a city of opportunity, with service-learning, community engagement, and internship opportunities available

Faculty Spotlight

The program is led by faculty members such as ShaDawn Battle, PhD, who empowers students to become critical thinkers and public servants who understand and challenge systemic injustice.

About Xavier University

Xavier University is a private university located in Cincinnati, Ohio, providing a liberal arts education in the Jesuit Catholic tradition. The university is ranked among the top 10 master's-level universities in the Midwest by U.S. News & World Report and is named one of the "Best 385 Colleges in America" by The Princeton Review.