The Center for Women’s and Gender Studies is a unique interdisciplinary program that offers courses, degrees and organized events each year. The focus of the program is on understanding women’s experiences from a variety of perspectives as well as the role that gender plays in shaping society. Started by a handful of faculty and students in 1979, CWGS now has over two hundred faculty affiliates from fourteen different schools and colleges who contribute to our programs. Among them are several award-winning teachers and nationally recognized scholars. Our faculty teach many bright and gifted students, who go on to become political leaders, legal advocates, socially oriented writers, teachers, and artists, as well as scientists and engineers dedicated to addressing the problems faced by women, men, and families.
The central mission of CWGS is to further knowledge and understanding of the role of gender and the experience of women in our society. Every year the Center for Women's and Gender Studies brings together scholars and researchers trained in different methodologies and disciplinary traditions around a common theme.
For the 2008-09 academic year, the annual theme will be Global Feminisms.
Read more about our annual theme...
Download our Annual Theme Events Poster (PDF, 3.8MB)
Current News
WGS and Information School Dual MA Degree Officially Approved
The graduate dean and provost have approved the proposal for a dual degree for an MA in Women's and Gender Studies and an MS in Information Studies!
It will be available starting Fall 2007 and should be listed in the 2007-2009 version of the Graduate Catalog in both print and online versions.
Dual MA requirements 
People Spotlight
Asha Dane'el
B.A. in Women's and Gender Studies, 2008
I was born and raised in El Paso, Texas at the U.S.-Mexico international border. I consider West Texas different from the other parts of Texas; some would even say it's part of New Mexico. But I am a proud Texan and a border resident. I loved living in El Paso, though I knew I wanted to leave and go to a new city. I had been to UT Austin when I was in 10 years old and I knew it was a special place. I applied and was accepted as a Longhorn Scholar.
When I was a freshman, I wanted to take some of my core classes, but at the same time, there were so many other interesting classes to take! I ended up taking quite a few Women & Gender studies courses, because I had always been a feminist and wanted to explore feminism at more of an intellectual level. This was before WGS was even a major. Now I am one of the first two WGS majors at UT Austin! I was actually first hesitant to go to UT because they did not have a WGS major. Luckily, I looked past that and was able to see a budding women's community and opportunities I would have no where else. As I am thinking about graduation, I know my WGS major will complement my other major, social work, as well as my future career plans. It gave me a solid foundation to rest upon, and now I will take my education and values to succeed in whatever my future holds.
Rebecca Villarreal
B.A. in Women's and Gender Studies, 2008
I started out at UT as a Japanese Language and Culture major. I wasn't sure what I wanted to do at the time, and I was interested in Japan, but after taking a few courses that were cross-listed with Anthropology I decided I was more interested in culture in general. I think that most people spend at least part of their time in college exploring their identities in the context of the world as they discover it's a bigger place than they might have imagined it was in high school.
For me this exploration was a big deal because as a nerdy, queer, third-generation immigrant, punk-rock Chicana I've never really known where I belong or what I should aspire to be like. I switched my major to Anthropology in my second year and added on Women's and Gender studies as a minor because I wanted to learn more about the intersections of identities such as race, gender, sexuality, etc. When WGS became available as a major I added it on immediately. I feel that what I've learned has not only helped me to discover myself personally, bus has also allowed me to see the world through different lenses and to observe incredibly important things that many people take for granted. I'm proud to be among the first graduates from UT in such an exciting and important field, and I hope that more people will choose to pursue it.