Major and Certificates Advising Page: Gender & Women’s Studies and LGBTQ+ Studies
Study abroad offers Gender and Women’s Studies students a platform from which they can participate in gender studies in a different cultural context and from a new national perspective. While abroad, you will build a more complex understanding of the arenas in which gender plays a vital role, such as the arts, education, feminism, history, human rights, language, literature, media, medicine and public health, policy, and politics.
When you visit International Academic Programs in the Red Gym, speak with an Engagement Intern who has already studied abroad to learn more about the variety of experiences you can pursue and how modes of instruction differ across national educational settings. Many university communities abroad offer students important opportunities to get involved in local activism. UW–Madison also provides students with opportunities to pursue research, field work, and internships in gender studies and/or feminist work overseas.
Course considerations
As a study abroad participant, courses taken abroad often allow you to earn UW–Madison intermediate or advanced electives in the GWS major and in the GWS or LGBTQ+ Studies certificate programs. It is unlikely, though not impossible, that study abroad coursework will meet the Approaches or Issue Areas for the GWS major.
In many cases, your study abroad courses will already have an established UW–Madison equivalent. Occasionally, a course that you take abroad will need to be evaluated by the gender and women’s studies undergraduate advisor. The GWS advisor welcomes questions from students about how their study abroad courses will count for GWS and/or LGBTQ+ programs.
Keep in mind that even if a course does not have a direct GWS equivalent, it can still count as an elective for the GWS major or certificate programs
The Gender & Women’s Studies department has course numbers assigned for study abroad courses:
- GWS 319: Study Abroad Special Topics in the Humanities
- GWS 329: Study Abroad Special Topics in the Social Sciences.
Note: Gender & Women’s Studies major students must take the GWS 640 capstone at UW–Madison; GWS 640 is offered every fall and spring. Likewise, LGBTQ+ Studies certificate students must take the GWS 642 capstone on campus; GWS 642 is offered in spring only.
If you have questions while you are abroad, you can contact the gender & women’s studies advisor via email, Skype, or Google Hangouts. The department is happy to answer your questions about courses and how they might count for your GWS program requirements.
You will find more information about the gender & women’s studies degree requirements on the department website.
Map your experience as a
GWS student
Many study abroad programs offer students the opportunity for community engagement. If you are particularly interested in an internship or field experience abroad, consider UW–Madison’s International Internships Program and the Undergraduate Certificate in Global Health. Some of the study abroad programs listed below as great choices for GWS students also count for the Undergraduate Certificate in Global Health’s field experience requirement.
There are many options to consider as you plan when to study abroad. Students frequently study abroad during the fall or spring semesters of their sophomore or junior year. IAP offers great opportunities for first-year students, and summer presents lots of possibilities. You can also study abroad as a senior, but make sure that you are able to enroll in the courses you need for graduation and watch your Senior Residency Requirement. Courses taken on an IAP study abroad program do count as residence credit.
Your undergraduate advisor in GWS and your advisors with International Academic Programs can help you with questions about study abroad timing and graduation.
Ask questions
- What courses do I need to take to complete my major, certificate, and degree requirements?
- What elective courses would be appropriate to take abroad?
- Are there GWS or LGBTQ+ Studies courses that I must take on the UW–Madison campus?
- What programs have GWS students pursued during previous semesters?
- What classes can I take abroad?
- How can I prepare for different classroom expectations abroad?
- How and when do I enroll in courses for my study abroad program?
- When will I know the course equivalents for my study abroad program?
- What skills do careers related to my major require, and how might participating in a particular program help me gain those skills?
- When would be the best time to participate in a program based on my career goals?
- How will participating in a study abroad, study away, or international internship make me stand out?
- Why do I want to study abroad?
- How long do I want to study abroad for — a few weeks, a semester, a year?
- How does studying abroad fit into my academic, personal, and/or professional goals?
- What career skills or proficiencies will I strive to acquire or enhance on my program?
Discover programs that are right for you
The following are programs that may be of interest to you! Durations and courses vary and may count toward electives or degree requirements. If you do not have specific requirements, there’s more flexibility in program type and location.
In this section
These opportunities are not an exhaustive list of all programs.
Semester and academic year programs
Argentina
IFSA Argentina Study Abroad Programs (semester or summer)
With this consortium program in Buenos Aires, GWS students can pursue a concentration in Human Rights: Diversity, Minority and Gender Studies; courses taught in Spanish.
Australia
University of Sydney
Study with Australian students at the University of Sydney. Take courses like Gender, Security, and Human Rights, Gender and Politics in the Arab World, and Representing Race and Gender.
Chile
CIEE Liberal Arts Language Immersion in Santiago
Students choose courses from 3 different universities in Santiago and take courses alongside Chilean students. Consider options like Gender and Sexuality in Latin American Revolutions and Dictatorships or History and Gender: Representations of Women in the West; courses taught in Spanish.
Denmark
University of Copenhagen
Take gender studies courses alongside Danish students; courses are taught in English, but a course in the Danish language is recommended to help you more easily immerse yourself in all that Copenhagen has to offer.
England
- University of Bristol
Study gender in the context of literature, sociology, and policy on England’s Atlantic coast as part of a large, international academic community. - University of Westminster (semester or summer)
With four campuses in and around London, the University of Westminster offers GWS students the opportunity to take courses in gender and politics, literature, and journalism, as well as offering introductory gender studies courses.
France
UW in Paris (spring semester)
Study in Paris and take courses like Gender and Difference or Sexuality and Difference: the Unveiled Gender; courses taught in French.
Ghana
CIEE at the University of Ghana (semester or summer)
Study cultural conceptions of gender in the context of African Studies; consider the gendered consequences of development work on the African continent.
Hong Kong
Chinese University of Hong Kong (semester or summer)
CUHK brings together an international community of faculty and students. The Gender Studies department offers a robust course list, such as Sexuality and Culture, Understanding Masculinities and Social Change, and Gendered Migration in Transnational Asia. CUHK is a bilingual university; many courses are taught in English.
Ireland
IFSA University of Galway (summer or semester)
Many GWS students have studied abroad in Galway. Choose from an array of options in the Women’s Studies department.
Netherlands
- IES Amsterdam (semester or summer)
IES Amsterdam offers its own courses alongside enrollment through multiple local institutions, including the Universiteit van Amsterdam (UvA). It also offers a summer program focusing on Society, Culture, and Gender. - University of Amsterdam
Universiteit van Amsterdam (UvA) offers a number of courses in gender, sexuality & society within the Social Sciences faculty. UvA courses are taught in English. - Utrecht University
Utrecht University is a large research campus with many international students taking courses in English. In the Faculty of Humanities, students find courses like: Introduction to Gender Studies, Historiography of Feminist Ideas, Gender, Ethnicity and Religion, and Gender, Visuality and Technology; courses offered in English or Dutch.
Singapore
National University of Singapore
NUS offers a broad array of gender studies courses, including courses that focus on gender in the South Asian context, feminist theory, and sexuality studies.
South Africa
University of Cape Town
Study at South Africa’s oldest university in beautiful Cape Town. Check out numerous course offerings in the Gender Studies department.
South Korea
Ewha University
Ewha is a women’s college and is proud of its long history of women’s education. Every semester, Ewha offers a few GWS courses.
Spain
- WIP Universidad Complutense de Madrid
On the Complutense campus, take courses in the history of women and gender or women in Spanish literature; courses are taught in Spanish. - CIEE Advanced Liberal Arts & Sciences in Seville
Choose from courses like Anthropology of Sexuality, Women in Art: Visions of Difference & Equality, Women Writers in 20th Century Spain, and Women in American History; courses taught in Spanish.
Sweden
DIS – Study Abroad in Scandinavia (semester or summer)
DIS is a great platform for exploring Scandinavia. Semester students take a core group of courses that includes a faculty-led study tour. There are numerous gender studies courses offered. Students take courses in English with Americans from a variety of US colleges and universities.
Short-term programs
Argentina
IFSA Argentina Study Abroad Programs (semester or summer)
With this consortium program in Buenos Aires, GWS students can pursue a concentration in Human Rights: Diversity, Minority and Gender Studies; courses taught in Spanish.
England
University of Westminster (semester or summer)
With four campuses in and around London, the University of Westminster offers GWS students the opportunity to take courses in gender and politics, literature, and journalism, as well as offering introductory gender studies courses.
Ghana
CIEE at the University of Ghana (semester or summer)
Study cultural conceptions of gender in the context of African Studies; consider the gendered consequences of development work on the African continent.
Hong Kong
Chinese University of Hong Kong (semester or summer)
CUHK brings together an international community of faculty and students. The Gender Studies department offers a robust course list, such as Sexuality and Culture, Understanding Masculinities and Social Change, and Gendered Migration in Transnational Asia. CUHK is a bilingual university; many courses are taught in English.
Ireland
IFSA University of Galway (summer or semester)
Many GWS students have studied abroad in Galway. Choose from an array of options in the Women’s Studies department.
Netherlands
IES Amsterdam (semester or summer)
IES Amsterdam offers its own courses alongside enrollment through multiple local institutions, including the Universiteit van Amsterdam (UvA). It also offers a summer program focusing on Society, Culture, and Gender.
Norway
University of Oslo International Summer School (ISS) (summer)
Experience a summer of international education with 500 students from all over the world. This 6-week program includes courses such as Gender Equality in the Nordic Countries; courses taught in English.
Sweden
DIS – Study Abroad in Scandinavia (semester or summer)
DIS is a great platform for exploring Scandinavia. Semester students take a core group of courses that includes a faculty-led study tour. There are numerous gender studies courses offered. Students take courses in English with Americans from a variety of US colleges and universities.
International Internships
International internships allow you to apply your academic skills to the real world and gain valuable professional experience abroad while earning UW–Madison course credit.
As you consider your academic and professional goals for studying abroad, explore the different internship options, including UW Signature internships, internship-focused programs, part-time internships, or applying for credit for an external internship.
Check with your academic advisor to see if earning credit for your internship abroad can fulfill a major or certificate requirement.
Hear from students in your major
Explore student blogs and reflections to see how your peers have connected international experiences to their studies. Discover real stories about the skills, challenges, and professional insights gained through our programs.
Photo credit: Audrey Caitlin (Spain)
Want more information?
Dive deeper into how courses and credits work on our programs, or connect with an advisor to find the best fit for your goals.
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