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GSFS Course List

The  Gender, Sexuality, Feminist, and Social Justice Studies (GSFS) program  is a diverse and interdisciplinary program that recognizes social justice as a driving concept inherent to the study of gender, sexuality, and feminism. Social Justice frameworks incorporate critical race studies, disability studies, and Indigenous studies into the examination of gender, sexuality, and feminism.  

This is a complete list of all GSFS courses offered in the Gender, Sexuality, Feminist, and Social Justice Studies (GSFS) program. For more information about course requirements for the GSFS programs, visit the GSFS program requirements pages. The list of complementary courses offered in 2022-23 is now available.

GSFS 200. Feminist and Social Justice Studies.

Credits: 3
Offered by: Inst for Gender, Sex & Fem St (Faculty of Arts)
Terms offered: Summer 2025, Winter 2026
View offerings for Summer 2025 or Winter 2026 in Visual Schedule Builder.

Description

Introduction to the key concepts, issues, and modes of analysis in the interdisciplinary fields of feminist and social justice studies. Emphasis on the intersections of gender, race, class, sex, sexuality, and nation in systems of power from historical and contemporary perspectives and the means for collectively transforming them.
  • Restriction(s): Not open to students who have taken WMST 200.

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GSFS 250. Sexual and Gender Diversity Studies.

Credits: 3
Offered by: Inst for Gender, Sex & Fem St (Faculty of Arts)
Terms offered: Fall 2025
View offerings for Fall 2025 in Visual Schedule Builder.

Description

Introduction to the interdisciplinary fields of sexual and gender diversity studies from a range of theoretical, historical, and contemporary perspectives with an anti-oppressive and intersectional emphasis on marginalized identities, communities, practices and expressions.
  • Restriction(s): Not open to students who have taken SDST 250.

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GSFS 300. Research Inquiry in GSFS.

Credits: 3
Offered by: Inst for Gender, Sex & Fem St (Faculty of Arts)
Terms offered: Winter 2026
View offerings for Winter 2026 in Visual Schedule Builder.

Description

Practices and methods of research inquiry in Gender, Sexuality, Feminist, and Social Justice Studies with a particular emphasis on feminist epistemologies, research methodologies and methods in interdisciplinary contexts.
  • Prerequisite(s): GSFS 200 and GSFS 250
  • Restriction(s): Not open to students who have taken WMST 303.

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GSFS 301. Current Topics 1.

Credits: 3
Offered by: Inst for Gender, Sex & Fem St (Faculty of Arts)
Terms offered: Summer 2025
View offerings for Summer 2025 in Visual Schedule Builder.

Description

Consideration of contemporary issues in gender, sexuality, feminist, and social justice studies. Topic and approach will vary from year to year.
  • Prerequisite(s): GSFS 200 or GSFS 250
  • Restriction(s): Not open to students who have taken WMST 301 or WMST 302 with the same topic.

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GSFS 302. Current Topics 2.

Credits: 3
Offered by: Inst for Gender, Sex & Fem St (Faculty of Arts)
Terms offered: Winter 2026
View offerings for Winter 2026 in Visual Schedule Builder.

Description

Consideration of contemporary issues in gender, sexuality, feminist, and social justice studies. Topic and approach will vary from year to year.
  • Prerequisite(s): GSFS 200 or GSFS 250.
  • Restrictions(s): Not open to students who have taken WMST 301 or WMST 302 with the same topic.

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GSFS 303. Gender and Disability.

Credits: 3
Offered by: Inst for Gender, Sex & Fem St (Faculty of Arts)
This course is not offered this catalogue year.

Description

Focus on critical theories of impairment and visions of social justice from gender and disability studies perspectives.
  • Prerequisite(s): GSFS 200 OR GSFS 250
  • Restriction(s): Not open to students who have taken WMST 302 when topic was “Gender and Disability”.

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GSFS 304. Postcolonial Feminist Theories.

Credits: 3
Offered by: Inst for Gender, Sex & Fem St (Faculty of Arts)
Terms offered: Fall 2025
View offerings for Fall 2025 in Visual Schedule Builder.

Description

Critically examines bodies of postcolonial feminist theories from a variety of cross-disciplinary and transnational perspectives.
  • Prerequisite(s): GSFS 200 OR GSFS 250
  • Restriction(s): Not open to students who have taken WMST 401 when topic was “Women and the State in India: Colonial and Postcolonial Perspectives”.

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GSFS 305. Critical Race and Social Justice Theories.

Credits: 3
Offered by: Inst for Gender, Sex & Fem St (Faculty of Arts)
This course is not offered this catalogue year.

Description

An examination of critical race feminisms and social justice theories in historical and contemporary perspectives, exploring how critical race, transnational, and indigenous feminist theorizing inform social justice, liberation struggles, and other activism.
  • Prerequisite(s):GSFS 200 OR GSFS 250
  • Restriction(s): Not open to students who have taken WMST 402 when topic was “Anti-Racism and Activism in Canada”, or WMST 301 when topic was “Women of Colour in Canada”.

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GSFS 306. Queer Theory.

Credits: 3
Offered by: Inst for Gender, Sex & Fem St (Faculty of Arts)
This course is not offered this catalogue year.

Description

Examines the emergence of queer theory in the context of major social movements and key bodies of theory such as women of color feminisms, poststructuralism, performativity, affect and psychoanalysis. Engages with contemporary queer critiques such as queer of colour, transnational, and Indigenous perspectives.

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GSFS 307. Indigenous Feminisms.

Credits: 3
Offered by: Inst for Gender, Sex & Fem St (Faculty of Arts)
Terms offered: Winter 2026
View offerings for Winter 2026 in Visual Schedule Builder.

Description

Explores Indigenous feminisms in historical and contemporary contexts, with a critical focus on the tensions between feminist and Indigenous epistemologies. The relationships between feminisms, settler-colonialism, nation-building, and Indigenous social justice struggles will be emphasized.
  • Prerequisite(s): GSFS 200 OR GSFS 250
  • Restriction(s): Not open to students who have taken WMST 302 in Winter 2014 when topic was “Indigenous Women of the North”.

Most students use Visual Schedule Builder (VSB) to organize their schedules. VSB helps you plan class schedules, travel time, and more.

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GSFS 308. Sex and Gender Minority Cultures.

Credits: 3
Offered by: Inst for Gender, Sex & Fem St (Faculty of Arts)
Terms offered: Fall 2025
View offerings for Fall 2025 in Visual Schedule Builder.

Description

Examination of cultural expression associated with non-normative and minoritarian gender, sex, and sexualities as shaped by local, regional, and global ideologies, economies, and social practices.
  • Prerequisite(s): GSFS 200 OR GSFS 250
  • Restriction(s): Not open to students who have taken WMST 301 when the topic was “Queer Cultures: Gendered Systems and Sexual Meanings in a Modern, Global World”.

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GSFS 400. Capstone: Engaging Fields of GSFS.

Credits: 3
Offered by: Inst for Gender, Sex & Fem St (Faculty of Arts)
Terms offered: Winter 2026
View offerings for Winter 2026 in Visual Schedule Builder.

Description

Examines the current state and debates within the interdisciplinary fields of Gender, Sexuality, Feminist, and Social Justice Studies. Emphasis will be placed on how students can situate their knowledge and scholarship within and beyond these fields.
  • Prerequisite(s): GSFS 200, GSFS 250 and GSFS 300
  • Restriction(s); Open only to students in the GSFS Major Concentration, Honours, or Joint Honours.
  • This course is only open to students in the Gender, Sexuality, Feminist, and Social Justice Studies (GSFS) Major Concentration, Joint Honours Component, and Honours. It is required for Major Concentration students in their final year of study, and optional but recommended for Joint Honours Component and Honours.

Most students use Visual Schedule Builder (VSB) to organize their schedules. VSB helps you plan class schedules, travel time, and more.

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GSFS 401. Special Topics 1.

Credits: 3
Offered by: Inst for Gender, Sex & Fem St (Faculty of Arts)
Terms offered: Winter 2026
View offerings for Winter 2026 in Visual Schedule Builder.

Description

Advanced seminar in selected themes and issues in gender, sexuality, feminist, and social justice studies. Topics and theoretical or disciplinary approach will vary from year to year.
  • Prerequisite(s): GSFS 200 or GSFS 250 and any GSFS 300 level course
  • Restrictions(s): Not open to students who have taken WMST 401 or WMST 402 with the same topic.
  • Note: Students are required to take the intro course(s) and one GSFS course at the 300 level before taking GSFS courses at the 400 level.

Most students use Visual Schedule Builder (VSB) to organize their schedules. VSB helps you plan class schedules, travel time, and more.

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GSFS 402. Special Topics 2.

Credits: 3
Offered by: Inst for Gender, Sex & Fem St (Faculty of Arts)
Terms offered: Fall 2025
View offerings for Fall 2025 in Visual Schedule Builder.

Description

Advanced seminar in selected themes and issues in gender, sexuality, feminist, and social justice studies. Topics and theoretical or disciplinary approach will vary from year to year.
  • Prerequisite(s): GSFS 200 or GSFS 250 and any GSFS 300 level course.
  • Restriction(s): Not open to students who have taken WMST 401 or WMST 402 with the same topic.
  • Note: Students are required to take the intro course(s) and one GSFS course at the 300 level before taking GSFS courses at the 400 level.

Most students use Visual Schedule Builder (VSB) to organize their schedules. VSB helps you plan class schedules, travel time, and more.

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GSFS 403. Feminisms and the Law.

Credits: 3
Offered by: Inst for Gender, Sex & Fem St (Faculty of Arts)
This course is not offered this catalogue year.

Description

Examines the relationship between feminisms and the law by drawing on feminist legal theory, feminist theories of jurisprudence, post coloniality, critical race epistemologies, and decolonizing methodologies for studying legal culture and law as a site of social struggles.
  • Prerequisite(s): GSFS 200 OR GSFS 250 and any GSFS 300 level course
  • Restriction(s): Not open to students who have taken WMST 501 when the topic was “Feminist Legal Theory”.
  • Students are required to take the intro course(s) and one GSFS course at the 300 level before taking GSFS courses at the 400 level.

Most students use Visual Schedule Builder (VSB) to organize their schedules. VSB helps you plan class schedules, travel time, and more.

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GSFS 404. Politics of Identity.

Credits: 3
Offered by: Inst for Gender, Sex & Fem St (Faculty of Arts)
This course is not offered this catalogue year.

Description

Examines the emergence of identity politics as a corrective to the erasures of gender, sexed, and raced differences in class-based struggles, and to feminist complicities with racism, heterosexism, colonialism, and transphobia. The course engages contemporary debates on identity politics and subjectivity formation, the psychic life of power, struggles for recognition, and solidarity politics.
  • Prerequisite(s): GSFS 200 OR GSFS 250 and any GSFS 300 level course
  • Restriction(s): Not open to students who have taken WMST 301 or WMST 402 as the topic Feminist Theories of Identity.
  • Students are required to take the intro course(s) and one GSFS course at the 300 level before taking GSFS courses at the 400 level.

Most students use Visual Schedule Builder (VSB) to organize their schedules. VSB helps you plan class schedules, travel time, and more.

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GSFS 405. Social Justice and Activism.

Credits: 3
Offered by: Inst for Gender, Sex & Fem St (Faculty of Arts)
Terms offered: Fall 2025
View offerings for Fall 2025 in Visual Schedule Builder.

Description

Develops frameworks for understanding the relationships between critical knowledge production, activism, and social justice. Emphasis on activist strategies, social change initiatives, and their underlying theories and methodologies. Explores the emergence of social justice frameworks in response to ongoing histories of colonization, imperialism, and alternative world making.
  • Prerequisite(s): GSFS 200 OR GSFS 250 and any GSFS 300 level course. Recommended GSFS 305.
  • Restriction(s):Not open to students who have taken WMST 401 when the topic was “The Women’s Movement in Canada”.
  • Students are required to take the intro course(s) and one GSFS course at the 300 level before taking GSFS courses at the 400 level.

Most students use Visual Schedule Builder (VSB) to organize their schedules. VSB helps you plan class schedules, travel time, and more.

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GSFS 406. Trans*Feminisms.

Credits: 3
Offered by: Inst for Gender, Sex & Fem St (Faculty of Arts)
Terms offered: Winter 2026
View offerings for Winter 2026 in Visual Schedule Builder.

Description

Contemporary debates in the field of trans*feminist studies, with an emphasis on the historical emergence of trans studies in relation to feminist and queer scholarship and activism. Consideration of the politics of sex/gender transformation vis-à-vis race-racism, sexuality, class, culture, nation, and social justice.
  • Prerequisite(s): GSFS 200 OR GSFS 250 and any GSFS 300 level course
  • Restriction(s): Not open to students who have taken WMST 401 when the topic was “Trans*Feminisms”.
  • Students are required to take the intro course(s) and one GSFS course at the 300 level before taking GSFS courses at the 400 level.

Most students use Visual Schedule Builder (VSB) to organize their schedules. VSB helps you plan class schedules, travel time, and more.

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GSFS 407. Sexuality and Gender: New Directions.

Credits: 3
Offered by: Inst for Gender, Sex & Fem St (Faculty of Arts)
This course is not offered this catalogue year.

Description

Examines the latest critical scholarship in sexual and gender diversity studies.
  • Prerequisite(s): GSFS 200 OR GSFS 250 and any GSFS 300 level course. Recommended GSFS 306
  • Restricion(s): Not open to students who have taken WMST 402 when the topic was “Advanced Theories of Sexuality”.
  • Students are required to take the intro course(s) and one GSFS course at the 300 level before taking GSFS courses at the 400 level.

Most students use Visual Schedule Builder (VSB) to organize their schedules. VSB helps you plan class schedules, travel time, and more.

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GSFS 450. Independent Reading and Research.

Credits: 3
Offered by: Inst for Gender, Sex & Fem St (Faculty of Arts)
Terms offered: Fall 2025, Winter 2026
View offerings for Fall 2025 or Winter 2026 in Visual Schedule Builder.

Description

Advanced reading course and independent research project under the supervision of an instructor on aspects of gender, sexuality, feminist, and social justice studies.
  • Prerequisite(s): GSFS 200 or GSFS 250 and any GSFS 300 level course.
  • Restriction(s): Open only to students registered in the Gender, Sexuality, Feminist, and Social Justice Studies programs. Chair and adviser approval required.
  • Note: Students are required to take the intro course(s) and one GSFS course at the 300 level before taking GSFS courses at the 400 level. Students can consult the IGSF Internships page at http://www.mcgill.ca/igsf/academic-resources/internships for current internship opportunities.

Most students use Visual Schedule Builder (VSB) to organize their schedules. VSB helps you plan class schedules, travel time, and more.

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GSFS 495D1. Honours/Joint Honours Colloquium.

Credits: 1.5
Offered by: Inst for Gender, Sex & Fem St (Faculty of Arts)
Terms offered: Fall 2025
View offerings for Fall 2025 in Visual Schedule Builder.

Description

Students will research, discuss, and present their thesis topics.
  • Prerequisite(s): GSFS 200, GSFS 250, GSFS 300.
  • Restriction(s): Not open to students who have taken WMST 495D1/D2. Only open to Honours/Joint Honours students in Gender, Sexuality, Feminist, and Social Justice Studies.
  • Note: GSFS Honours/Joint Honours Colloquium must be completed concurrently with either Honours Thesis or Joint Honours Thesis course in the students’ final year of study.
  • Students must register for both GSFS 495D1 and GSFS 495D2.
  • No credit will be given for this course unless both GSFS 495D1 and GSFS 495D2 are successfully completed in consecutive terms.

Most students use Visual Schedule Builder (VSB) to organize their schedules. VSB helps you plan class schedules, travel time, and more.

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GSFS 495D2. Honours/Joint Honours Colloquium.

Credits: 1.5
Offered by: Inst for Gender, Sex & Fem St (Faculty of Arts)
Terms offered: Winter 2026
View offerings for Winter 2026 in Visual Schedule Builder.

Description

Students will research, discuss, and present their thesis topics.
  • Prerequisite(s): GSFS 200, GSFS 250, GSFS 300.
  • Restriction(s): Not open to students who have taken WMST 495D1/D2. Only open to Honours/Joint Honours students in Gender, Sexuality, Feminist, and Social Justice Studies.
  • Note: GSFS Honours/Joint Honours Colloquium must be completed concurrently with either Honours Thesis or Joint Honours Thesis course in the students’ final year of study.
  • Students must register for both GSFS 495D1 and GSFS 495D2.
  • No credit will be given for this course unless both GSFS 495D1 and GSFS 495D2 are successfully completed in consecutive terms.

Most students use Visual Schedule Builder (VSB) to organize their schedules. VSB helps you plan class schedules, travel time, and more.

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GSFS 496D1. Honours Thesis.

Credits: 3
Offered by: Inst for Gender, Sex & Fem St (Faculty of Arts)
Terms offered: Fall 2025
View offerings for Fall 2025 in Visual Schedule Builder.

Description

Supervised reading and preparation of an Honours Thesis under the direction of a faculty supervisor.
  • Prerequisite(s): GSFS 200, GSFS 250, GSFS 300.
  • Restriction(s): Not open to students who have taken WMST 496D1/D2. Only open to Honours/Joint Honours students in Gender, Sexuality, Feminist, and Social Justice Studies.
  • Note: GSFS Honours Thesis course must be completed concurrently with GSFS Honours/Joint Honours Colloquium in students’ final year of study.
  • Students must register for both GSFS 496D1 and GSFS 496D2.
  • No credit will be given for this course unless both GSFS 496D1 and GSFS 496D2 are successfully completed in consecutive terms.

Most students use Visual Schedule Builder (VSB) to organize their schedules. VSB helps you plan class schedules, travel time, and more.

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GSFS 496D2. Honours Thesis.

Credits: 3
Offered by: Inst for Gender, Sex & Fem St (Faculty of Arts)
Terms offered: Winter 2026
View offerings for Winter 2026 in Visual Schedule Builder.

Description

Supervised reading and preparation of an Honours Thesis under the direction of a faculty supervisor.
  • Prerequisite(s): GSFS 200, GSFS 250, GSFS 300.
  • Restriction(s): Not open to students who have taken WMST 496D1/D2. Only open to Honours/Joint Honours students in Gender, Sexuality, Feminist, and Social Justice Studies.
  • Note: GSFS Honours Thesis course must be completed concurrently with GSFS Honours/Joint Honours Colloquium in students’ final year of study.
  • Students must register for both GSFS 496D1 and GSFS 496D2.
  • No credit will be given for this course unless both GSFS 496D1 and GSFS 496D2 are successfully completed in consecutive terms.

Most students use Visual Schedule Builder (VSB) to organize their schedules. VSB helps you plan class schedules, travel time, and more.

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GSFS 497D1. Joint Honours Thesis.

Credits: 1.5
Offered by: Inst for Gender, Sex & Fem St (Faculty of Arts)
Terms offered: Fall 2025
View offerings for Fall 2025 in Visual Schedule Builder.

Description

Supervised reading and preparation of a Joint Honours thesis under the direction of a faculty supervisor.
  • Prerequisite(s): GSFS 200, GSFS 250, GSFS 300.
  • Restriction(s): Not open to students who have taken WMST 497D1/D2. Only open to Honours/Joint Honours students in Gender, Sexuality, Feminist, and Social Justice Studies.
  • Note: GSFS Honours Thesis course must be completed concurrently with GSFS Honours/Joint Honours Colloquium in students’ final year of study.
  • Students must register for both GSFS 497D1 and GSFS 497D2.
  • No credit will be given for this course unless both GSFS 497D1 and GSFS 497D2 are successfully completed in consecutive terms.

Most students use Visual Schedule Builder (VSB) to organize their schedules. VSB helps you plan class schedules, travel time, and more.

Launch Visual Schedule Builder

GSFS 497D2. Joint Honours Thesis.

Credits: 1.5
Offered by: Inst for Gender, Sex & Fem St (Faculty of Arts)
Terms offered: Winter 2026
View offerings for Winter 2026 in Visual Schedule Builder.

Description

Supervised reading and preparation of a Joint Honours thesis under the direction of a faculty supervisor.
  • Prerequisite(s): GSFS 200, GSFS 250, GSFS 300.
  • Restriction(s): Not open to students who have taken WMST 497D1/D2. Only open to Honours/Joint Honours students in Gender, Sexuality, Feminist, and Social Justice Studies.
  • Note: GSFS Honours Thesis course must be completed concurrently with GSFS Honours/Joint Honours Colloquium in students’ final year of study.
  • Students must register for both GSFS 497D1 and GSFS 497D2.
  • No credit will be given for this course unless both GSFS 497D1 and GSFS 497D2 are successfully completed in consecutive terms.

Most students use Visual Schedule Builder (VSB) to organize their schedules. VSB helps you plan class schedules, travel time, and more.

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GSFS 499. GSFS Internship.

Credits: 3
Offered by: Inst for Gender, Sex & Fem St (Faculty of Arts)
Terms offered: Fall 2025, Winter 2026
View offerings for Fall 2025 or Winter 2026 in Visual Schedule Builder.

Description

Internship with an approved host institution or organization.
  • Prerequisite(s): GSFS 200 or GSFS 250 and any GSFS 300 level course.
  • Restriction(s): Open only to students registered in the Gender, Sexuality, Feminist, and Social Justice Studies programs. Chair and adviser approval required.
  • Note: Students are required to take the intro course(s) and one GSFS course at the 300 level before taking GSFS courses at the 400 level. Students can consult the IGSF Internships page at http://www.mcgill.ca/igsf/academic-resources/internships

Most students use Visual Schedule Builder (VSB) to organize their schedules. VSB helps you plan class schedules, travel time, and more.

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Note: Students must find their own faculty supervisor for GSFS 450, GSFS 496D1/D2, GSFS 497D1/D2 and GSFS 499. The faculty supervisor cannot be a course lecturer. Please see our list of potential supervisors. Please contact andrew.folco [at] mcgill.ca if you have questions about these or any other course.

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