Graduate Study

For Masters level students, the Gender and Sexuality Studies Certificate has 4 major components:

1. Three GNSE courses (cross-listed courses or equivalent pre-approved non-cross listed courses);
2. A thesis (if a thesis is required for graduation) or research paper with a substantial gender/sexuality component; and
3. Attendance at a minimum of 6 Gender and Sexuality Studies Workshops  and/or Working Groups. Any combination of the two will work as long as there are 6 total. Sign up to receive papers in advance here.
4. A short presentation of your research (5-7 minutes) at the annual Gender and Sexuality Studies Graduate Student Symposium, which is held at the end of the Spring quarter.  This symposium is an opportunity for you to practice communicating your research in a concise and compelling manner to scholars outside of your discipline – a difficult skill that requires rehearsal. You will then receive feedback on your presentation from a CSGS affiliated faculty member.  If you are graduating during the summer term, you are required to present your work (in-progress) at the May symposium. Note: If you present at the Gender and Sexuality Studies Workshop and receive feedback from a faculty member on your presentation, you may submit this faculty feedback in lieu of presenting at the symposium.

All courses must be taken for a “quality grade,” i.e., not an R or a P.

For PhD and JSD students, the Gender and Sexuality Studies Certificate has 5 major components:

1. A graduate-level foundation course in gender and sexuality theory. Approved courses for 2025-26 are listed below.
2. Three additional GNSE courses (cross-listed courses or equivalent pre-approved non-cross listed courses);
3. A major research paper with a substantial gender/sexuality component; and
4. Attendance at a minimum of 6 Gender and Sexuality Studies Workshops  and/or Working Groups. Any combination of the two will work as long as there are 6 total. Sign up to receive papers in advance here.
5. A short presentation of your research (5-7 minutes) at the annual Gender and Sexuality Studies Graduate Student Symposium, which is held at the end of the Spring quarter.  This symposium is an opportunity for you to practice communicating your research in a concise and compelling manner to scholars outside of your discipline – a difficult skill that requires rehearsal. You will then receive feedback on your presentation from a CSGS affiliated faculty member.  If you are graduating during the summer term, you are required to present your work (in-progress) at the May symposium. Note: If you present at the Gender and Sexuality Studies Workshop and receive feedback from a faculty member on your presentation, you may submit this faculty feedback in lieu of presenting at the symposium.

All courses must be taken for a “quality grade,” i.e., not an R or a P.

2026-27 Approved Foundations Courses for PhD Students

• GNSE 30169 Sex, Money, and Power: Ethnography and Social Theories (Winter 2027)

• GNSE 31400 Advanced Theories of Gender and Sexuality (Winter 2027)
• GNSE 40450 In a Queer Time and Place (Winter 2027)
• GNSE 36855 Queer Theory (Spring 2027)
• GNSE 43195 Queer Transnationalism (Spring 2027)

Foundations Course Archive

• GNSE 30104 Queer Theology and Queer of Color Critique
• GNSE 30106 Capitalism, Gender and Intimate Life
• GNSE 30108 Feminist Political Philosophy
• GNSE 30119 Language, Gender and Sexuality
• GNSE 30152 Indigenous Feminisms
• GNSE 30555 Gender and Sexuality in the Middle East
• GNSE 31400 Advanced Theories of Gender and Sexuality
• GNSE 31405 Queer Theory and Queer Practice
• GNSE 31562 Third World Women’s Writings
• GNSE 32103 Feminisms and Anthropology
• GNSE 32670 Queer Performance
• GNSE 33501 Gender, Sex, and Empire
• GNSE 34554 Mysticism and Modernity
• GNSE 35550 Feminist and Queer Literary Criticism
• GNSE 36855 Queer Theory
• GNSE 38775 Racial Melancholia
• GNSE 40102 Womanist Theology: 1st Generation
• GNSE 40450 In a Queer Time and Place
• GNSE 42001 Feminist Theory and Theology
• GNSE 41500 Bodies of Transformation
• GNSE 42911 Gender and Sexuality in South Asian Religions
• GNSE 44905 Feminism and the Radical Democratic Imaginary: Futures Past
• GNSE 44906 Feminism and the Radical Democratic Imaginary, Part II
• GNSE 45112 Anthropology of the Body
• GNSE 45114 Structural-isms
• GNSE 45150 The Gender of Modernity
• GNSE 45804 Feminists Read the Greeks
• GNSE 46104 Ecstasy
• GNSE 47702 Queer Modernism
• GNSE 51000 Narrative in Crip and Queer Times
• GNSE 52802 Politics of Intimacy
• GNSE 53580 Debates and New Directions in Black Feminisms
• GNSE 54104 On Man: Sociogenesis and Subjectivation
• GNSE 55403 Transfeminism
• SSAD 40405 Relational Cultural Theory and Feminist Theories (For Crown students only)
• SSAD 44712 Queer Theory in Social Work Practice (For Crown students only)

Students enrolled in University of Chicago Master of Arts Program in the Humanities (MAPH) who would like to concentrate their studies in gender and sexuality can opt for the MAPH Gender and Sexuality Specialization, which is administered through MAPH (not the Center for the Study of Gender and Sexuality certificate program).  Please contact MAPH to pursue this specialization, which has the following requirements:

1. Coursework
   • The MAPH Core Course
   • Three Gender and Sexuality Studies courses, one of which is strongly preferred to be GNSE 21400 Advanced Theories in Gender and Sexuality or another approved theories course. All specialization courses must be taken for a “quality grade,” i.e., not an R or a P. Other approved courses for 2026-27 are:
     • GNSE 40450 In a Queer Time and Place (Winter 2026)
     • GNSE 36855 Queer Theory (Spring 2027)
2. Research
   • An MA thesis in gender and/or sexuality studies under the supervision of a GSS-affiliated faculty member

For more information please see https://maph.uchicago.edu/study/areas-study/gender-and-sexuality-studies.

What is the Graduate Student Symposium in Gender and Sexuality Studies?

The Symposium is a friendly and supportive environment for graduating MA and PhD students to practice sharing their research in a concise and compelling manner to scholars outside of their discipline (faculty and grad students). A moderator will introduce each presenter and provide time alerts to help keep each presentation to 7-10 minutes.  Students are encouraged (not required) to use a PowerPoint slideshow to clarify key points.  After presenting, students receiving the certificate will receive written feedback from a CSGS-affiliated faculty member, and the requirement will be considered complete.

Who will present at the symposium?

All graduating MA and PHD students who would like to earn a Graduate Certificate in Gender and Sexuality Studies must present at the symposium before graduating. Note: If you present at the Gender and Sexuality Studies Workshop and receive feedback from a faculty member on your presentation, you may submit faculty feedback in lieu of presenting at the symposium. Please contact redtremm@uchicago.edu for the faculty feedback form that can be used to evaluate your workshop presentation.

If I present/ed at the Gender and Sexuality Studies Workshop, must I also present at the symposium?

If you present at the Gender and Sexuality Studies Workshop and receive feedback from a faculty member on your presentation, you may submit this faculty feedback in lieu of presenting at the symposium. Please contact redtremm@uchicago.edu for the faculty feedback form that can be used to evaluate your workshop presentation.

When is the symposium?

The symposium is held on two days during Week 9 of Spring Quarter. Presenters do NOT have to attend both days of the symposium; you may indicate which day you prefer to present when you reserve your slot. This year, students may present on Wednesday, May 19 or Thursday, May 20, 2027 at 5pm.

How do I reserve a spot to present at the symposium?

When you are well on your way to completing your requirements, you may fill out this formLinks to an external site. to reserve your spot at the symposium. The deadline for reserving a slot is May 1, 2027.

I am not graduating until the Summer, must I present at the end of Spring quarter?

Yes, if you are graduating in the Summer, you will present your work-in-progress at the end of the Spring quarter.

Where will the symposium be held?

The symposium will be held at the Center for the Study of Gender and Sexuality Studies, 5733 S. University, 1st floor community room.

How long should my presentation be?

7-10 minutes

Do I need a slideshow?

Research has demonstrated that when slideshows are used effectively during presentations, audience comprehension and retention is significantly higher. As such students are encouraged (not required) to create and submit a PowerPoint slideshow prior to giving the presention. 

How to prepare? Key considerations.

It is important to keep in mind that this presentation is not graded. It is an opportunity to build a skill, practice articulating your work beyond your discipline, and receive feedback.  Allocate your prep time accordingly.  In terms of feedback, these are key points that faculty will likely consider when evaluating the effectiveness of your presentation. You may find it useful to read through these before and after you craft your presentation.

• Research Question or Thesis
  Was the student's research question clear and well-defined?
• Context and Significance
  Did the student provide contextualizing remarks about how their work fits into a broader conversation? Did they help the audience understand the relevance and stakes of their research--the “So what?” question.
• Interpretation and Analysis
  Did the student move beyond a summary of their findings to share their unique analysis and insights? Is it clear that the student is offering an original idea, intervention, or synthesis?
• Evidence & Research Methodologies
  Did the student point out relevant sources, data and/or methodologies from which they developed their thesis? Did they communicate this in a manner that gave you confidence about their findings/arguments?
• Organization & Structure
  Was the presentation logically organized (introduction, body, conclusion)? Did the flow help the audience follow the argument or findings?
• Timeliness
  When giving the presentation, did the student stay within the time parameters while still communicating depth, complexity, and nuance?
• Volume and Pacing
  Was the student attuned to the audio needs of their audience? Did they consider how their volume and pace effects comprehension?
• Visual Clarity
  If visual aids were used, such as slides, were they thoughtfully designed to bring focus to key information and increase audience comprehension? Was text used sparingly to avoid clutter? Were images curated with an intention to increase audience comprehension? Did they reinforce, clarify, or give nuance to a point; bring a concept to life or give it more depth; transport us to a time, affect, or location, etc., providing greater clarity and a sharpened understanding of complexity?
• Engagement with Audience
  Did the student establish and nurture a connection to the audience throughout the presentation? For instance, did they make eye contact or find other means of relating? Did the student maintain interest and/or enthusiasm for their own work throughout the presentation? If so, how? Did they handle questions thoughtfully (if applicable)?

Professor Red Vaughan Tremmel

Email
The best way to reach me is via email. If your issue is pressing, please write "Urgent" or "Time Sensitive" in the subject line and I will respond as soon as I am possibly able. For non-emergencies, please allow 24 hours for a response. 

Office Hours

In advance of our meeting, you must reserve appointment slots in increments of 10 minutes; reserve as many slots as you think you might need. If you have classes or work during my office hours, no problem; just email me and let me know 2 other times that would work better for you and I will set up an alternative date/time for us to meet.  Feel free to sign up to meet with me for an informal chat whenever you think it may be useful.

Location

Depending on the quarter or week, we will meet on Zoom or in person at my office at 5733 S. University, Room 305. You will find out the location when you reserve an appointment.