Gender and Social Justice

Advocate for gender equality, social justice, and positive change.

Explore the ways society is shaped by gender. Be an advocate for equity, justice, and positive change. Learn the important role gender and sex play in all aspects of life. Over the course of your degree, you’ll develop a deep expertise in issues of gender, diversity, equality, and social justice.

You’ll be joining a highly-engaged group of students who are active members of their student society, department, and university as well as the student-led Women’s Centre, The Glow Centre for Sexual and Gender Diversity, and the surrounding community.

Join a global movement

Waterloo is the only Canadian university invited to join the United Nations’ HeForShe IMPACT 10x10x10 framework to advance gender equity.

Get serious work experience

You’ll also have the option to gain real-world job experience, with paid co-op experience available through the Honours Arts and Business program.

 

About the program (formerly Women's Studies)

briefcase Available as a co-op and regular program

Arrow pointing up and clickingApply via Honours Arts or Honours Arts and Business

Graduation cap Earn a Bachelor of Arts in Gender and Social Justice

icon of the globeInternational exchanges in 25 countries

icon of network of peopleOffered by the Faculty of Arts

icon of open bookAvailable as a major and minor

 

Admissions

First-year courses

September to December

GSJ 101 - Introduction to Gender and Social Justice: the Global North
Arts First requirement 1*
3 additional courses

January to April

Choose 2 from:
 • GSJ 102 - Introduction to Gender and Social Justice: the Global South
 • GSJ 201 - Gender and Social Justice in Popular Culture
 • GSJ 207 - Entrepreneurship, Gender and Social Justice
Arts First requirement 2*
2 additional courses

 
*The Arts First requirement consists of 2 first-year courses that are capped at 25 students: ARTS 130 - Inquiry and Communication and ARTS 140 - Information and Analysis. Instead of listening to a lecture and trying to capture notes, Arts First courses will have you and your classmates working together to respond to a challenge posed by the instructor.

After first year

40% of the classes you’ll take will be Gender and Social Justice courses. With your remaining classes, you can choose electives from many of the 100 subject areas at Waterloo.

Sample upper-year courses 

GSJ 262 - Global Queer Cinema
GSJ 307 - Race and Resistance
GSJ 347 - Witches, Wives, and Whore
GSJ 430 - Literary Women in Early Modern Hispanic Culture

 

Customize your degree​

You can also add additional areas of interest and expertise by including a minor (or minors) as part of your degree.

Gain relevant work experience through co-op

By studying Gender and Social Justice through Honours Arts and Business (co-op), you'll alternate school terms and paid co-op work terms, exploring new career areas and types of employers as your career interests evolve.

Sample co-op job titles

  • Real estate marketing assistant
  • Digital marketing intern
  • Teaching assistant
  • Customer success lead

Sample co-op employers

  • Taplytics
  • Closing Folders Inc.
  • CIR Realty
  • University of Waterloo

What can you do with a degree in Gender and Social Justice?

Upon graduating, you'll be primed for a career in law, social policy planning, community action, counselling, teaching, human rights, or many other fields. Or take your studies further and pursue a master's program in a variety of areas.

Recent graduates

  • Counselling Co-ordinator - Planned Parenthood
  • Social Worker - Elizabeth Fry Society
  • Teacher - Grand River

Learn more about Gender and Social Justice