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)
Available as a 
Apply via Honours Arts or Honours Arts and Business
Earn a Bachelor of Arts in Gender and Social Justice
International exchanges in 25 countries
Offered by the Faculty of Arts
Available as a major and minor
Admissions
- Apply to Honours Arts or Honours Arts and Business and choose Gender and Social Justice as your major at the end of first year.
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
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.
Customize your degree
You can also add additional areas of interest and expertise by including a minor (or minors) as part of your degree.
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
Careers
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.
- Counselling Co-ordinator, Planned Parenthood
- Social Worker, Elizabeth Fry Society
Learn more about Gender and Social Justice
- Email Samantha Wiebe, our Arts recruitment co-ordinator, who can answer any questions about Gender and Social Justice
- Related program: Sexuality, Marriage and Family Studies
