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Interdisciplinary Studies in Sexuality (Major and Minor)

Why choose Interdisciplinary Studies in Sexuality?

Sexuality plays a large role in the way society organizes itself, shaping how we develop a sense of self and build relationships. In a world where our ideas about sexuality are being contested and transformed, an interdisciplinary academic approach anchors knowledge as you develop insight into the complex and sometimes contradictory understandings of sexuality across history and in diverse contexts today.

Areas of focus include the study of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, transsexual, intersex, queer, asexual, heterosexual, pansexual, monogamous, non-monogamous, and polyamourous lives, at the intersections of feminism, gender, race, class, politics, culture and more. Courses highlight Indigenous, Black, migrant, diasporic, transnational, decolonizing, postcolonial, disability, and other critical frameworks, and you’ll cross traditional disciplinary boundaries by engaging with sexuality in areas like art history, film, biology, religion, and sociology, to name just a few.

Montreal is a diverse city and through internships (available to students in the major program), you'll have the opportunity to gain first-hand experience with many different communities that shape the arts, public health, advocacy, and activism.

A Bachelor of Arts degree takes a minimum of three or four years (90 – 120 credits) of full-time study, depending on your academic background.

  • Major in Interdisciplinary Studies in Sexuality (42 credits)
  • Minor in Interdisciplinary Studies in Sexuality (27 credits)

Read more about interdisciplinary programs

Minimum cut-off averages and course requirements
Course requirements for admission

None. You must meet Concordia’s minimum admission requirements.

Minimum cut-off averages should be used as indicators. The cut-off data may change depending on the applicant pool. Applicants who meet the stated minimum requirements are not guaranteed admission to these programs.

We consider complete applications year round and we give priority to applicants who apply by official deadlines. Late applications will be considered if places are still available.

Fall term deadline:
Canadian citizen or
permanent resident
March 1
International Students February 1
Winter term deadline:
Canadian citizen or
permanent resident
November 1
International students September 1

We reserve the right to close admission to a program at any time after the official deadline without prior notice.

The Major/Minor in Interdisciplinary Studies in Sexuality - offered jointly by the Faculty of Fine Arts and the Faculty of Arts and Science - draws its curriculum from a variety of disciplines including anthropology, art history, cultural studies, film studies, fine arts, history, literature, philosophy, psychology, religion, sociology and women's studies. Its purpose is to investigate empirical, theoretical and creative aspects of sexuality.

  • Introduction to Theories of Sexuality
  • Sexuality Theory in Historical Perspectives
  • HIV/AIDS: Cultural, Social and Scientific Aspects of the Pandemic
  • Introduction to Sexuality Research
  • Queer Theory
  • Sexuality in Human Relations
  • Sexual Representation in Cinema
  • Seminar in Advanced Topics in Sexuality
  • Practicum

Consult the Undergraduate Calendar for a complete list of current courses.

The Interdisciplinary Studies in Sexuality program has been offered at Concordia since 1998 as a Minor, with the addition of the new Major in 2019.

History of sexuality curriculum at Concordia
  • 1985 The first lesbian studies curriculum is introduced at the world-renowned Simone de Beauvoir Institute.
  • 1989 First gay studies course on literature and film.
  • 1992 Concordia co-hosts La Ville en rose, 1st Quebec Lesbian and Gay Studies Conference, which brings together 1500 researchers from around the globe.
  • 1993 Concordia appoints a task force on gay and lesbian life.
  • 1994 Concordia inaugurates its highly acclaimed course on the AIDS pandemic.
  • 1998 The Minor starts up; international interdisciplinary “Sex on the Edge” conference at Concordia.
  • 2006 Concordia hosts “Hypervisibility: Homosexualities in Contemporary Francophone Cinemas” conference.
  • 2010 Concordia works to develop a Major in Interdisciplinary Studies in Sexuality.
  • 2017 Concordia hosts the first Queer Homecoming alumni event
  • 2018 First Annual Winter Pride/Fierté en Hiver
  • 2019 Concordia’s new Major in Interdisciplinary Studies in Sexuality is launched
 
Other links and resources
Library Resources

The program will open up career paths in the arts, culture, media, law, social justice, advocacy, education, health, public health, community development and community engagement, public affairs, and more.

All newly admitted students must meet with the Academic Advisor before they can register for courses. 

All students are welcome to consult with the advisor when needed. Advising is done by appointment. For new students, the session usually takes 30 minutes.

Contact the Academic Advisor for Interdisciplinary Studies in Sexuality.

Marlihan Lopez
(514) 848-2424 ext. 2373
Location: MU-202
email: sexualityadvising@concordia.ca  

The co-curricular life of the Institute is extremely important, and all members are expected to contribute to our activities.

Exciting opportunities are available to organize workshops, colloquia, and debates on subjects that interest the members, to participate in the Women's Studies Student Association (WSSA), as well as to collaborate with organizations outside the University on research projects and other joint ventures.

Students in the sexuality minor and major also have the opportunity to participate as student representatives to the Sexuality Studies Curriculum Committee.

  • Natalie Kouri-Towe (Chair)
  • Rachel Berger (Full-time Faculty Representative)
  • Karen Herland (CUPFA Representative)
  • Kate Burke (Student Representative)
  • Rhys McKay (Student Representative)
  • Eldad Tsabary (Faculty of Fine Arts Representative)
  • Marlihan Lopez (Undergraduate Program and Internship Coordinator)

  • Assistant Professor, Simone de Beauvoir Institute & Womens Studies
    Black feminist theory and praxis Queer of color critique Prison abolition Decolonization
  • Associate Professor, History
    Associate Dean, Academic Programs and Development, School of Graduate Studies
  • Professor, English
    Fellow, Simone de Beauvoir Institute & Womens Studies
    17th & 18thC literature & culture gender & sexuality feminisms intimacy & affect humour studies material culture drama/performance pedagogy
  • Professor, History
  • Professor, Religions and Cultures
    Women, Gender and Sexuality in Religious Studies; Queer Theory and Cultural Studies; History of Christianity; Early Christianity; Roman Empire
  • Associate Professor, Communication Studies
  • Associate Professor, Communication Studies
    Concordia University Research Chair
    Digital media, gender and sexuality, networked publics, digital research methods, social media, digital platforms and governance, science and technology studies, app studies, identity
  • Associate Professor, Applied Human Sciences
  • Professor, English
    Restoration & 18th century British literature / drama / the novel / literary criticism / 20th century American popular culture / media theory
  • Associate Professor, Sociology and Anthropology
    Risk, Surveillance, Privacy and Social Justice
  • English and Theatre Subject Librarian
  • Program and Practicum Director, Interdisciplinary Studies in Sexuality, Simone de Beauvoir Institute & Womens Studies
    Associate Professor, Simone de Beauvoir Institute & Womens Studies
    gender, race, sexuality, social movements, solidarity, transnational feminism, queer theory, masculinities, securitization, war, gender-based violence, refugees and migration, affect studies, digital media, gender & sexuality pedagogy and curriculum
  • Associate Professor, Sociology and Anthropology
    Self, Body, Gender, Sexuality, Popular Media, Cultural Theory
  • Professor, Communication Studies
    Canada Research Chair in Feminist Media Studies
    Director, Feminist Media Studio
    feminist media studies; contemporary art and activism; queer theory; migration studies; globalization; border theory; feminist STS; infrastructure studies; critical race studies; affect; research-creation; environmental humanities
  • Professor, Political Science
  • Associate Professor, Fibres & Material Practices, Studio Arts
  • Professor, History
  • Full Professor, Simone de Beauvoir Institute & Womens Studies
  • Professor, Education
  • Department Chair, Art History
    Professor, Art History
    Associate Editor, Journal of Design History
    Member, Centre for Sensory Studies
    Design History; Orientalism in Design & Art; Visual & Material Cultures of Masculinity; Modernism in Art, Design & Fashion; History of Interior Design; Fashion Studies; Gender & Sexuality; Psychoanalysis; Phenomenology; Body Studies & the Senses
  • Distinguished Professor Emerita, Simone de Beauvoir Institute & Womens Studies
    Feminist Cultural Studies of Health
  • Associate Professor, Applied Human Sciences
  • Associate Professor, Sociology and Anthropology
    Sociolegal Studies, Social and Political Theory, Constitutional Law, Aboriginal Law, Criminology
  • Provost and Vice-President, Academic
    Professor, Art History
    Visual and material cultures of Canada; history and theory of art institutions; theories of exhibition; historiography; women and museums; settler-colonial art history
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