Certificate in Women’s and Gender Studies

Those applying to work on the certificate alone must be admitted to the Graduate School and submit an application form and letter of interest to the Department of Women’s and Gender Studies. Those applying to complete the certificate as well as a Master's degree in another program should consult with that graduate advisor as well.

The Certificate consists of 15 hours of graduate study from the courses listed below and others as approved by the Graduate Advisor. 

Required Seminars:
WGST 5860Seminar in Feminist Theory3
WGST 5900Seminar in Women's Studies3
WGST 6240Research and Methods in Women's and Gender Studies3
Select 6 hours of the following:6
Feminism and U.S. Film
Women, Gender & Disability
Queer and Sexuality Theories-WAC
Special Topics Gender
Directed Readings in Women's and Gender Studies
Independent Project in WGST
Other related courses with the approval of the WGST Department Chair
  • PLO The primary goal of the Certificate program is to offer a formal program of study for graduate students who seek to include Women’s and Gender Studies as a specific area of concentration in their graduate studies. Students will: 1. Examine the sociocultural, economic, and political significance and consequences of gender as a socially constructed category that intersects with other achieved and ascribed statuses such as race, class, ability, religion, etc. to shape the experiences and knowledge of individuals and communities as well as fields of study.
  • PLO 2. Develop foundational knowledge in diverse feminist and gender theories that re-conceptualize and recontextualize ideas, experiences, knowledge and knowledge production.
  • PLO 3. Explore interdisciplinary research, methodologies, praxis, activism, and ethics focused on issues and topics in the field of Women’s and Gender Studies.
  • PLO 4. Develop in-depth knowledge of the schools of feminist thought and praxis most significant to their own disciplinary pursuits.