Post-Baccalaureate Certificate Program | Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies

Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies

Post-Baccalaureate Certificate Program

The interdisciplinary Post-Baccalaureate Certificate (PBC) in Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies enhances a graduate degree in disciplines as diverse as Nursing, History, English, Languages, Performing Arts, Communication Studies, Education, Sociology, Social Work, and Kinesiology.  It may also serve as a stand-alone certificate to augment the qualifications of currently employed teachers, public servants, business people, and others. Some students use the PBC as a springboard to a Master of Arts degree in Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies.

PBC students in WGSS who are in PhD programs in other departments may apply to teach WGSS undergraduate courses!

Our program comprises 18 credit hours, including 6 hours of required theory courses and 12 hours of courses approved for WGSS graduate study. Students may take 3 credit hours of independent study, as approved by the Graduate School and WGSS Director of Graduate Studies.  Students may pursue the WGSS certificate either full or part-time: it requires one year of full-time study (9 credit hours per semester) to complete.

The Post-Baccalaureate Certificate in Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies shares with our MA program the following student learning outcomes:

  1. Demonstrate interdisciplinary understanding of the ways that gender, race, culture, class, and sexuality function in society.
  2. Demonstrate understanding of power from historical, geopolitical, ethical, and psychological perspectives within global, national, and community contexts.
  3. Develop an understanding of Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies as an intellectual and activist, disciplinary and anti-disciplinary presence within the university, and within local, national, and international communities.
  4. Develop varied modes of inquiry informed by the relationship between theory and practice, knowledge and action.

Prospective students must apply to the Post-Baccalaureate Certificate program through the Graduate School’s online application system.  (Please see “Applying for the Post-Baccalaureate Certificate in WGSS.”)

Our application deadline is May 15 for Fall, and October 1 for Spring.

All application fees and supporting materials must be received by that date.

Questions? Contact Director of Graduate Studies for WGSS.