Aimed at students enrolled in PhD, MA, and professional degree programs, the Graduate Certificate in Gender & Women’s Studies provides recipients with critical expertise that they can apply in a variety of fields. The requirement of two foundational courses offers grounding in the major concepts, theories, and methodological approaches related to women, gender, and/or sexuality. This foundation provides students with the necessary theoretical tools to research and teach about gender and its relationship with other socially meaningful categories such as class, race, ethnicity, disability, and sexuality in a variety of contexts. Taking an additional course further allows students to deepen their knowledge of women, gender and/or sexuality studies in a specific area or areas.
All Graduate Certificate students have the opportunity to tailor their study to areas related to their future career or research ambitions within and beyond the academy.
For more information, including steps to notify the department of certificate completion, please visit the GWS Graduate Programs website.
Admissions
All Graduate School students must utilize the Graduate Student Portal in MyUW to add, change, or discontinue any graduate/professional certificate. To apply to this certificate, log in to MyUW, click on Graduate Student Portal, and then click on Add/Change Programs. Select the information for the certificate for which you are applying. Professional students in the careers of Law, Medicine, Pharmacy, and Veterinary cannot add the certificate in the Graduate Student Portal, and should contact the program for more information.
Graduate students who have additional questions on the Gender and Women's Studies certificate at the graduate level should contact the Graduate Program Manager in the Department of Gender and Women's Studies.
Requirements
Grade Requirement
A 3.0 grade point average (GPA) is the minimum for courses satisfying requirements. All courses must be taken for a letter grade (no pass/fail courses).
Required Courses
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Core | ||
| GEN&WS 800 | Research Methods in Gender & Women's Studies | 3 |
| First Elective | ||
| Students must complete one of the following courses: | 3 | |
| Gender and Women's Studies: The Emergence and Transformation of a Field | ||
| Contemporary Theorizing in Gender and Women's Studies | ||
| Second Elective | ||
| Students must complete one of the following options: | 3 | |
Gender and Women's Studies (GEN&WS) course numbered 700 and above | ||
Gender and Women's Studies (GEN&WS) course numbered 300 and above with the "Grad 50%" designation | ||
| Total Credits | 9 | |
Additional Program Information
- Enrollment in a graduate or professional program at the University of Wisconsin–Madison.
- Directed study (GEN&WS 699 , GEN&WS 799 , GEN&WS 999 ) and colloquia courses may not satisfy certificate requirements.
Learning Outcomes
- Demonstrate interdisciplinary understanding of major theories, methods, and debates in Gender and Women’s Studies.
- Demonstrate the practical skills related to Gender and Women’s Studies, such as critical thinking and intersectional analysis, critical literature review; research methods, and written and oral communication.
- Understand the interdisciplinary nature of Gender and Women’s Studies and the ways these relate to theoretical and methodological shifts in the field as well as to the institutions that shape everyday life.
- Develop Gender and Women’s Studies knowledge, skills, and social engagement and demonstrate how these ideas can be applied to new settings, ideas, and understandings.