Women’s Studies, Certificate

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The graduate certificate in Women’s Studies brings together scholars and graduate students across the University actively engaged in interdisciplinary feminist scholarship. This graduate certificate is an official acknowledgement of training and expertise in the field of women’s and gender studies. The certificate program provides students with knowledge of a unified approach to the study of fundamental issues in sex and gender studies. Students examine how sex and gender have been reflected in culture across time; how they shape institutions as well as personal experience; how they interact with issues such as race, ethnicity, and socioeconomic class; and how new ways of thinking about gender challenge the processes by which knowledge about human beings and our behavior is acquired, interpreted, and transmitted.

The graduate certificate is intended to supplement professional training, whatever it may be. As a stand-alone credential, the certificate is designed for individuals working in fields related to women’s health care and well-being, as well as professionals in positions of advocacy for women, elementary, high school, and community college teachers, and returning, nontraditional students.

The certificate acknowledges formal training and expertise in issues of cultural diversity, gender equity, feminist theory, feminist methodology, and the infusion of gender into all psychological, social, and mediated relationship.

Admission Requirements

Students who wish to be admitted to the Graduate Certificate Program in Women’s Studies must meet at least one of the following requirements:

Be enrolled in a graduate program at BGSU

Or, for the stand-alone certificate:

Hold a bachelor degree with a 3.0 minimum grade point average
Have completed a graduate degree in any area.

Additional documents required:
In addition to the application required by the Graduate College, applicants to the Certificate Program must submit the following:

Two letters of recommendation from recent instructors, employers, or other individuals qualified to evaluate probable success in the program. (Students currently enrolled in another BGSU graduate program may use their letters of recommendation already on file - when listing your recommenders, use this same email address ccs@bgsu.edu with each of your previous recommender names. The previous letters will then be uploaded for you.)
A personal statement of intent delineating the purpose for enrolling in the program and outlining career goals (no more than 3 pages).

Careful attention is given to these materials.

Application Requirements

Admissions Categories and Grade Point Average Requirements

International Application Information

Degree Requirements

Curriculum Requirements

Required Courses (3 credits)

Students who do not have substantial undergraduate or graduate course work in Women’s Studies or Feminist Studies should take WS 6100 before taking WS 6200 . WS 6100 may be used as an elective.

WS 6200 - Feminist Theory

Electives (12 credits)

Select four courses with approval of Graduate Program Coordinator

Culminating Experience (1 credit)

The capstone project may be an empirical or conceptual research study, a review of the feminist literature on a topic of interest, or a practical project.

WS 7860 - Independent Study in Women’s Studies

Minimum Total Credits (16 credits)

Additional Requirements

Minimum 3.0 graduate cumulative grade point average
All requirements must be completed within six years from the end of the earliest course used to fulfill certificate requirements.