The Certificate Program offered by Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies allows students enrolled in other Rutgers University graduate degree programs to earn a Certificate in Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies. Many students find the Certificate useful for expansion of career options and thesis preparation. It prepares students in any discipline to teach courses and conduct research in women’s studies, to develop courses with a focus on gender, and to expand the scope of their professional activity to include gender issues and debates.

The certificate program consists of nine credits. At least six credits must be taken in WGSS core courses or WGSS advanced colloquia. Three credits may be in cognate courses offered in other departments. Students from 22 departments and schools are currently enrolled in the program. Students interested in the Certificate Program must be enrolled in a disciplinary department at Rutgers other than WGSS.

 

Requirements

To obtain a Certificate in Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies, students must:

  • Take two Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies (988) graduate courses. No exceptions.
  • Take one approved graduate cognate course.
  • Submit a pdfWGSS Graduate Certificate Application to the Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies Graduate Director upon completion of these courses.

Of these three courses, one must be a feminist theory course. This theory course can be any of the theory courses offered by WGSS, or it can be a course offered by another department if it has been approved by the Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies Graduate Director. Students should obtain approval prior to enrolling in a course; no courses will be approved retroactively. If the theory course is from another department, this course may satisfy the theory requirement and serve as the optional cognate course.

According to the Graduate School of New Brunswick, students may be awarded the Graduate Certificate in Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies upon completion of the requirements for the certificate.