Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies Graduate Certificate

Whether pursuing an academic career path, a career in law or social justice, industry, government, or the nonprofit sector, a graduate certificate in women’s and gender studies offers students knowledge and research skills well-suited to employment and citizenship in an increasingly diverse and global world.

The University of Oregon’s WGSS graduate certificate program is interdisciplinary, intersectional, and international in its orientation. The certificate provides graduate students enrolled in UO departments with training in intersectional feminist scholarship and theory, as well as opportunities to teach undergraduate courses in WGSS (enrolled certificate students will receive preference in their applications for WGSS GTFs and summer teaching) and to explore research opportunities with UO’s Center for the Study of Women in Society.

Program Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion of this program, students will be able to:

  • Demonstrate knowledge of intersectional and interdisciplinary feminist theories and scholarship.
  • Demonstrate competence with feminist practices and methodologies.
  • Demonstrate knowledge of feminist pedagogies.
  • Communicate an understanding of current events and issues shaping and impacting WGSS or WGSS-related fields.

Graduate Certificate Requirements

Core Courses
WGS 615Contemporary Feminist Theory5
Select WGS courses totaling 12 credits from the following:12
Seminar: [Topic]
Feminist Praxis
Bodies and Embodiment
Sexuality Studies: [Topic]
Gender, Environment, and Development
Literature and Feminist World-Making
Global Perspectives on Gender [Topic]
Reading and Conference: [Topic] 1
Seminar: [Topic]
Practicum: [Topic] 1
Other Courses
Approved graduate courses in WGS or other departments7
Total Credits24

Additional Requirements

No more than 4 credits in Reading and Conference: [Topic] (WGS 605) and Practicum: [Topic] (WGS 606) can be applied to the certificate.

No more than 8 credits may be taken pass/no pass without specific approval.

Applicants should arrange an appointment with the graduate advisor.