Program in Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality StudiesGraduate Certificate

Graduate Certificate

The Program in Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies (WGSS) at Washington State University offers a Graduate Certificate designed to provide students with a critical understanding of gender equity and justice as theorized and practiced in the field of Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies nationally and transnationally. The WGSS Graduate Certificate incorporates an interdisciplinary approach, equipping future academic and non-academic professionals with fundamental theoretical background, practical research knowledge, and an intersectional analytical framework to address challenges in gender justice and broader social justice struggles. WGSS at WSU is committed to providing comprehensive training in feminist and queer studies, focusing on social, political, and cultural theory, research approaches, and new topics of scholarly inquiry and debate. Our emphasis is on preparing graduates to be thoughtful agents and leaders capable of addressing the equity and justice challenges of today and tomorrow.

Course Highlights

  • WGSS 541: Feminist and Queer Approaches to Research (3 credits) — Gain an understanding of interdisciplinary qualitative research approaches in the field of WGSS.
  • WGSS 581: Feminist and Queer Theories and Frameworks (3 credits) — Study intersectional frameworks, theories, and analytical approaches to gender and sexuality in complex interconnection with race, social class, dis/ability, ethnicity, and religion.
  • Topics Elective Coursework (3 credits) — Choose from WGSS 561, Topics in Feminist and Queer Studies, which rotates themes/faculty,
    • OR a range of courses in other subject areas such as Cultural Politics of the Body, Gender & Sexuality in Buddhist Culture, Gender and Justice, Bioethics, and more. The topics elective course must be from outside the home unit of the student’s graduate program. View a complete list of Topics Elective Coursework Options.

Program Requirements

Offered through WSU’s various graduate programs on the Pullman, Vancouver, Spokane, and Tri-citiies campuses, the WGSS Graduate Certificate requires the completion of 9 credits of interdisciplinary coursework (6 credits of required courses, 3 credits of elective). Attending at least one WGSS seminar series is also required.

Career Opportunities

The Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies Graduate Certificate provides several opportunities for students to grow academically and professionally:

  • Academic Careers: Enhance qualifications for academic positions in higher education, especially in combination with a PhD in a traditional discipline.
  • Professional Careers: Strengthen expertise for careers in public policy, health equity, social justice, and other fields, particularly when paired with professional degrees like public administration, public health, law, etc.
  • Intellectual Growth: Develop a critical understanding of gender equity and justice issues, intersectional analytical frameworks, and qualitative research approaches to address complex real-world problems.

Admission Requirements

The certificate program is open to current WSU graduate students of any discipline who have goals and interests that align with the certificate program. Non-degree seeking WSU students who meet the requirements for graduate study at WSU may also be admitted to the WGSS certificate program. Students are required to have/maintain a graduate GPA of 3.0 or better to participate. The certificate can be pursued during any phase of training as long as there is sufficient time to complete the requirements, which typically takes two-three semesters. Upon completing all requirements for the WGSS Graduate Certificate, students will submit the Application for Graduate Certificate with the Graduate School.