Women’s Studies Certificate

Program:  B.A.
Women’s Studies Program
Department of Political Science  
College of Arts and Sciences

Liberal Arts Building 209 ~ 260-481-6688~ www.ipfw.edu/political-science

The student learning outcomes for the degree are as follows:

• The major concepts of feminist critical analysis, including gender, race, class, sexuality, nationality, ability, and age, and the complexities of their intersections
• How gender is socially and historically constructed, how it relates to systems of power, privilege, and oppression, and how it impacts women’s lives
• The history and importance of feminist thought and activism in the U.S. and around the globe
• The diversity of women’s experiences, roles, and contributions to society and culture
• Ability to demonstrate effective reading, speaking, writing, and critical thinking skills through the work they complete in women’s studies courses
• Ability to apply feminist perspectives to a range of issues and engage critical debates or areas of contention within feminism
• Ability to apply feminist perspectives across disciplines

Women’s studies is based on the premise that the study of women’s experiences, concerns, social roles, and creativity is essential to our knowledge of humankind and society. Feminist scholarship and theory provide the knowledge and analytical tools necessary for a gender-balanced perspective on our world, both past and present. The Women’s Studies Program affords you the opportunity to pursue feminist scholarship on women and gender through a variety of interdisciplinary courses. See Program Descriptions  in the bulletin for further information.

The Women’s Studies Certificate is designed for students majoring in academic programs outside the College of Arts and Sciences who are interested in a concentration of course work in women’s studies. This program is also appropriate for community members who wish to augment or update past academic studies in a field that has relevance for today’s more diverse workforce and society. The required 21 credits are allocated as follows and must be completed with a grade of C- or higher in each course: