Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT) Certificate

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Program: Certificate
Department of Psychology
College of Arts and Sciences

Liberal Arts Building 153 ~ 260-481-6019

Program Director: Craig Hill, Department of Psychology

A certificate in Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT) studies is available to all Purdue University Fort Wayne students earning undergraduate degrees. An introductory course and a culminating capstone course in lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender issues are required of all students obtaining the certificate. The program consists of three major areas of study, the first is specific to LGBT issues, the second is sexuality issues, and the third is gender issues. Students meeting the certificate requirements must complete three courses from the LGBT Courses group, two courses from the Sexuality Courses Group, and one from the Gender Courses group. One required course in the LGBT Courses group is an LGBT course beyond LGBT 20000, or a course cross-listed as a GNDR course focusing predominately on an LGBT topic, or an independent study from any academic department focusing on an LGBT topic, this course must be at the 2000+ level or higher. The two courses selected within the Sexuality Area must be from different academic departments. Furthermore, two courses fulfilling the LGBT Certificate requirements must be at the 4000+ level or greater. The certificate can be earned and awarded independent of other degree(s).

Student Learning Outcomes:
Upon completion of this certificate, students will:

demonstrate knowledge of issues relevant to lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender individuals and communicate this knowledge effectively to others
identify and apply the methods of inquiry for the disciplines that examine issues relevant to LGBT individuals and use those methods to evaluate information about LGBT individuals and other issues pertinent to sexual orientation and sexual identity
recognize harassment and discrimination based on sexual orientation, and identify appropriate legal resources used to assist victims of such harassment/discrimination
develop citizenship skills and knowledge of LGBT resources in the community
investigate companies’ policies and organizational cultures to determine attitudes toward LGBT employees

Declaring this Certificate:

Declare this certificate through the program director or the secretary for interdisciplinary studies in the College of Arts and Sciences office.

Program Requirements:

A minimum GPA of 2.00 or higher is required for graduation
A grade of C- or higher in each course required for the certificate
At least 12 credits must be earned as resident credit
No courses may be taken on a pass/not pass basis
Additional information is found in the introduction above and in the program requirements section below

To earn the Certificate in Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Studies, you must fulfill the following requirements in addition to those noted above:

Program Requirements

LGBT Courses: Credits 7

Additional LGBT Course: Credits 3

Choose one of the following options:

an LGBT course beyond the level of LGBT 20000
a course cross-listed as a GNDR course focusing on an LGBT topic at the 2000+ level or higher
an independent study course from any academic department focusing on an LGBT topic at the 2000+ level or higher. Students may request to substitute an LGBT-relevant course from another academic department in the place of the independent study, if approved by the Director of the LGBT program.

Sexuality Courses: Credits 6

There are no prerequisites for courses unless indicated.

PSY 44400 - Human Sexual Behavior Cr. 3.
P: Junior/Senior standing and PSY 12000
Choose one of the following WOST courses:
WOST 22500 - Gender, Sexuality, and Popular Culture Cr. 3. or
WOST 34001 - Topics In LGBTQ Studies Cr. 3.

Gender Courses: Credits 3

Select one course from the following list. There are no prerequisites for courses unless indicated.

ANTH 40200 - Gender in Cross-Cultural Perspective Cr. 3.
COM 41000 - Gender Roles and Communication Cr. 3.
P: COM 11400
OLS 45400 - Gender and Diversity in Management Cr. 3.
P: OLS 25200
PHIL 30500 - Philosophical Theories of Feminism Cr. 3.
PSY 34500 - Psychology of Women Cr. 3.
P: PSY 12000
PSY 36500 - Development of Gender Roles in Children Cr. 3.
P: PSY 23500 or PSY 36900
WOST 21000 - Introduction To Women’s And Gender Studies Cr. 3.
WOST 24000 - Topics in Feminism Cr. 3.
Other courses focusing predominantly on gender approved by an LGBT certificate advisor Cr.3.

Total: Credits 19

Student Responsibility

You are responsible for satisfying the graduation requirements specified for your selected program. Thus, it is essential that you develop a thorough understanding of the required courses, academic policies and procedures governing your academic career. All requests for exceptions to specific requirements must be made in writing and may be granted only by written approval from the appropriate chair or dean.