Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies Certificate

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Program: Certificate
Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies
Department of Interdisciplinary Studies
College of Liberal Arts

Liberal Arts Building 153 ~ 260-481-6160
Program Director: Michelle Kelsey

Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies is an interdisciplinary area of study that examines gender and its intersections with other categories of identity, including race and ethnicity, sexuality, class, nationality, and disability. As such, it provides students the opportunity to integrate knowledge across diverse academic disciplines, to understand gender within both historical and contemporary contexts, and to develop approaches to investigation, analysis, and research that reflect the complex nature of how gender operates in our lives, how systems of power and oppression function, and how individuals and organizations can bring about meaningful social change.

The Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies Certificate is designed for students majoring in academic programs outside the College of Liberal Arts who are interested in a concentration of course work in women’s, gender, and sexuality 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 certificate can be earned and awarded independent of other degree(s).

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

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

Declaring this Certificate:

Declare this certificate within the Department of Interdisciplinary Studies or through your major department if you are pursuing another degree.

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 11 credits must be earned as resident credit

To earn the Certificate in Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies, you must fulfill the following requirements in addition to those noted above:

College Scorecard

The U.S. Department of Education has created a scorecard for each university and its programs. The scorecard shows data for the university such as graduation rate, average annual cost, and median earnings. Then, when certain minimum standards have been met, data are available for a specific program. That data could include median earnings, median total debt, and number of graduates. The link below will help you learn more:

https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/school/?151102-Purdue-University-Fort-Wayne&fos_code=0502&fos_credential=1

Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies Certificate Requirements

Required Courses: Credits 6

Supporting Courses: Credits 12

Choose one WOST cross-referenced course from the student’s program department, division, or school to be counted in the student’s major as well as in the certificate, or any other WOST prefixed or cross-referenced course. Check with advisor for course options.
Choose one WOST prefixed or cross-referenced course. Check with advisor for course options.

Fine Arts or Humanities:

Choose one WOST prefixed or cross-referenced course in Fine Arts or Humanities:

ENGL 47201 - Composing The Self Cr. 3.
ENGL 47800 - Studies In Women And Literature Cr. 3.
HIST 23400 - Witchcraft And Witch Hunts c. 1400-1750 Cr. 3.
HIST 26000 - History Of Women In The United States Cr. 3.
PHIL 30500 - Philosophical Theories Of Feminism Cr. 3.
REL 31500 - Religion And Women Cr. 3.
WOST 22500 - Gender, Sexuality, Race, And Popular Culture Cr. 3.
WOST 23000 - Writing For Social Change Cr. 3.
WOST 30200 - Topics In Gender Studies Cr. 3.

Sciences or Social Sciences:

Choose one WOST prefixed or cross-referenced course in Sciences or Social Sciences:

ANTH 40200 - Gender In Cross-Cultural Perspective Cr. 3.
COM 41000 - Gender Roles And Communication Cr. 3.
COM 42200 - Women, Men, And Media Cr. 3.
POL 32800 - Women And The Law Cr. 3.
PSY 34500 - Psychology Of Women Cr. 3.
WOST 24000 - Topics In Feminism Cr. 3.

Capstone Course: Credits 3

WOST 40000 - Topics In Women’s Studies Cr. 3.

Total Credits: 21

Student Responsibility

You are responsible for ensuring that you satisfy all graduation requirements specified for each selected program. Thus, it is essential that you develop a thorough understanding of the required courses, academic policies, and procedures governing your academic career. If you cannot complete all program requirements by your stated graduation date but fail to remove those from your plan of study, the Registrar’s Office in consultation with your academic advisor will remove unmet pursuits from your plan of study. Changing curricular records during the graduation term of application may affect state or federal financial aid awards. 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.