A Gender Studies Certificate provides an advantage for students who want to increase their knowledge of women and gender issues and enhance their qualifications for a wide range of careers.
The Gender Studies Certificate offers Eastern Washington University students an interdisciplinary, critical study of gender and its social impact. The certificate program is designed to broaden student understanding of the ways in which gender is developed, constructed and expressed in attitudes and institutions of modern societies. The certificate provides a strong interdisciplinary core and choice of electives to complement students’ areas of interest and major disciplines. The capstone or practicum experience enables students to apply theoretical knowledge in a variety of occupations such as social work, business, psychology, criminal justice, counseling, diversity training and/or education.
Why Pursue a Gender Studies Certificate?
- Flexible program that complements a wide variety of majors or degrees
- Women’s and Gender Studies courses cross-listed with many different departments – offer variety and diverse perspectives on a broad array of topics
- Lots of choice in coursework – you can plan your certificate to fit your interests, needs, and career goals
- Capstone or practicum experience designed to help students apply their knowledge in a wide range of occupations
- Women’s and Gender Studies courses offer insights into topics and issues meaningful to students who care about diversity, humanity, society, and the world
- Women’s and Gender Studies faculty come from a variety of disciplines
Requirements (23–28 credits)
Required Courses (9–10 credits)
Choose ONE of the following courses (4–5 credits):
WMST 101 Introduction to Women’s Studies (5)
WMST 310 Issues in Women’s Studies (4) [This course is also offered online]
NOTE: Students who are completing a minor in Women’s Studies as well as a Gender Studies Certificate may only count one course for both the certificate and the minor: WMST 101 OR WMST 310.
Choose ONE of the following courses (5 credits):
WMST/SOCI 321 Sex and Gender (5)
WMST/CMST 414 Gender and Communication (5)
WMST/PHIL 417 Women and Ethics (5)
Required Experiential Component Choose ONE of the following (must be approved by the Women’s and Gender Studies Director) (3–5 credits)
WMST 499 Directed Study (3–5) A research project or guided teaching/instructional development experience in consultation with Gender Studies Certificate Coordinator and appropriate faculty member.
WMST 495 Internship or Practicum Experience (3–5) A concentrated set of experiences in a supervised work setting in which the competencies developed through course work are utilized in actual practice.
WMST 490 Senior Capstone Seminar Includes a service learning component, such as a community action project that contributes to the betterment of the community or that assists a community partner.
Electives (11–13 credits)
To bring the total to 23-28 credits select courses 300 or above from the Women’s and Gender Studies Course Distribution List.
Course Distribution List:
WMST/BIOL 318 Biology of Women (3)
WMST/HUMN 319 Women Artists and Society (2)
WMST/SOCI 321 Sex and Gender (5)
WMST/PSYC 331 Psychology of Women (4)
WMST/BIOL 338 Discovering Women in Science (1)
WMST/SOCI 370 Sociology of the Family (5)
WMST/AAST 371 Cultural Study: African American Women and Hair (2)
WMST/SOCI 377 Alternatives to Domestic Violence (2)
WMST/ENGL 389 Women, Literature and Social Change (5)
WMST/HIST 392 Women in the American West (4)
WMST/HIST 394 Women in American History (4)
WMST 400 – 409 Summer Workshops (1)
NOTE: No more than THREE credits of summer workshops may be counted toward the major or minor.
Summer Workshops:
Several of these workshops are offered each summer to help students integrate knowledge of scholarship on women into traditional academic work in various disciplines. No more than THREE credits of summer workshops (courses numbered 400 – 409 & 497) may be counted toward the major or minor.
WMST/ENGL 400 Women and Men in Literature (1)
WMST/BIOL 401 Women and Men in Science (1)
WMST 402/ECON 426 Women and Men in the U.S. Economy (1)
WMST/PSYC 403 Women and Men in Psychology (1)
WMST/CMST 404 Women and Men in Communication (1)
WMST/HIST 405 Women and Men in History (1)
WMST/GEOG 406 Women and Men in Cultural Landscape (1)
WMST/ART 409 Women and Men in Art (1)
-End of Summer Workshops
WMST/HUMN 410 Feminist Theory (4)
WMST/IDST 411 Contemporary Idegenous Women (5)
WMST/CMST 414 Gender and Communication (5)
WMST/HUMN 415 Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Studies (5)
WMST/PHIL 417 Women and Ethics (5)
WMST/MGMT 424 Equity and Equality in the Workplace (3)
WMST 426/ECON/AAST 424 Economics of Poverty and Discrimination (5)
WMST/ECON 427 The Economics of Women and Work (5)
WMST/AAST 430 From Mammies to Jemimas: The Black Women’s Struggle (5)
WMST/PHIL 440 Women and Philosophy (5)
WMST/SOWK 448 Gay and Lesbian Issues for the Social Work Practitioner (3)
WMST/SOWK 450 Women and Social Reform (3)
WMST/SOWK 452 Gender and Sexual Assault (4)
WMST/HIST 468 History of Modern American Women (4)
WMST/SOWK 471 Human Rights and Women’s Rights (4)
WMST/SPAN 475 Women’s Writing in Latin America (4)
WMST/SOCI 483 Sociology of Children (5)
WMST 490 Senior Capstone Seminar (4)
WMST 495 Internship or Practicum Experience (1 – 5)
WMST 498 Seminar approved by Women’s Studies Director (4 – 5)