Women’s and Gender Studies Graduate Certificate

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Graduate Certificate

The Graduate Certificate in Women’s and Gender Studies is an interdisciplinary program open to students currently admitted to any graduate program at the University of Memphis. It is also available to graduate students enrolled at another institution, as well as to individuals holding a graduate degree who wish to pursue further professional credentials. The program draws on the expertise of faculty from different departments and colleges, including the Colleges of Arts and Sciences, Education, and Business; therefore, the academic program for each student will be individually crafted in consultation with the Women’s and Gender Studies advisors.

The certificate provides recipients with a specific and documented knowledge of Women’s and Gender Studies. Not only an advantage to those pursuing advanced degrees in related fields, the certificate program satisfies the demands of a labor market increasingly oriented toward those trained in managing diversity and services for women.

Admission to the Program

Students currently admitted to a graduate program at the University of Memphis or other university, as well as students already holding a graduate degree, may apply for admission to the Graduate Certificate Program in Women’s and Gender Studies.
For students enrolled in a graduate program, a minimum undergraduate GPA of 2.8 is required for admission.
Students must apply to both the certificate program and the Graduate School. To apply, students submit:
1. Transcript of undergraduate degree program and transcripts of prior and current graduate study
2. A letter describing reasons why the student is interested in pursuing a graduate certificate in the area of Women’s and Gender Studies and how the program corresponds with prior experience and anticipated career plans
3. GRE scores are required and are an important factor in admission
4. A minimum score of 550 on the TOEFL and a minimum score of 50 on the Test of Spoken English (for students whose native language is not English)

Program Requirements

The certificate program requires completion of twelve (12) semester credit hours.
Three (3) credit hours must be met by satisfactory completion of either SOCI 7421 - Racial & Social Inequal or SOCI 7422 Race/Class/Gender.
Nine (9) remaining hours will be selected in consultation with the Women’s and Gender Studies advisors and prior to enrolling in the class to assure the courses include or treat centrally material relevant to the Certificate students. Course content may vary depending on the instructor and will not always be pertinent to the study of women and gender.
Select at least one course from the humanities group and one course from the social science group (courses from graduate programs that incorporate women’s and gender issues, such as in the courses below, will be considered for inclusion as an approved elective):

Social Science Courses:

Other Requirements

Students are encouraged to take most of their courses at the 7000 level but up to two courses (6 hours) at the 6000 level are permissible.
Because the program is interdisciplinary, at least three (3) hours of coursework must be taken outside of the major department and from the list of courses provided.
In order to continue in the program, students must maintain at least a 3.0 GPA.