The Gender and Women’s Studies (GWS) curriculum provides a platform for students to study how equity and social justice are connected to gender, sexuality, and identity. Gender and Women's Studies students explore the field through traditional disciplines, such as literature, history, anthropology, sociology, public health, education, law, biology, psychology, political science, and the visual arts.
The certificate program requires 15 credits of coursework in gender and women's studies. Students can tailor the certificate to reflect their interests, complement their major or plan for graduate or professional school.
How to Get in
Intent to pursue the certificate can be declared by meeting with the Department of Gender and Women's Studies undergraduate advisor or completing this online declaration form. Declaring the certificate as early as possible allows students to best align certificate coursework with their interests.
Students declared in the Gender and Women's Studies major are not eligible to declare the Certificate in Gender and Women's Studies at the Undergraduate Level.
Requirements
15 credits of which at least 12 credits are in GEN&WS courses, to include: 1
Humanities
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Complete one from: | 3 | |
| Gender, Women, and Cultural Representation 2 | ||
| Introduction to Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer+ Studies | ||
| Women in Russian Literature in Translation | ||
| Introduction to Black Women's Studies | ||
| Introduction to Black Women Writers | ||
| Feminist Approach to Research and Writing | ||
| Chicana and Latina History | ||
| Women in Ethnic American Literature | ||
| Women in Literature | ||
| German Women Writers in Translation | ||
| Women, Gender and Religion | ||
| Special Topics in Gender, Women and the Humanities | ||
| Gender, Race and Colonialism | ||
| Gender and Communication | ||
| Study Abroad Special Topic: Gender, Women and the Humanities | ||
| Black Women in America: Reconstruction to the Present | ||
| Race and Gender in Post-World War II U.S. Society | ||
| Topics in Gender/Class/Race/Ethnicity (Humanities) | ||
| Latinas: Self Identity and Social Change | ||
| Topics in LGBTQ Sexuality | ||
| Transgender Studies | ||
| Queer Bodies | ||
| Bi/Pan/Asexuality: Community & Representation | ||
| Trans/Gender in Historical Perspective | ||
| Special Topics in Gender & Literature | ||
| Women and Gender in the Classical World | ||
| Women and Gender in the U.S. to 1870 | ||
| Visionary and Speculative Fiction: Social Justice Approaches | ||
| Sex and Power in Greece and Rome | ||
| Art and Visual Culture: Women of the African Diaspora and Africa | ||
| Topics in Gender and Disability | ||
| Disability and Gender in Film | ||
| Visualizing Bodies | ||
| Gender & the Cultural Politics of Illness | ||
| Race, Sex, and Texts (How to do things with writing) | ||
| Special Topics in Gender and Visual Culture | ||
| Contemporary Queer Art and Visual Culture | ||
| Introduction to Contemporary Feminist Theatre and Criticism | ||
| Gender, Sexuality, and the Media | ||
| Gender and Expressive Culture | ||
| American Indian Women | ||
| Sexual Politics in Scandinavia | ||
| Contemporary Feminist Theories | ||
| The Body in Theory | ||
| Special Topics in Feminist Theory | ||
| Brazillian Women Writers | ||
| Carmen Miranda | ||
| Race and Sexuality in American Literature | ||
| Asian American Women Writers | ||
| Feminism, Folklore and Comparative Literature | ||
| Sexuality, Modernity and Social Change | ||
| The History of the (American) Body | ||
| Feminist Theory and Women's Writing in English | ||
| Theorizing Intersectionality | ||
| African American Women's Activism (19th & 20th Centuries) | ||
| Gender, Race and the Civil Rights Movement | ||
| Critical and Theoretical Perspectives in Black Women's Writings | ||
| Visual Culture, Gender and Critical Race Theory | ||
| Feminism, Folklore and Comparative Literature | ||
| Topics in LGBT History | ||
| Total Credits | 3 | |
Social Science
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Complete one from: | 3 | |
| Gender, Women, and Society in Global Perspective 2 | ||
| Gender, Sexuality, and Global Health | ||
| Introduction to Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer+ Studies | ||
| Feminist Approach to Research and Writing | ||
| Special Topics in Gender, Women and Society | ||
| Gender, Race and Class: Women in U.S. History | ||
| Study Abroad Special Topic: Gender, Women in Society | ||
| Topics in Gender/Class/Race/Ethnicity (Social Sciences) | ||
| Latinas: Self Identity and Social Change | ||
| Black Feminisms | ||
| Topics in LGBTQ Sexuality | ||
| Bi/Pan/Asexuality: Community & Representation | ||
| Women and Gender in the U.S. to 1870 | ||
| Women and Gender in the U.S. Since 1870 | ||
| Women and Gender in Modern Europe | ||
| Gender, Sexuality, and the Media | ||
| Women in Cross-Societal Perspective | ||
| Women and the Law | ||
| The Female Body in the World: Gender and Contemporary Body Politics in Cross Cultural Perspective | ||
| Crime, Gender and Justice | ||
| Gender and Politics in Comparative Perspective | ||
| Politics of Gender and Women's Rights in the Middle East | ||
| Contemporary Feminist Theories | ||
| Anthropology by Women | ||
| Queer of Color Critique | ||
| Special Topics in Feminist Theory | ||
| Women and Politics | ||
| Feminist Geography: Theoretical Approaches | ||
| Psychology of Women and Gender | ||
| Framing Fatness: Gender, Size, Constructing Health | ||
| Race, Gender, Health, and Medicine | ||
| Gender and Global Health in Critical Perspective | ||
| The Environment of the Womb: Epigenetics and Parent/Child Health | ||
| Sexuality and Science | ||
| Gender, Sexuality, and Reproduction: Public Health Perspectives | ||
| Queering Sexuality Education | ||
| Childbirth in the United States | ||
| Special Topics in LGBTQ+ Health | ||
| Special Topics in Gender and Health | ||
| Gender and Education | ||
| Gender, Science and Technology | ||
| Total Credits | 3 | |
Natural and Biological Science
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Complete one from: | 3 | |
| Gender, Women, Bodies, and Health | ||
| Sexuality and Science | ||
| Biology and Gender | ||
| Women and Health in American History | ||
| Special Topics in Gender and Biology | ||
| Women's Global Health and Human Rights | ||
| Total Credits | 3 | |
Electives
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Additional courses in GENWS to reach 15 credits for the certificate | 6 | |
| Total Credits | 6 | |
Footnotes
- 1
Students cannot take courses pass/fail for credit in the certificate.
- 2
Students may not take both GEN&WS 101 and GEN&WS 102 for the certificate.
Residence and Quality of Work
- 2.000 GPA in all certificate credits
- 9 credits at the intermediate or advanced level
- 8 credits in residence
Undergraduate/Special Student Certificates
This certificate may be completed within the context of an undergraduate degree or as a Special student after an undergraduate degree has been awarded from any institution. The certificate may be completed in its entirety while enrolled as a Special student. Candidates are encouraged to contact the certificate coordinator to discuss course enrollment and the sequencing of certificate requirements.
Learning Outcomes
- Demonstrate interdisciplinary understanding of core concepts and debates in Gender and Women's Studies.
- Demonstrate the practical skills related to Gender and Women's Studies, such as critical thinking and analysis, inquiry, and written and oral communication.
- Understand the interdisciplinary nature of Gender and Women's Studies research and connect this scholarship to the institutions that shape everyday life.
- Develop Gender and Women's Studies knowledge, skills, and social engagement and demonstrate how these ideas can be applied to new settings, ideas, and understandings.
Advising and Careers
Connecting and working with the undergraduate advisor in Gender and Women's Studies as early as possible helps you create a meaningful course plan and stay on track as you complete the certificate requirements.
The undergraduate advisor is available to consult on a variety of topics, including declaring the certificate, course selection, study abroad, volunteer and internship opportunities on campus and in the community, applying to graduate programs, and preparing for the job market after graduation.
L&S Career Resources
Every L&S major opens a world of possibilities. SuccessWorks at the College of Letters & Science helps students turn the academic skills learned in their major, certificates, and other coursework into fulfilling lives after graduation, whether that means jobs, public service, graduate school or other career pursuits.
In addition to providing basic support like resume reviews and interview practice, SuccessWorks offers ways to explore interests and build career skills from their very first semester/term at UW all the way through graduation and beyond.
Students can explore careers in one-on-one advising, try out different career paths, complete internships, prepare for the job search and/or graduate school applications, and connect with supportive alumni and even employers in the fields that inspire them.
- SuccessWorks
- Set up a career advising appointment
- Enroll in a Career Course - a great idea for first- and second-year students:
- INTER-LS 210 L&S Career Development: Taking Initiative (1 credit)
- INTER-LS 215 Communicating About Careers (3 credits, fulfills Comm B General Education Requirement)
- Learn about internships and internship funding
- INTER-LS 260 Internship in the Liberal Arts and Sciences
- Activate your Handshake account to apply for jobs and internships from 200,000+ employers recruiting UW-Madison students
- Learn about the impact SuccessWorks has on students' lives