Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies, Graduate Certificate

Certificate Candidacy

To earn a graduate certificate at Washington University, a student must complete all courses required by their department; maintain satisfactory academic progress; fulfill all academic and residence requirements; and apply to graduate via Workday Student. Graduate certificates are not standalone programs and are only available to current students in applicable graduate programs. Thus, graduate certificates are conferred at the same time as the student’s primary graduate program.

Program Requirements

  • Total Units Required: 15
  • Certificate Length: Since the certificate requires three courses beyond those required for a student's degree, participation in the certificate program may require an extra semester of graduate courses. Earning the certificate should not increase a student's expected time to degree.
    • Note: Students must be enrolled in 9 graduate credits each semester to retain full-time status. As students complete their coursework, if enrolled in fewer than 9 graduate credits, they must enroll in a specific Arts & Sciences graduate course that will show 0 units but does count as full-time status. Students should connect with their department to ensure proper enrollment prior to Add/Drop.

Graduate students interested in the graduate certificate in WGSS should first apply for admission to the Washington University department in which they wish to obtain an advanced degree. After being admitted, each student should notify their department advisor and the WGSS program director of their plans to obtain the WGSS certificate. In addition, each student should submit an "Application for Admission to Certificate Program" form to the Office of Graduate Studies, Arts & Sciences, with a copy also given to the WGSS office. The earlier that the WGSS department knows who these students are, the earlier these students can be included in mailings about program activities, lectures, conferences, and other events. Certificate application forms are available from the Office of Graduate Studies, Arts & Sciences.

Required Courses

The graduate certificate in WGSS requires the completion of five courses, at least two of which must be drawn from 5000-level WGSS courses. The additional three required courses must be drawn from 5000-level WGSS courses or from approved gender-based courses in other departments. Up to 6 credits can be double-counted between the program and the certificate; students should consult the director for approval. The minimum grade for coursework to count toward the certificate is a B.

Visit the Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies page
for additional information about this program.

Contact Info

Phone:314-935-5102
Email:wgss@wustl.edu
Website:http://wgss.artsci.wustl.edu