Gender Studies Graduate Certificate

Earn a Graduate Certificate in Gender Studies! Today's workplace, regardless of your chosen profession, demands an awareness of, and an appreciation for, the spectrum of issues related to gender and diversity. Rather than waiting for on-the-job training, gain a competitive edge and enhance your major field of study through this extensively interdisciplinary program. Whether you're pursuing a career in business, communications, the arts, education, health, humanities, social sciences, or human services, this program can only benefit you as an informed citizen and a successful professional.

The Graduate Certificate in Gender Studies is administered by the Coordinator of the Gender and Diversity Studies (GDS) Program housed within the Department of English and Philosophy.

Professional Writing Graduate Certificate (Online)

Admission Requirements

Students who hold an undergraduate degree or are currently enrolled in a graduate or professional degree program may apply for the Gender Studies Graduate Certificate program. Persons who already hold a graduate degree may also apply for the certificate program. Applicants must comply with Murray State University requirements (see Chapter 2 of the Graduate Bulletin). For non-native English speakers, a TOEFL score of 20 for each section of the iBT, an IELTS score of 6.5 with no band lower than 6.0, a previous degree earned from an accredited U.S. institution, or successful completion of Level 6 of the MSU ESL program is required.

Additional requirements for unconditional and conditional admission include:

For unconditional admission an undergraduate GPA of 3.0 or higher.

For conditional admission, program judgment of probable success based on Graduate Record Examination scores, letters of recommendation, and/or other evidence such as a planned program of prerequisite courses.

Course Requirements 18 hours

The Graduate Certificate in Gender Studies requires the completion of eighteen hours of graduate-level coursework, including GDS 600: Gender Theory and Research, GDS 699: Scholarly Writing in Gender Studies, and at least four elective courses from the list of courses approved for the Certificate (below). Students may substitute up to twelve hours of courses for electives from the students' graduate or professional degree programs at the discretion of the GDS program. Neither GDS 600: Gender Theory and Research nor GDS 699: Scholarly Writing in Gender Studies may be taken as an independent study or a directed reading. Relevant independent study courses may count toward the Certificate only upon the prior approval of the GDS program.

GDS 600 Gender Theory and Research (3)

GDS 699 Scholarly Writing in Gender Studies (3)

Plus 12 hours from the following:

ENG 519 Gay and Lesbian Literature (3)

ENG 615 Topics in Women's Literature (3)

HEA 575 Human Sexuality II (3)

HIS 615 Women in History (3)

JMC 601 Media, Culture, Gender, and Race (3)

GDS 670 Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Studies (3)

GDS 680 Gender, Sexuality, and Law (3)

GDS 690 Seminar in Gender Studies (3)

MGT 554 Managing a Diverse Workforce (3)

PHI 557 Feminist Philosophy (3)

Graduate-level Independent Study, Directed Reading, Special Topics, and similar graduate courses may count toward the Certificate with prior approval of the GDS program.

Contact
Dr. Josh Adair
7B-14 Faculty Hall
Murray State University
Murray KY 42071-3341
270.809.4540

The listed requirements provide an example of what is applicable to most students entering Murray State University at the present time. Criteria as they may relate to individual students may vary. The primary source is the MSU Bulletin applicable at the time of the student enrollment.

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