Graduate Certificate Program

What is the Graduate Certificate?

The purpose for offering graduate certificates is to meet the supplemental education needs of professionals. As jobs and job-related responsibilities change, a person often needs additional training in a specific area.

A graduate certificate program is a set of courses that provides in-depth knowledge in a subject matter. The knowledge in the set of courses should provide a coherent knowledge base even if the courses are selected from more than one academic program. The set of courses may be more practice-oriented than the set of courses in a graduate academic program.

How do I apply to the Graduate School? click here

Students intending to complete a Graduate Certificate program should fill out the following forms with assistance from the Women's Studise advisor:

Certificate Program Plan Form: PDF
Certificate Intent Form: PDF

The Women's Studies Graduate Certificate was approved in 2006 by the Texas Tech University Graduate School, TTU Academic Council, and the State of Texas Coordinating Board. Students may pursue this certificate in Women’s Studies as either a graduate minor field or a supplemental post-baccalaureate credential.

The Women’s Studies Graduate Certificate Program offers a specialist inter-disciplinary sub-field in women’s, gender, and identity studies for doctoral and master’s degree candidates. It also functions as a stand-alone credential useful for professionals in nursing, social work, law, healthcare management, and the military, as well as in faith-based organizations and the field of education. To be awarded the Graduate Certificate, students must maintain a minimum 3.0 GPA across all courses required for completion of the Certificate.

The Program

15 total hours

Requirements for the Graduate Certificate include these courses:

WS 5360 Foundations of Women's Studies
WS 5310 Feminist Thought and Theories

Requirements also include 9 hours of electives approved by the Advisor of the Women's Studies Program. These electives may include but are not limited to:

*WS 5000 Practicum in Women's Studies
*WS 5300 Directed Studies
*WS 5340 Special Topics in Women's Studies

* Other electives: Women's Studies Graduate Courses

* Note: With approval by the Graduate Advisor of the Women's Studies Program.

Contact the Director Charlotte Dunham, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Department of Sociology, Anthropology, & Social Work, to discuss your plan of action when registering for courses.