Women's Studies | Graduate Certificate

Women's Studies Graduate Certificate 

From uncovering social wrongs to demanding legal and political rights, Women's Studies has transformed scholarship on the role of women and gender in society. Design your interdisciplinary program to critically engage the interconnections of gender, race, culture, and sexuality with a graduate certificate in Women's Studies from Howard University.

Howard's Graduate Certificate in Women's Studies has the distinct advantage of centering the lives, contributions, and agency of women of diverse cultures. We are one of the select few Women's Studies programs in the country that offers the unique opportunity for graduate-level research with a specialization in Black Women's Studies and the study of women of color, broadly or narrowly defined according to a student's interest. The program provides in-depth training in a rapidly expanding interdisciplinary body of scholarship, and it is designed for students seeking to apply a range of Women's Studies theories, including (but not limited to) Africana Womanism, Intersectional Feminism, LGBT+ methodological approaches, and Non-Aligned Gender Perspectives, into their work and scholarship. Students examine historical and contemporary social constructions of gender and their impact on women globally. Students also explore how social constructions of gender shape institutions and to inform lived experiences and identities, particularly among different groups of women of color; how they interact with social constructions of race, sexuality, class, and culture; and how new ways of thinking about these issues challenge dominant gender narratives. 

Deepen your commitment to equity and inclusion

Our 15-credit graduate certificate provides a credential for teaching or research positions requiring expertise in the areas of Women's and Gender Studies, Africana Womanism, Feminist Studies, or LGBT+ Studies. The certificate also prepares students for careers related to advocacy for women (legal and social services), women's health and well-being, counseling, teaching, international development, public policy, media studies, cultural studies, public history, and journalism. Our faculty actively publish and teach across various disciplines in the humanities, social sciences, and health-related sciences. Their work covers research areas such as women's human rights, gender-based violence, social and political activism, law, women's health, reproductive justice, Africana gender studies, education, sociology, popular culture, women's history, and the spectrum of gender identities. 

Program Highlights

• Five 3-credit courses, completed in as little as two semesters
• Semester-long capstone internship experience or research project with an agency focused on women's issues.
• Tailor and complement your studies with interdisciplinary analyses of women/gender issues 
• Develop expertise in a diverse range of Women's Studies theoretical and methodological approaches (Africana Womanism, Intersectional Feminism, Black Feminism, Non-Aligned Gender Theory, etc.)
• Research focus on the experiences and contributions of Black women and other groups of traditionally underrepresented women.
• Shorten your path to a master's or doctoral degree by earning transferable credits

Ready to Apply?

Applicants to the graduate certificate program at Howard University (both internal and external applicants) must complete the GradCAS application. Please visit this website for more detailed information about the graduate certificate, including admission requirements.