Certificate in the Study of Women, Gender and Sexuality
Program Learning Outcomes for the Certificate in the Study of Women, Gender and Sexuality
Upon completing the certificate in the Study of Women, Gender and Sexuality, students will be able to:
- Demonstrate knowledge of historical and contemporary approaches to the study of women, gender and sexuality across diverse disciplines.
- Engage through their intellectual production feminist concepts and methodologies, and features of women’s studies, gender studies, and/or sexuality studies as academic fields.
- Incorporate critical debates in the study of women, gender and sexuality in their oral presentations and written analyses, including work for publication and/or use in a thesis.
Requirements for the Certificate in the Study of Women, Gender and Sexuality
The certificate in the Study of Women, Gender and Sexuality is a graduate certificate. For general university requirements, please see Certificates: Graduate-Level. For additional requirements, regulations, and procedures for all graduate programs, please see All Graduate Students. Students pursuing the certificate in the Study of Women, Gender and Sexuality must complete:
- A minimum of 3 courses (9 credit hours) of graduate-level study (graduate semester credit hours, coursework at the 500-level or above) to satisfy certificate requirements.
- A minimum of 4 semesters of participation in the CSWGS Annual Colloquium1,3.
- A thesis (for the PhD program in which they have been admitted) that in some way features the study of women, gender and/or sexuality2,3.
- All course requirements met with Rice University coursework (transfer credit not permitted). For additional program guidelines regarding transfer credit, see the Policies tab.
- A minimum overall GPA of 2.67 or higher in all Rice coursework.
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A minimum program GPA of 2.67 or higher in all Rice coursework that satisfies requirements for the graduate certificate with a minimum grade of B- (2.67 grade points) in each course.
This certificate is not a freestanding degree program; in addition to fulfilling the certificate requirements outlined below, candidates will be required to complete successfully the degree program to which they have been admitted in order to receive this certificate. Upon completion, the certificate is awarded at the same time as the conferral of the student’s Rice degree, along with a formal notation on their academic transcript.
The courses listed below satisfy the requirements for this certificate. In certain instances, courses not on this official list may be substituted upon approval of the certificate’s academic advisor, or where applicable, the Program Director. Course substitutions must be formally applied and entered into Degree Works by the certificate's Official Certifier. Additionally, these must be approved by the Office of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies. Students and their academic advisors should identify and clearly document the courses to be taken.
Summary
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Total Credit Hours Required for the Certificate in the Study of Women, Gender and Sexuality | 9 | |
Certificate Requirements
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Core Requirements | ||
| SWGS 501 | FEMINIST DEBATES | 3 |
| SWGS 502 | WRITING WORKSHOP: WOMEN, GENDER, AND SEXUALITY | 3 |
| Elective Requirement 4 | ||
| Select 1 course from the following: | 3 | |
| SOCIAL LIFE OF DNA | ||
| QUEER ARCHAEOLOGY | ||
| MEDICAL ANTHROPOLOGY | ||
| FEMINIST SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY STUDIES | ||
| RACE, CLASS, GENDER IN EDUCATION | ||
| WOMEN AND REPRESENTATION | ||
| DIRECTED READING | ||
| SEEING SEX IN EUROPEAN ART, 1400-1700 | ||
| POSTCOLONIALISM AND BEYOND | ||
| Annual Colloquium (minimum of 4 semesters) 1 | ||
| Total Credit Hours | 9 | |
Footnotes and Additional Information
| 1 | The Annual Colloquium requirement is met by attending a series of colloquium seminars and associated public lectures offered by the Center for the Study of Women, Gender and Sexuality (CSWGS) over the course of a year, for a total of four (4) semesters. Generally students complete this requirement within two (2) years of study. It is recommended, though not required, that students attend the Annual Colloquium beyond the minimum requirements. For more information about the Annual Colloquium, see the Opportunities tab. |
| 2 | CSWGS must verify that a student's thesis (for the PhD program in which they have been admitted) in some way features the study of women, gender and/or sexuality. Students are strongly encouraged to include a member of the CSWGS faculty on their thesis committee and to consult regularly with the faculty member as they pursue their thesis work. |
| 3 | The participation in the CSWGS Annual Colloquium and the thesis that in some way features the study of women, gender, and/or sexuality together comprise the experiential learning opportunity requirement for the Certificate in the Study of Women, Gender and Sexuality. |
| 4 | New courses often emerge, and CSWGS invites students to bring possible new electives forward for approval to fulfill the elective requirement. |
Policies for the Certificate in the Study of Women, Gender and Sexuality
Advising
In most cases, students will be able to complete the certificate requirements within the normal time limits for coursework in their PhD program. All students must work out their individual courses of study with the SWGS graduate advisor and the graduate advisor in their home departments. Each student’s course of study must be pre-approved by the SWGS graduate advisor. Please note that not all courses listed as certificate requirements will be offered every academic year.
Thesis Work
Students pursuing the Certificate in the Study of Women, Gender and Sexuality are strongly encouraged to include a faculty member affiliated with CSWGS on their thesis committee and to consult regularly with the faculty member as they pursue their thesis work.
Program Restrictions and Exclusions
Students pursuing the certificate in the Study of Women, Gender and Sexuality should be aware of the following program restriction:
- Graduate students may declare their intent to pursue a university certificate only after they have first been admitted into a graduate-level Rice degree-granting program.
Transfer Credit
For Rice University’s policy regarding transfer credit, see Transfer Credit. Some departments and programs have additional restrictions on transfer credit. Students are encouraged to meet with their academic program’s advisor when considering transfer credit possibilities.
Program Transfer Credit Guidelines
Students pursuing the certificate in the Study of Women, Gender and Sexuality should be aware of the following program-specific transfer credit guidelines:
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Transfer credit coursework cannot be applied or used to meet any of the program’s course requirements.
Additional Information
For additional information, please see the Center for the Study of Women, Gender and Sexuality website: https://cswgs.rice.edu/
Opportunities for the Certificate in the Study of Women, Gender and Sexuality
Colloquium
Students in the Certificate in the Study of Women, Gender and Sexuality program participate in a colloquium consisting of a series of seminars and public lectures over the course of a year, organized by the Center for the Study of Women, Gender and Sexuality (CSWGS). Colloquium topics are determined by the CSWGS steering committee with a view to highlighting emerging knowledge in gender, sexuality, and women’s studies. The colloquium provides graduate students with the opportunity to engage in intellectual exchange with leading scholars and to participate in producing cutting-edge work in the field.
Colloquium attendance constitutes an official requirement for the certificate (for more information, see the Requirements tab). Attendance beyond the required minimum is highly encouraged.
Competitive Graduate Certificate Fellowships
Students who have completed the requirements for the certificate and who have achieved candidacy are eligible for competitive Graduate Certificate Fellowships. Successful applications will identify the ways that the study of gender and/or sexuality feature in their dissertations. The Center will contact eligible students with application procedures.
Teaching Assistants
Certificate students are eligible to work as teaching assistants for an undergraduate SWGS course. In some cases, certificate students may be eligible to serve as an instructor of record for a SWGS course.
Additional Information
For additional information, please see the Center for the Study of Women, Gender and Sexuality website: https://cswgs.rice.edu/.
See https://humanities.rice.edu/student-life for tables of fellowships, prizes, and internships/practica that may be relevant to this program.