The GWS Graduate Certificate is intended for students who already have completed a BA; they may be enrolled in MA programs or be working professionals seeking to enhance their understanding of feminist theory and feminist social movements and other aspects of gender and women’s studies relevant to their interests.
Non-GWS PhD students may take the Certificate but are encouraged to enroll in the GWS PhD Minor and include GWS faculty, content and approaches in their Comprehensive Exams and Dissertation.
Contact Information
Darcy Roman-Felix
Academic Program Coordinator
roman@email.arizona.edu
(520) 621-5657
How to Apply
Students applying to The University of Arizona's Ph.D. in Gender and Women's Studies degree program must submit the online Graduate Admissions Application.
Admissions Policies
- A baccalaureate degree is required.
- Students must apply to the Graduate College and GWS
Concurrent enrollment in a degree program is permitted in UA Graduate Programs outside of the Graduate Program in Gender and Women's Studies. It is not required, however.
There is no residency requirement.
The Director of Graduate Studies for Gender and Women's Studies will do the primary advising, although the entirety of the core Gender and Women's Studies faculty will be available to students enrolled or interested in the Certificate Program.
Certificate students wishing to apply for our Graduate Program are free to do so by following the standard application procedure and timetables. Their applications will be considered competitively along with others. Upon acceptance to the Graduate Program within five years of certification, nine credits could be accepted toward a graduate degree in Gender and Women's Studies.
Application Requirements
Please write a 1,000 word essay explaining your intentions in pursuing a Gender and Women's Studies Certificate. Be as specific as you can about the areas of feminist work that interest you the most, your career goals, and why the Program at the University of Arizona suits your needs. What experiences have you had that make you a strong candidate for the Certificate Program?
Your CV should include:
- Education (degrees you have received or anticipate);
- Academic employment (such as teaching or research positions), whether paid or unpaid;
- Non-academic employment (including internships);
- Honors, prizes, awards, scholarships, and memberships in honor societies and professional organizations;
- Published articles, papers presented at professional meetings, screenings or other public presentations of your creative work creative and other work that is appropriate to Gender and Women's Studies
- Any other activities or accomplishments that you feel are relevant to this application (e.g. extra-curricular activities during college or graduate school or substantial engagement with a non-profit or activist organizations not already listed under employment.
The Department of Gender and Women's Studies requires each applicant to have one letter of recommendation that speaks to your academic, activist, and/or employment-based preparation and motivation for undertaking a certificate.
Graduate Certificate in Gender and Women's Studies Requirements
The GWS Graduate Certificate is intended for students who already have completed a BA: they may be enrolled in other graduate programs at UA or be working professionals seeking to enhance their understanding of feminist theory and feminist social movements and other aspects of gender and women’s studies relevant to their interests. (Students enrolled in a PhD program at the UA should consider the PhD Minor in Gender and Women's Studies.)
Students wishing to undertake the certificate must apply to the Graduate College and the GWS Department (https://apply.grad.arizona.edu/users/login). Accepted students will be awarded a certificate upon completion of 4 GWS graduate seminars (12 units) with a grade of B or higher. Effective Fall 2023 two must come from the following list:
- GWS 539A Feminist Theories
- GWS 639 Feminist and Related Social Movements
- GWS 684 Feminist Knowledge and Methods
The remaining two courses may be any 500-level (or above) courses offered by core Gender and Women's Studies faculty or officially cross-listed with GWS. Students may repeat GWS539A one time for credit that is applicable to a GWS PhD major, PhD minor, MA, or Concentration, on the condition that the syllabus for the course is substantially different from the earlier offering. Course eligibility will be determined by the Director of Graduate Studies or, if a conflict of interest, the Department Head. Repeat enrollment will be treated as a normal GWS elective course. Repeat enrollment will have no bearing on PhD Qualifying procedures tied to these courses.
Certificate students should meet with the GWS Director of Graduate Studies (DGS) for advising and applicants are strongly encouraged to meet with the DGS prior to submitting their application.
Financial Aid
At the moment we are unable to offer Certificate Students any financial aid. (Students already enrolled in other degree-seeking programs should check their home units.) We hope that this will change in the future.