Pursue advanced feminist work across the disciplines.

This independent interdisciplinary program is designed to broaden and enrich disciplinary scholarship for students enrolled in a master’s or doctoral-degree-granting program. The purpose of the certificate is to enable students interested in feminist scholarship to pursue a coherent, integrated curriculum in the field and to credential them as knowledgeable in feminist studies, thus qualifying them for positions requiring such expertise. Students completing the certificate will have the opportunity to bring a feminist perspective to bear on the practices and ideas of their own discipline, thereby increasing the body of feminist theory and research. 

The curriculum is designed to ground students in the evolving tradition of feminist scholarship while supporting them as they utilize a feminist perspective within their own fields of study. The certificate emphasizes the development of feminist theory, research, and analytical skills from an integrative and intersectional perspective, prioritizing the interaction of race, class, gender, and sexuality in a national and/or global perspective. 


 

View of the Connecticut River from Sugarloaf Mountain, Sunderland.

Certificate Requirements

Five graduate courses distributed as follows:

  • WGSS 701 (offered in fall): Genealogies of Feminist Thought (formerly WGSS 791B—Feminist Theory)
  • WGSS 705 (offered every spring): Feminist Epistemologies and Interdisciplinary Methodologies (formerly WGSS 691B—Issues in Feminist Research)
  • 3 electives: At least two of the three electives should be courses taught by WGSS core faculty and selected from the designated options in the WGSS course guide. The course guide is published before registration every semester.   

Applying to the Certificate

  • Many students apply to the certificate program having already begun coursework, but we strongly encourage applying early. A maximum of two courses completed prior to acceptance can be applied towards the certificate, including those taken in the spring of application. Because the application process occurs annually in the spring, it is highly recommended that interested students apply early in their coursework. This requirement is meant to engage them early in the intellectual life of the program. If there are extenuating circumstances that require a student to count more than two courses that were taken before acceptance into the program, please explain these and they will be taken into consideration. However, we cannot guarantee that all previous courses will be counted without compelling reasons.
     
  • Faculty writing recommendations for applicants to the graduate certificate in feminist studies, please forward your completed reference to: @email. Faculty may also submit their recommendations on this Google Form. The selection committee looks to letters of reference for insight into the unique qualifications a student may possess, especially in relation to their interest in feminist analysis.  

Teaching for WGSS

  • If you're interested in teaching in WGSS, our application process starts in February of each year. We prioritize certificate students when hiring graduate students to teach WGSS classes. Questions about the application process can be sent to Linda Hillenbrand (lindah@umass.edu).

Joyce A. Berkman Award

The Joyce A. Berkman Award for Outstanding Graduate Feminist Scholarship is presented annually to a current or former graduate certificate student by the Department of WGSS. The award is in honor of Joyce Avrech Berkman, feminist teacher, activist, History Department faculty member for 48 years (1965–2013), and co-founder of WGSS. 

For More Information Contact: 

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Laura Ciolkowski

Senior Lecturer

Email: lciolkowski@umass.edu
Office: W475 South College
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Svati Shah

Associate Professor | Graduate Program Director

Email: svatipshah@wost.umass.edu
Office: W413 South College
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Linda Hillenbrand

Business Manager

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