GWSS Graduate Certificate Program

Working on Master’s or Doctoral program of study? The FAQs on this page will help you understand what is involved when you choose to earn a Gender, Women and Sexuality Studies Graduate Certificate.

GWSS Graduate Certificate FAQ

The Graduate Certificate program in Gender, Women and Sexuality Studies is an interdisciplinary program that advances knowledge and research in the fields of gender, women and sexuality studies.  This means that graduate courses approved for the GWSS Graduate Certificate can be offered by major graduate programs, such as History, Sociology, or English.

Students wishing to earn a GWSS Graduate Certificate must be currently enrolled in a Master’s or Ph.D. program at UT Arlington, having met UTA and the degree granting department’s admission standards.  Students should talk with their department’s Graduate Studies Advisor before applying to the Graduate Certificate in Gender, Women and Sexuality Studies.


Students gain specialization within the field of gender, women and sexuality studies that enhances their graduate education and equips them with skills to succeed in their chosen careers.

Graduate courses approved for the GWSS Graduate Certificate include courses from several major departments, such as Social Work, History, English, and Sociology, among others.  

Each semester, Gender, Women and Sexuality Studies collaborates with Graduate Programs to determine which graduate courses can be approved for the GWSS Graduate Certificate.  The courses must have an emphasis on women, gender, sexuality, or related topic.  A student may petition the Director and their Curriculum Committee to allow a course without a specific emphasis, but the student must then integrate women, gender, and/or sexuality into the course work and present this to the Director and Curriculum Committee.


While students are not required to take approved graduate courses in a particular order, they are required to take 3 hours (1 class) of graduate level theory selected from the approved graduate course list.  The other 9 hours (3 classes) are chosen by the student.  We strongly recommend student enroll in the theory class first to establish a strong foundation upon which to build their progress in the other courses.