Women and Gender Studies

The North Dakota State University (NDSU) Women and Gender Studies (WGS) program is an interdisciplinary academic program that focuses on women and gender issues in society, while integrating the teaching, research, and service goals of our land grant university. The program offers a graduate certificate in Women and Gender Studies that is open to students enrolled in graduate degree programs at NDSU as well as professionals who are not currently pursuing a masters or doctorate. 

To begin your certificate studies in the WGS program, contact the Director, Dr. Ashley Baggett, at ashley.baggett@ndsu.edu.

Career Opportunities

Graduate students completing the Women and Gender Studies certificate enrich the study of their discipline by receiving additional instruction in the way in which gender and sexuality functions. The perspectives and application of feminist theory deeps research in their respective field.

Increasingly, employers seek candidates who understand and support diversity and inclusiveness, which is a foundational principle in the Women and Gender Studies program. The Women and Gender Studies certificate provides the valuable expertise to advance professionals in the workplace. Educators can gain graduate credit hours necessary to increase their salary. Doctoral scholars improve their marketability by demonstrating versatility in their research and are eligible to seek positions with dual appointments in their home field and in Women and Gender Studies. 

The Curriculum

Women and Gender Studies certificate students complete 5 credit hours in core courses. These include WGS 793: Professional Development, WGS 797S: Research, and WGS 793: Community Outreach. The Professional Development credit hour is an independent study for engagement with the field through activities such as conference presentations or event organizing. The Research credit hour is for the development of an original research paper on a gender-related topic. Lastly, the Community Outreach independent study is the capstone. As a field committed to fostering justice for all, students complete a capstone that places feminist theory into practice.

In addition to the core courses, Women and Gender Studies certificate students explore issues of gender and sexuality through completion of 9 elective credits. These are tailored towards their individual field and include Education, Sociology, Public Health, History, and others.

To be admitted to the WGS Certificate Program, the applicant must be a current degree-seeking student in a graduate program at an educational institution of recognized standing, with a 3.0 GPA or higher. Submit a short statement of purpose (no more than two double-spaced pages) indicating 1) reasons for pursuing a graduate certificate in WGS, 2) the experiences you’ve had (e.g., informal, academic, professional, volunteer) that are related to this graduate certificate, and 3) your professional goals and how this graduate certificate program will help you accomplish those goals.

To apply, please go to the Admission Information page. Decisions will be made on an ongoing, rolling basis.

Course requirements for the graduate certificate in WGS will build upon existing graduate curriculum, most of which are accessible to all disciplines. This program requires 9 credit hours of coursework (may be combined with coursework for your primary degree program); 1 credit hour of professional development; a research component worth 1 credit hour; and a community project or grant application worth 3 credit hours, for a total of 14 credit hours.

Current List of Graduate Courses that are suggested by WGS (list is not all-inclusive, and some programs are restricted to their enrolled students):

Ashley Baggett, Ph.D.
Associate Professor and Director of WGS
Louisiana State University, 2014
Research Interests: Women’s History/Gender Studies, 19th Century U.S., Southern History

Alison Bertolini, Ph.D.
Associate Professor, English and Women and Gender Studies
Louisiana State University, 2009
Research Interests: Contemporary American Literature, Gender Studies, Ethnic Literature, Postcolonial Literature, Women’s Studies

Dena Wyum, M.S.
Lecturer, Human Development and Family Science
North Dakota State University, 2008

Allied Faculty

Kelly Cameron, Ph.D.
Senior Lecturer, English
Texas Christian University, 2012
Research Interests: Feminist Approaches to Rhetoric and Cultural Rhetorics

Kristen Fellows, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor, Sociology and Anthropology
University of Pennsylvania, 2013
Research Interests: Feminist Archaeology and Anthropology, Ethnohistory and Oral Histories

Holly Hassel, Ph.D.
Professor, English
University of Nebraska, 2002
Research Interests: Feminist Pedagogy

Christi McGeorge, Ph.D.
Professor, Human Development and Family Science
University of Minnesota, 2005
Research Interests: Influence of Heterosexism and Homophobia on Clinical Practice and Training, Gender Equity in Therapy, Gender Equity in Higher Education

Carrie Anne Platt, Ph.D.
Associate Professor, Communication
University of Southern California, 2008
Research interests: Rhetorical Approaches to Emerging Technologies and Identity in Public Culture As Well as Digital Media and Communication Pedagogy

Christina Weber, Ph.D.
Associate Professor, Sociology and Anthropology
State University of New York (Buffalo), 2005
Research Interests: The Sociology of Memory and Trauma, Photography’s Impact of the Historical Understanding of the Great Depression, Women and the Dust Bowl