WGSS Graduate Certificate | Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies

The proposed certificate is geared primarily toward Lehigh University graduate students in fields where women, gender and sexuality are a sub-field of study such as Sociology, English, History, Political Science, Psychology, Education, and Business.

The WGSS graduate certificate provides the opportunity for graduate students at Lehigh University to receive substantial training in Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies as a supplement to their departmental degree.

The WGSS graduate certificate requires a total of 4 courses for at least 12 credits. At least two courses must be at the 400-level with one of these as a 400-level only class. At least two courses must be taken outside the student's home department. Non-matriculating students must take at least one social science and one humanities course.

For details on requirements and course guidelines, click here.

For Lehigh Degree Students
To fill out the CAS Graduate Certificate Program Form, click here...

For Lehigh Non-Degree Students
To sign up for our Non-Degree Graduate Certificate Program, click here ...

For general information on the College of Arts and Science Graduate Certificate Program, visit the College's Graduate Office.

If you have any questions or want to meet with us, contact us directly at:
Professor Monica Najar, Director, Women, Gender and Sexuality Studies, 610-758-4424 or mon2@lehigh.edu
Office of Interdisciplinary Programs, 31 Williams Hall, Suite 101, incasip@lehigh.edu, 610-758-3996.

Graduate Testimony

Emily Meadows, PhD Candidate, Comparative and International Education

"I study gender and sexual minorities in international schools. My research focuses on educational equity, analyzing how gender and sexual minority (sometimes referred to as LGBTQ) students access the benefits of educational systems worldwide. The WGSS Graduate Certificate has allowed me to complement my work in the Comparative & International Education department by offering specific content that applies directly to this line of inquiry. Furthermore, the WGSS Graduate Certificate is flexible enough that I have been able to tailor the program to perfectly suit my academic interests. I am proud of my affiliation with the Women, Gender and Sexuality Studies program, and am grateful that Lehigh offers this opportunity for inter-departmental collaboration."

Colleen Clemens

I know that earning the WGSS graduate certificate made me more marketable. But it offered me more than that--it allowed me to connect my academic life with personal interests. Interning at the Women's Center help me connect the theory I was learning in my courses to the practice I care so much about. With other interns, I helped spearhead a daylong conference, a legacy I am proud to have cultivated. I was able to take courses outside my field to expand my understanding of women's issues in developing countries. Most importantly, I met like-minded students who challenged my beliefs and forced me to hone my arguments and learning. I use these experiences everyday as a professor, both in the classroom as I challenge students to think critically about gender in texts and outside the classroom when I connect with students who work to make sense of a constantly changing world. I am so pleased this certification was developed while I was still at Lehigh so I could take advantage of it."