New 15-Credit WGS Certificate at UM-Flint

Beginning in Fall 2014, UM-Flint will be offering a 15-credit certification to demonstrate proficiency in Women’s and Gender Studies.

Students often report that they would like to complete the 21-credit WGS minor and that they have only two or three additional courses left to take, but that they simply do not have the time as they work to complete their major requirements and graduate in a timely manner. Students often do not “find” WGS until they are well along in their studies. Sometimes it takes a couple of courses before they realize they are interested and that a minor even exists. The large population of transfer students at UM-Flint contributes to this challenge. Because of their degree requirements, students in the professional schools may find it particularly difficult to complete a 21-credit minor. The option of a 15-credit certificate may allow them to fulfill many of their general education requirements while gaining knowledge that will strengthen their marketability and success in their chosen fields (e.g. social work, education, nursing and other health professions, business, etc.).

This certificate will help students connect ideas and themes across disciplines, deepen their understanding of inequalities, and consider issues of social justice. A student’s transcripts will indicate successful completion of this certificate, which will help potential employers understand a student’s claim that she or he has knowledge of diversity issues without having to read their full transcript. In order to be financial aid eligible this certificate must be completed in conjunction with a Bachelor’s degree. It cannot be completed as a stand-alone program.

At its core this certificate is student centered. Our goal is to provide the flexibility for students to pursue their educational desires and to provide them with an advantage as they pursue careers or graduate school.

WGS courses include classes from Philosophy, Africana Studies, Sociology, Anthropology, Political Science, History, and more. The program prepares students to become knowledgeable about and conscious of women’s lives and gender processes as they pursue jobs and careers, as they move through their life course, as they further their studies at postgraduate levels, and as they work to become active and socially responsible participants and leaders in their communities.

To learn more, visit www.umflint.edu/wgs, call 810.762.3044, or email Director Heather Laube at [email protected].