The Women's and Gender Studies (WGS) graduate certificate is a 15-hour program for students who have completed a B.S. or B.A. degree in any field. Students with no prior course work in WGS may be required to take classes in preparation for admission to the certificate program.

Program admission procedure:

Admission to the graduate certificate in Women’s & Gender Studies is open to any student who has completed a B.A. or B.S. degree with a 3.0 overall GPA. Students may pursue the certificate outside the framework of a graduate degree program or in conjunction with a graduate degree program in another UofL department. Students wishing to pursue the certificate must apply for admission through the Graduate School by:

1. Completing a Graduate School application form and sending in the application fee
2. Submitting an official transcript reflecting previous degrees earned

Students must also send directly to Women’s and Gender Studies a one-to-two page letter of intent, describing how the WGS graduate certificate will further their personal or professional goals.

Students wishing to pursue the graduate certificate in conjunction with a graduate degree program in another UofL department should first apply and be admitted to the degree program before applying for admission to the WGS graduate certificate program.

1. Students must complete a total of 15 hours in courses approved for graduate credit in accordance with the policies of the Graduate School, approved by the WGS chairperson.
2. One course among the 15 hours must be WGST 601 or WGST 602.
3. At least two courses must be at the 600-level.
4. Courses must be chosen from both humanities and social sciences disciplines, with consultation of WGS chairperson.
5. Students pursuing the WGS certificate in conjunction with a graduate degree program must take at least one course outside of the department in which the student is pursuing the degree.
6. A single course may satisfy more than one requirement.
7. Course work toward the graduate certificate in WGS may also count toward the student’s graduate degree.

Nancy M. Theriot
Professor and Chairperson

Karen Christopher
Associate Professor

Cate Fosl
Associate Professor

Dawn Heinecken
Associate Professor

Kaila Story
Assistant Professor
Audre Lorde Endowed Chair in Race, Class, Gender, and Sexuality

Tomarra Adams

Affiliated Faculty
Assistant Professor, Pan African Studies

Ann Allen
Affiliated Faculty
Professor, History

Annette Allen
Affiliated Faculty
Associate Professor, Humanities

Beth Boehm
Affiliated Faculty
Associate Professor, English

Mary Esi Bani

Affiliated Faculty
Associate Professor, Pan African Studies

Barbara Burns
Affiliated Faculty
Professor, Psychology

Thomas B. Byers
Affiliated Faculty
Professor, English

Karen Chandler
Affiliated Faculty
Associate Professor, English

Anne Caldwell
Affiliated Faculty
Associate Professor, Political Science

Julia Dietrich
Affiliated Faculty
Professor, English

Christine Ehrick
Affiliated Faculty
Associate Professor, History

Rinda Frye
Affiliated Faculty
Associate Professor, Theatre Arts

Patricia Gagne
Affiliated Faculty
Associate Professor, Sociology

Alan Golding
Affiliated Faculty
Professor, English

Trish Gray
Affiliated Faculty
Term Appointment, Political Science

Susan Griffin
Affiliated Faculty
Professor, English

Anita Harris
Affiliated Faculty
Assistant Professor, Anthropology and Pan African Studies

Karen Hadley
Affiliated Faculty
Associate Professor, English

Susan Herlin
Affiliated Faculty
Associated Professor, Emerita, History and Pan African Studies

Suzette Henke
Affiliated Faculty
Professor, English

Katherine Johnson
Affiliated Faculty
Assistant Professor, University Libraries

Cheryl Kolander
Affiliated Faculty
Professor, HPES

Karen L. Kopelson
Affiliated Faculty
Assistant Professor, English

Gul Marshall
Affiliated Faculty
Assistant Professor, Sociology

Carol Mattingly
Affiliated Faculty
Associate Professor, English

Diane Pecknold
Affiliated Faculty
Visiting Teaching Scholar, Commonwealth Center for the Humanities and Society

Wendy Pfeffer
Affiliated Faculty
Professor, Classical and Modern Languages

Natalie Polzer
Affiliated Faculty
Assistant Professor, Humanities

Nancy Potter
Affiliated Faculty
Associate Professor, Philosophy

Annette Powell
Affiliated Faculty
Assistant Professor, English

Theresa Rajack-Talley
Affiliated Faculty
Associate Professor, Pan African Studies

Anu Sabhlok
Affiliated Faculty
Assistant Professor, Geography and Geosciences

Edwin S. Segal
Affiliated Faculty
Professor, Emeritus, Anthropology

Arthur Slavin
Affiliated Faculty
Professor, Emeritus, Humanities

Mary Ann Stenger
Affiliated Faculty
Associate Professor, Humanities

Tamara Yohannes
Affiliated Faculty
Term appointment, English