Academic Programs
The Harriet Tubman Department of Women, Gender and Sexuality Studies at the University of Maryland offers comprehensive programs in interdisciplinary undergraduate and graduate education.
We offer a range of interdisciplinary programs and opportunities for students interested in exploring how the intersections of gender, race, sexuality, ethnicity, nationality, ability and other inequalities configure historical and contemporary struggles for social change.
Our recently redesigned B.A. has six thematic concentration areas—Social Justice; Transnational Politics and Perspectives; Race, Ethnicity, and Class; Bodies, Genders, and Sexualities; Arts, Technologies, and Cultural Production; Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer + Studies—which allows students to specialize across the interdisciplinary research strengths of the department faculty.
The department also offers undergraduate certificates and minors in LGBTQ Studies and Black Women's Studies. Certificates and minors are only available to students already earning an undergraduate degree.
UMD is one of a small number of universities in the U.S. to offer a doctoral degree in the interdisciplinary field of women, gender, and sexuality studies. In addition to our Ph.D. program, we offer a Graduate Certificate for students already enrolled in other graduate programs at UMD. At this time we do not offer a terminal Master's degree.
Undergraduate Programs
Graduate Programs
Undergraduate Certificates
Graduate Certificates
Undergraduate Minors and Certificates
Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies Certificate
The 21-credit certificate is an alternative to the B.A. for students who want to examine history, status, contributions and experiences of women in diverse cultural communities.
Black Women's Studies Minor
The Black women’s studies minor offers students an opportunity to critically engage theories and histories of justice and social change within the Black community, both nationally and transnationally.
LGBTQ Studies Minor & Certificate
The LGBTQ studies certificate and minor provide students with opportunities for focused, interdisciplinary study of the lives, experiences, identities and representations of LGBTQ+ people.
Graduate Certificate in Women, Gender and Sexuality Studies
The graduate certificate requires a minimum of 18 credit hours, including a core requirement of 9 credit hours of WGSS courses, which provides students with an integrative and interdisciplinary academic encounter with the contributions and challenges of feminist inquiry.
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years of doctoral training in our 43 years of women, gender, and sexuality studies education.