Certificate and Cluster Requirements

The following requirements are in addition to, or further elaborate upon, those requirements outlined in The Graduate School Policy Guide.

CLUSTER | CERTIFICATE | COURSES

Cluster

The purpose of the Cluster is to introduce students to the basics of Gender and Sexuality Studies. While we encourage  breadth in the field, the cluster serves as an opportunity for students who may not have much room or flexibility in their coursework schedules to still get training in topics related to Gender and Sexuality Studies.

Prospective graduate students interested in participating in this program should indicate their interest when they apply to their respective graduate programs. Some students will be invited to Northwestern as Mellon-funded fellows of the Gender and Sexuality Studies Cluster.

Students in established departmental graduate programs can also participate in the Gender and Sexuality Studies Graduate Cluster. Note: This credential does not appear on transcripts. Most students proceed to the Certificate.

Cluster Requirements

• At least one designated sexuality theory course from the list below
• At least one designated gender/feminist theory course from the list below
• One additional GSS course in any field
• Any two quarters of the Graduate Colloquium
• GSS Advisory Form: please fill out and submit with your materials the GSS advisory form to the current Director of Graduate Studies

Certificate

The certificate is a more robust and thorough training in Gender and Sexuality Studies. It is not only to gain knowledge in matters and topics related to the study of genders and sexualities; it is also designed to broaden students’ understanding of the field and its many methodologies, questions, and scopes. To that end, we strongly encourage students pursuing the Certificate to engage in GSS coursework that falls outside of their primary discipline. GSS is deeply interdisciplinary, and students are encouraged to engage as fully as possible in that interdisciplinarity.

Certificate Requirements

• At least two designated sexuality studies courses (at least one of which must be a sexuality theory course) from the list below
• At least two designated gender/feminist studies courses (at least one of which must be a gender/feminist theory course) from the list below
• One additional GSS course in any field
• Any two quarters of the Graduate Colloquium
• GSS Advisory form: please fill out and submit with your materials the GSS advisory form to the current Director of Graduate Studies
• Cover letter:
  • Must outline your project and the ways that GSS is integral to it. The cover letter attached by the student to the major research project should include situating the project in its field, explaining its gender and/or sexuality focus, its contribution to the field, and the grounds on which it should be accepted in fulfillment of the certificate requirement.
  • While there is no length requirement for this letter, it needs to clearly articulate the points above, so we recommend a minimum of one page.
  • If need be, the GSS DGS will reach out to the student, and, if necessary, to the student’s adviser, for clarifications and further details.
• Research project:
  • This can be a seminar paper, prospectus, dissertation chapter, or conference paper. It must clearly show that GSS is foundational for your project and your thinking, and should ideally demonstrate the impact of GSS courses on your work.
  • Preferred formats for submission are PDF, Word files, or MP4s.
  • For any further clarifications, contact the GSS DGS directly.

Courses

Please see below for the approved courses you may take to fulfill the GSS Cluster or Certificate. As a note, the approved courses will not always be taught each quarter. Please cross-reference what is currently being offered with the courses that have been approved for each requirement. If you would like to ask any questions or make any substitutions, please be in touch with the current Director of Graduate Studies for GSS before finalizing your plans.

Please be aware also that the GSS Colloquium is taught for two quarters each academic year. It is a 0.5 credit course and meets five times in each of its two quarters. Colloquium is a forum for the circulation and discussion of work-in-progress by advanced graduate students in GSS, and a workshop for pre-professional activities, meetings with faculty in the program, presentations by recent fellowship recipients, and discussion of topics and issues relevant to those enrolled in the course. Anyone is welcome to attend single sessions of the Colloquium whenever they wish, even when they are not participating throughout a given term. GSS students are invited to participate in the Colloquium as many times as they like over the course of their graduate career. The Colloquia you enroll in do not have to be consecutive.

Course Listings