Programs

UMass Dartmouth's Women's Studies Undergraduate Online Certificate offers students the opportunity to develop a fuller understanding of the position of women in society. Courses draw upon such fields as economics, history, literature, political science, and sociology, as well as feminist thought and methodology.

The Women's Studies Online Certificate fosters an active examination of the varying influences upon women's and men's lives such as race, class, ethnicity, gender, sex, sexuality, and age. The program provides students with an opportunity to:

• Think about the construction and influences of gender in contemporary society
• Discover the historical factors that have shaped the current status of women from varying backgrounds and countries
• Explore paths to achieve equality for all people

The Goals of the Program are for students to:

• Understand the historical, social, and political contexts of women's movements and feminist thought
• Understand feminist theories and apply them in critiquing and transforming their world
• Connect the women's movements and feminist theory to other social justice movements and theories

WMS courses in the Humanities and Social Sciences teach students to:

• Identify and evaluate the social construction of gender and the ways gender intersects with other forms of identity
• Understand the gendering of our socioeconomic and political worlds and the individual and collective components of social change
• Identify, compare, and evaluate culturally and historically specific ideas of gender, sex, and sexuality
• Apply a critical feminist perspective to the study of literature and the arts

Learn more about this program:

To receive more information and connect with the program manager, please click on the inquire now button to the right.

Sample a Course

Click here for more information on the Women's Studies Online Undergraduate Certificate Program.

Registration is administered through Professional and Continuing Education at UMass Dartmouth. Payment is due upon registration. Please see Fee Schedule below.

Type of Fee	Amount
Tuition & Fees per course	$1100
College Fee per semester	$39-75
Library Access Fee	$18
Registration Fee per semester	$30
Technology Fee per course	$150
Total for a three credit course*	$1337-$1373

Click here to browse our course listings.

* Courses can vary from one to six credits; this total represents a standard 3 credit course

The University of Massachusetts is accredited by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC).

Did you know?

University of Massachusetts has earned several awards for its distance learning programs, faculty and technology including:

• University of Massachusetts Ranked Among Top 28 Best Value in Online Education for Human Services & Psychology Professionals, 2009 by Get Educated
  
• Ranked Top 10 Online Degrees Colleges- September 2009 (Online Degree Reviews.com)
  
• UMassOnline Awarded Public Sector of the Year by Mass Technology Leadership Council , 2008
  
• Most Outstanding Online Teaching and Learning Program, UMass Lowell’s Online Graduate Behavioral Intervention in Autism Program, Sloan Consortium Excellence Awards, 2008
  
• ‘Excellence in Online Teaching’ Award, Dr. Jeannette E. Riley, Sloan Consortium Excellence Awards, 2008
  
• 21st Century Best Practices Award, United States Distance Learning Association (USDLA)
  
• Program of Excellence, University Continuing Education Association (UCEA)-Journalism Certificate
  
• Excellence in Faculty Development, Sloan-C Excellence Awards
  
• Excellence in Online Programming, Sloan-C Excellence Awards
  
• Excellence in Online Teaching, Sloan-C Excellence Awards
  
• UMass Amherst Isenberg MBA, Top 10 national rankings, #4 Best Professors (2005, 2006, 2007 Princeton Review: Best Business Schools rankings)
  
• 4th in Primary Care Education, U.S. World Reports
  
• Ranked 45th Best University System in the World - London Times
  
• Excellence in Distance Teaching Education - United States Distance Learning Association (USDLA) 

Students with an earned high school diploma are eligible for the undergraduate program. Completion of the certificate will enhance a student's current career or assist in the development of new jobs skills. For example, successful students will find themselves with an increased understanding of women's experiences in the workplace, as well as a fuller understanding of issues of difference that affect social interactions.

Admission & Degree Requirements

• A High School diploma is required
  
• Students are responsible for all pre-requisites to all courses

The curriculum for the Women's Studies Program Certificate includes:

• WMS 101: Introduction to Women's Studies
• WMS 201: Introduction to Feminist Theory
• One upper level feminist theory course (WMS 302: Global Feminism; WMS 305: Contemporary Feminist Theory and Practice; WMS 306: Third Wave Feminism; or WMS 307: Ecofeminism: Theory and Practice)
• One 300-level WMS elective in Humanities
• One 300-level WMS elective in Social Sciences

Total: 15 credit hours

Out of the 15 credit hours for the undergraduate certificate, nine need to be at the upper level.

Students are responsible for pre-requisites to all courses.

Students can complete the certificate online within in two semesters.

Availability of financial aid varies depending on matriculation and course status.  Please check with your advisor to determine your eligibility.