Certificate in Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies (MPH Option)

The graduate certificate in Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies (WGSS), MPH Option is a supplementary program designed for students currently enrolled in the Master’s of Public Health in Urban Health at  Northeastern University.

The certificate aims to complement traditional disciplinary knowledges and provide students with a deep grounding in interdisciplinary feminist and queer studies.  In particular, our graduate classes focus on the intersection of gender with sexuality, race, class, and other vectors of power and identity, seeking to broaden and enrich analytical skills. Master of Public Health (MPH) students are able to apply theories, concepts, and methods gained from the WGSS certificate to addressing urban health issues. Certificate students will work with an advisor in the Public Health program to develop a plan for completing the certificate. The advisory relationship is intended to be facilitative; students are free to request a different advisor at any time.

Students enrolled in the MPH Program at the Bouvé College of Health Sciences who wish to pursue a certificate in WGSS follow a slightly different path than students in CSSH programs. The certificate is a 12+ credit-hour course of study consisting of one foundational interdisciplinary course in WGSS and either two additional electives from a pre-approved list OR one additional elective from the pre-approved list and a capstone project focusing on a topic relating to gender and sexuality as it relates to public health with a one credit-hour directed study with a WGSS faculty member who will also sit on the capstone committee. MPH students will also focus their MPH core course work in PHTH 5120 (Race, Ethnicity, and Health in the United States) and PHTH 6204 (Society, Behavior, and Health) on projects in gender, sexuality, and public health.

Interested MPH students should contact Alisa Lincoln, Professor of Health Sciences and Sociology or Neil Maniar, Director of the MPH program prior to pursuing the WGSS certificate to discuss their options. After you have discussed your intentions with the MPH program administration, if you decide to pursue the certificate, please complete this simple online form. The WGSS program coordinator will then contact you to set up a meeting and will add the certificate to your degree audit.