The certificate in Women’s Leadership offered by the Women’s Institute at Chatham University is a multi-disciplinary program designed to equip students with the theory, skills, and practice of leadership. Students earning a certificate will be prepared to take on leadership roles in their chosen fields and beyond, from business, politics, science, and the arts to healthcare, education, non-profits, NGO’s, and more. The goal of the program is to foster world-ready graduates committed to gender equity, who possess the professional skills and experience to become change makers in their organizations, in their communities, and in society at large.

The certificate may be added to any undergraduate major. In addition to 18 credits of coursework, students are required to participate in two signature programs offered by the Women’s Institute or its two outreach centers, the Center for Women’s Entrepreneurship and the Pennsylvania Center for Women and Politics. Undergraduate certificates must be earned within a degree program.

Curriculum

+Course Requirements

One Foundation Course:
WGS101	Introduction to Women's and Gender Studies Examines the role and status of women in society using a variety of disciplinary perspectives. Students will examine materials that present and challenge cultural assumptions of the nature and roles of women and consider diversity among women.	3
OR
CST183	Representations of Race and Gender This course introduces students to the methodology of cultural studies. In this survey students learn those skills essential to analyzing social constructions of identity. Specific attention is paid to diverse texts, including film, in order to locate how representations of race, gender, ethnicity, and "otherness" are culturally produced and disseminated.	3
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WGS202	Women's Leadership in the 21st Century This interdisciplinary seminar provides a foundation in leadership theory and models, including women's diverse ways of leading; women's roles as leaders and agents of change; feminist leadership styles and agendas; and the impact of intersectional identities (such as race, ethnicity, sexuality, and religion and worldview) on leadership styles and agendas. Pre-requisites Complete any 1 of the following courses: CST183 Representations of Race and Gender WGS101 Introduction to Women's and Gender Studies	3
INTWGS303	Internship - Women's and Gender Studies Internship - Women's and Gender Studies	3
(or approved Internship course)*
WGS490	Integrative Capstone The integrative capstone, undertaken by the student during the senior year, is an extended project that helps the student complete their transition from an undergraduate student to a world-ready professional. The study usually centers on the student’s major and may be conducted, at least in part, in the context of a group experience. Such programs are crafted to meet the unique needs of each major, and could include, for example, fieldwork, theater production, creative work in the arts, independent research, or independent readings. The integrative capstone in an interdisciplinary major must have the approval of both academic programs. Pre-requisites Complete the following course: ENG350W Seminar in Literary Theory and Scholarly Writing	3
(or approved Capstone course)*
* Student may use Internship and/or Capstone from their major if learning outcomes also fulfill those for Certificate.
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Two Women's and Gender Studies Electives:
ART213	Special Topics Special Topics	3
ART230W	Women and Art Women and Art addresses the work of women artists from the Renaissance to the present and images of women in Western art. Feminist approaches to the history of art are examined critically to determine their contribution to the history of art. This is a writing intensive course.	3
BIO218	Women's Health Issues This course examines the biology of women, both cis gender and people within trans communities, providing a framework for the discussion of health issues, current research, treatments, and historical perspectives. Aspects of reproductive life and an examination of psychological, sociological and cultural influence.	3
CRM220	Women and the Criminal Justice System This course focuses on three aspects of women's involvement in the criminal justice system: as victims, offenders, and professionals. Coverage will include theories and facts about women offenders, the impact of crime on women victims and survivors, and special issues facing women who pursue careers in policing, corrections and law.	3
CST183	Representations of Race and Gender This course introduces students to the methodology of cultural studies. In this survey students learn those skills essential to analyzing social constructions of identity. Specific attention is paid to diverse texts, including film, in order to locate how representations of race, gender, ethnicity, and "otherness" are culturally produced and disseminated.	3
CST215	Perspectives in Queer Theory This course examines the cultural representations of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people in literature, film, history and social movements. We will explore how gender and sexual identities intersect with race, class and ethnicity. Finally, students will become conversant with the arguments and critical terms used in the field of queer theory. Pre-requisites Complete the following course: ENG105 First-Year Writing	3
ENG220	Gender and Sexuality in Speculative Fiction This course focuses on speculative fiction genres (which include but are not limited to science fiction, fantasy, and futurism). Course materials examine issues of gender and sexuality and how writers working in these genres envision alternative gendered realities through their constructions of language, the body, sensuality, identity, etc.	3
ENG262	Introduction to Women Writers Examining writers from Mary Wollstonecraft to the present, this course delineates the features of a literary tradition specific to women writing in English. Students study novels, essays, and poetry.	3
ENG385	Toni Morrison Seminar This seminar is a study of Toni Morrison’s literature within the context of African-American critical theory. Through Morrison’s work, students will engage in current issues regarding the politics of language, narrative authority, historical revision, the production of meaning, and African-American subjectivity. Pre-requisites Complete the following course: ENG105 First-Year Writing	3
ENG452	Ecofeminist Literature This course brings together theoretical, nonfictional, and fictional approaches to the study of women and the environment. Students will examine how diverse ecofeminist writers problematize, resituate, and reclaim the woman/nature paradigm--a construct historically based in patriarchal culture. This course focuses particularly on how representations of women and environment (ranging from the traditional to the radical) can help students rethink and reimagine their relationship to the ecological world. Pre-requisites Complete any 1 of the following courses: ENG287 African-American Writers ENG207 British Writers I	3
FDT225	Female Narration: Race and Gender in Women's Films This course looks predominantly at films directed by women who have worked out strategies for feminist film practice. The course will focus on the relationship between representations of women and the socio-political structures in which women live. It will also focus on the need for women, if they wish to affect perception of self and other, us and them, to take up the means of production. Exposing the sexual stratagems in various contemporary societies' permits women filmmakers to recreate the world in their own image. Study of traditional portrayals of women will support understanding of the differences between subject and object position. Negotiating these often-conflicting spaces allows students to comprehend the multiple mediations that structure a critical consciousness. Such awareness allows questions of responsibility in a world of diverse values and perspectives. The course is organized as a reading, viewing, and lecture, experience.	3
HIS213	Special Topics Special Topics	3
IND247	Intergroup Dialogue Seminar Students participate in conversations and readings across social identities, discuss and explore experiences across social identities and institutional contexts, and examine historical, psychological, and sociological materials leading to understanding of self and other. Social identity topics will rotate and focus on one identity (race, class, gender, sexual orientation, etc.).	3
MUS150	History of Rock, Pop and Soul This course explores the evolution of American and British popular music from about 1950 to the present day. Musical styles are studied and contextualized with an examination of related cultural, social and political trends. Attention is given to issues and constructions of race and gender as they relate to course material, particularly the changing role and status of women in American and British popular music. This course also introduces fundamental music terminology that is germane to the study of popular music.	3
PHI218	Ethics and Women's Issues A discussion-based course that focuses upon issues of particular relevance to women. Topics discussed may include equality, affirmative action and comparative worth, social and gender roles, feminism, love, sexuality, family, work, caring and justice, pornography, fashion and beauty, abortion, reproduction, and ecofeminism.	3
PHI241	Love, Sex, and Friendship This course is an intensive philosophical inquiry into the concepts of love, friendship, and sex and how these are connected. It examines ideas on relationship, intimacy, and personal fulfillment by some of the best thinkers in the western intellectual tradition. It also explores some puzzling contemporary problems surrounding relationships.	3
PHI300	Womanist and Liberation Theology Womanist theology is a liberation theology that analyses politically oppressive structures, cultural habits, and race and gender constructs, and the ways these forces can shape experiences of faith. This course offers opportunities to engage and confront unjust and repressive theologies in ways that support greater inclusion and well-being. Pre-requisites Complete the following course: ENG105 First-Year Writing	3
POL262	Women and Politics Does gender make a difference in politics? Are women different from men in their political behavior? Do women contribute different norms, rules, and outcomes within political institutions? Students become familiar with the literature on, and conduct research projects in a specific aspect of, women's involvement in politics. Pre-requisites Complete the following course: POL101 American Government and Public Policy	3
PSY236	Psychology of Women The course examines current theory and research on the psychology of women. topics include the development of gender roles, gender comparisons, women and work, love relationships, women's physical and mental health, violence against women, and women in later adulthood. Students who take this course should acquire an understanding of what it means to be a female in North America. Pre-requisites Complete the following course: PSY101 General Psychology	3
SWK102	Introduction to Social Work, Social Justice and Social Issues This course examines selected social issues as well as related social welfare policies and programs. It introduces the profession of social work, key aspects of the professional knowledge base, fields of practice, and populations served by social workers. This course is appropriate for students who are considering social work as a profession and as well as for those with an interest in related fields such as psychology, counseling, and public policy.	3
WGS202	Women's Leadership in the 21st Century This interdisciplinary seminar provides a foundation in leadership theory and models, including women's diverse ways of leading; women's roles as leaders and agents of change; feminist leadership styles and agendas; and the impact of intersectional identities (such as race, ethnicity, sexuality, and religion and worldview) on leadership styles and agendas. Pre-requisites Complete any 1 of the following courses: CST183 Representations of Race and Gender WGS101 Introduction to Women's and Gender Studies	3
WGS210	Narratives of Girlhood: Perils and Possibilities Girlhood is a condition of precarity and potential. Through close study of multiple narratives and analyses, this course asks: How do intersectional identity categories impact girls' ability to navigate adolescence? What health and safety challenges do grils face? How might social institutions evolve to care for and empower girls?	3
WGS365	Gendered Resistance, Riots, and Rebellions This course explores gendered resistance to social, political, and economic inequalities from the twentieth century through the present. The class examines leaders and issues in both organized movements, as well as events often labeled as riots or rebellions, and considers how we understand different attempts to challenge systems of power. Pre-requisites Complete any 1 of the following courses: ENG105 First-Year Writing WGS101 Introduction to Women's and Gender Studies	3