LGBT Studies Certificate or LGBT Studies Minor

Which One Is Right For Me?

At the University of Maryland, the major difference between a certificate and a minor is that a certificate is considered a degree program, but a minor is not.  That means that the certificate will be listed on your diploma along with your major.  The minor will be posted on your transcript but not on your diploma.  Both tracks will provide you with opportunities for focused, interdisciplinary study of the lives, experiences, identities, and representations of LGBT people.  Both will give you a solid grounding in the major concepts and methods that define studies of sex, gender, and gender identity today.  The choice of which track you pursue will be determined by how much room you have in your academic program and how your work in LGBT Studies fits into your long-term plans and goals.

CHOOSE THE 21-CREDIT CERTIFICATE IN LGBT STUDIES IF YOU:

  • Want LGBT Studies to appear on your diploma;
  • Are planning to pursue graduate study in an interdisciplinary field, such as American Studies, Gender Studies, LGBT Studies, or Women’s Studies, or in a professional program, such as counseling and psychology, education, law, or public health;
  • Are considering a career in the non-profit arena, including public policy, advocacy, and community service;
  • Have already taken 15 credits of LGBT Studies courses and still have room in your schedule;
  • Want to have something like a "major" in LGBT Studies.

CHOOSE THE 15-CREDIT MINOR IN LGBT STUDIES IF YOU:

  • Want LGBT Studies to be visible on your transcript;
  • Need a more streamlined way to earn a credential in the field of LGBT Studies that future employers or graduate admissions committees who evaluate your transcript will see;
  • Want to have a secondary academic specialization that will complement your major field of study and bolster the coherence of your academic program.

And remember:  You can always change your mind and shift from one track to the other if your plans or schedule need to be adjusted.  Contact the LGBT Studies Program office if you need guidance or consultation.  We are here to help!

Certificate Requirements (21 credits)

1. LGBT 200—Introduction to Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Studies

2. One lower-level course focused on literature, art, or culture by or about LGBT people, either LGBT 265 (cross-listed with ENG 265) or LGBT 291 (cross-listed with CMLT 291)

3. One of the following upper-division courses focused on the personal, social, political, and historical aspects of LGBT people: LGBT 350, LGBT 407 (cross-listed with PHIL 407), or LGBT 494 (cross-listed with WMST 494);

4. One of the following upper-division courses focused on literature, art, or culture by or about LGBT people: LGBT 359 (cross-listed with ENGL 359), LGBT 459 (cross-listed with ENGL 459), LGBT 465 (cross-listed with ENGL 465); or LGBT 327

5. One of the following: a. LGBT488--Seminar in LGBT Studies b. LGBT386--Supervised Internship - LGBT Community Organizations

6. Two Electives (one must be upper-division [a course numbered 300 or above]); Students choose elective credits in consultation with their advisor in LGBT Studies.  

Minor Requirements (15 credits)

1. LGBT 200—Introduction to Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Studies

2. One lower-level course focused on literature, art, or culture by or about LGBT people, either LGBT 265 (cross-listed with ENG 265) or LGBT 291 (cross-listed with CMLT 291)

3. One of the following upper-division courses focused on the personal, social, political, and historical aspects of LGBT people: LGBT 350, LGBT 407 (cross-listed with PHIL 407), or LGBT 494 (cross-listed with WMST 494);

4. One of the following upper-division courses focused on literature, art, or culture by or about LGBT people: LGBT 359 (cross-listed with ENGL 359), LGBT 459 (cross-listed with ENGL 459), LGBT 465 (cross-listed with ENGL 465); or LGBT 327

5. One Elective (must be upper-division [a course numbered 300 or above]); Students choose 3 hours of elective credits in consultation with their advisor in LGBT Studies.

Approved Electives

  • AASP398T Selected Topics in the African Diaspora: Gender, Sexuality, and the Black Family
  • AASP478Q Humanities Topics in Afro-American Studies: AIDS and African American: History, Rhetoric, and Literature
  • AASP498X Special Topics in Black Culture: Race, Gender, and Labor
  • CMLT 498L: Sexuality in the Cinema
  • EDCP 418D: Special Topics in Leadership: Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Leadership
  • ENGL 428B: Seminar in Language & Literature: Race, Gender, and Sexuality
  • ENGL444/WMST444 Feminist Critical Theory
  • FMSC330 Family Theories and Patterns
  • FMSC430/WMST430 Gender Issues in Families
  • HLTH377 Human Sexuality
  • LGBT327 Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Film and Video
  • LGBT448: Special Topics in Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Studies: Asian American Sexualities
  • LGBT 448L: Special Topics in LGBT Studies: Law and Identities
  • PSYC332 Psychology of Human Sexuality
  • SOCY325/WMST325 The Sociology of Gender
  • WMST400 Theories of Feminism

For more detailed information on the certificate and the minor, see the Undergraduate Studies catalog.

Student Learning Outcomes

In keeping with the above goals and foci, students should expect to achieve the following outcomes through their work in the LGBT Studies Program:

  • familiarity with major concepts and vocabulary in the field of LGBT Studies;
  • proficiency in interpreting same-sex sexuality/eroticism as an aspect of literary/cultural expression;
  • critical reasoning and research skills in the field of LGBT Studies.

Any student in good standing in the University may enroll in the LGBT Studies program by declaring her/his intention to the LGBT program director or a designated advisor for the program. In consultation with a faculty advisor, the candidate for the certificate or the minor will design a program that complements her/his major field of study. No course earned with a grade below "C" (2.0) will count toward the certificate or the minor in LGBT Studies.