6 – Graduate Certificates

The WSU English Graduate program offers two certificates, the Digital Humanities and Culture Certificate in partnership with the Digital Technology and Culture program, as well as the TESL Certificate (Teaching English as a Second Language).

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6.1 – Certificate in TESL (Teaching English as a Second Language)

Certificate Description and Rationale

While the need for K-12 teachers to become versed in pedagogical theory and practices aimed at aiding students learning English as a second language (ESL) has been widely recognized, this same need has been neglected with regard to higher education classrooms. Across the country, the need for composition and literature instructors with training in teaching multilingual students is growing. Graduate students in the English Department can anticipate with certainty encountering students who use English as an additional language in their courses and should recognize the need to familiarize themselves with second language acquisition theory and pedagogical practices. By providing graduate students with background and training in this area, the graduate certificate in TESL will make students more marketable in the highly competitive English job market, both in the U.S. and overseas.

The certificate provides students with a strong understanding of the forms and functions of English, of current theories of second language acquisition, and experience developing and implementing appropriate pedagogical practices for adult learners of English. Students who have completed the certificate will be prepared to teach composition and literature courses to linguistically diverse learners, and to improve learning opportunities for second language users in classes of predominantly native-English speaking students. The certificate also provides students who wish to teach English overseas with credible documentation of their training.

Curriculum Description

The curriculum totals 12 credits. The courses provide a grounding in language form, second language acquisition, and teaching methodologies. Students seeking to earn this certificate must be simultaneously enrolled in a graduate degree granting program at Washington State University.

Core courses (choose four of these six for a total of 12 credits)

• ENGL 543 Phonology (3)
• ENGL 544 Syntax (3)
• ENGL 546 Topics in TESL (3)
• ENGL 456 Language Acquisition (3)
• FOR L 540 Methods of Teaching Foreign Languages (3)
• FOR L 541 Research and Methods of Technology Enhanced Foreign Language Learning (3)

Please discuss any possible substitutions with Prof. Nancy Bell. Please note that any substitutions will also be subject to the approval of the Dean of the Graduate School, and are not guaranteed.

Admission

As the core courses on which this certificate is built do not have prerequisites, the certificate will be open to students in any WSU graduate program. Students not in degree programs may also earn the certificate by enrolling as non-degree students. Students are required to maintain the minimum GPA requirement of at least 3.0 while enrolled in the certificate program.

To qualify for the graduate certificate a prospective student must have a Bachelor’s degree from an accredited post-secondary institution and meet all prerequisite requirements or demonstrate equivalent knowledge before enrolling in any courses which require these.

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6.2 – Digital Humanities and Culture Graduate Certificate

The Digital Humanities and Culture Graduate Certificate emphasizes the critical analysis and creative production of digital media in a global context. The certificate brings together the social, cultural, historical and technical affordances of digital culture through humanistic inquiry and computational frameworks. Fulfilling the requirements of the certificate prepares students for problem solving, outreach and engagement locally and globally. More than learning a specific technology or computing platform, a graduate certificate in Digital Humanities and Culture challenges students to learn how, when, and most importantly why to use technology to solve a range of social, educational, technical, and/or political problems for information technology companies, political advocacy groups, social justice projects, institutions of higher education and beyond. Merging theory and practice, the Digital Humanities and Culture certificate provides a foundation for critical digital literacy and computation.

Designed to enhance already existing graduate programs in the humanities and the social sciences, the graduate certificate in Digital Humanities and Culture offers graduate-level coursework in critical methods, textual analysis, composing practices, and hands-on production for engaging with humanistic studies in, as well as about, digital environments. Sharing the vision of the College of Arts and Sciences to, “Connect faculty and students across disciplines and campuses to enable them to address problems that transcend disciplinary boundaries,” the graduate certificate in Digital Humanities and Culture brings together courses, students, and faculty with an emphasis on the interdisciplinary strengths of the English department and the Digital Technology and Culture program.

The core courses of the Digital Humanities and Culture certificate offered by the English department and the Digital Technology and Culture program pulling from the strengths of our diverse, interdisciplinary faculty highlighting both the critical and practical aspects of the proposed certificate: critical inquiry and theory connected to digital production and processes. The faculty’s range of specialties and areas of expertise include: Information Ethics and Data Sovereignty, Rhetoric and Technical Communication, Digital Media Studies, Print Culture, Cultural Criticism, and Ethnography to serve graduate students across the College of Arts and Sciences.

Curriculum Description

Students seeking to earn this certificate must be simultaneously enrolled in a graduate degree-granting program at Washington State University. A total of nine-credit hours are required for the DHC graduate certificate: DTC/ENGL 560 (three-credit hours) and DTC/ENGL 561 (three-credit hours) are mandatory and the final three-credit hours are chosen by the students from a list of electives depending on their focus. The required two core courses, both offered on the Pullman campus, bring together theory, practice, methods, and ethics.

Core Courses

• DTC/ENGL 560: Critical Theories, Methods, and Practice in Digital Humanities
• DTC/ENGL 561: Studies in Technology and Culture

Electives

Students must choose at least one elective course from the following list to complete the requirements for the certificate. Other courses may be accepted upon request and approval by both the Director of Graduate Studies in English and the Director of the Digital Technology and Culture program.

• AMST 522 Digital Cultures, Digital Divides
• DTC 477 Advanced Multimedia Authoring
• DTC 478 Usability and Interface Design
• ENGL 548 Seminar in Critical and Cultural Theory
• ENGL 573 Editing in a Digital Age
• ENGL 591 Topics in Pedagogy
• HIST 527 [M] Public History: Theory and Methodology
• HIST 529 Interpreting History through Material Culture
• PHIL 450: Data Analytics Ethics

For more information about this certificate please contact: dtc@wsu.edu

6.2.1 – DTC Policy for Graduate Student Teaching

It is expected that all graduate students on a TAship will teach English 101 during their first year. It is also expected that M.A. students on a TAship will continue with English 101 during their second year, though exceptions have been made based on department needs and student specializations.  As such, the following policy is intended primarily for Ph.D. students. If the case arises where an M.A. student is considered for a DTC teaching assignment, the following policy will also apply.

To be considered for teaching DTC 101 or 201,

• Students must be actively pursuing the Digital Humanities and Culture Graduate Certificate and have completed either DTC 560 or 561
• Students must successfully shadow a DTC faculty’s 101 or 201 course for one semester
  • Demonstrated success includes: attending a majority of the scheduled courses, lead at least one class session, create at least one class activity, receive a written approval from course faculty member.
• Students must produce a syllabus for approval
• Approval by Director of DTC Program in consultation with student’s major advisor and Department Chair.

Upper Division DTC Courses

Ph.D. students whose research and teaching overlap with the mission of DTC and the major areas of academic emphasis in DTC will be considered. The core mission of the DTC program is to bring together the creative production and critical study of technology in a global context. Graduate students who have a clearly articulated program of study that engages these issues and who meet the following criteria will be considered:

• Students must have taught DTC 101 or 201
• Students must be post-comprehensive exams
• Students must either shadow the course they are going to teach, or, in limited cases where it hasn’t been offered, write a proposal and syllabus to be approved by the DTC Director
• Approval by Director of DTC Program in consultation with student’s major advisor and Department Chair.

Note: Priority to teach upper division classes will be given to DTC faculty and will be determined at the discretion of the Director of the DTC Program.

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6.3 – Certificate in Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies Graduate Certificate

Washington State University offers a Graduate Certificate in Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies (WGSS), designed to provide students with a critical understanding of gender equity and justice as theorized and practiced in the field of Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies nationally and transnationally. The program incorporates an interdisciplinary approach, equipping future academic and non-academic professionals with fundamental theoretical background, practical research knowledge, and an intersectional analytical framework to address challenges in gender justice and broader social justice struggles. WSU is committed to providing comprehensive training in feminist and queer studies, focusing on social, political, and cultural theory, research approaches, and new topics of scholarly inquiry and debate. Our emphasis is on preparing graduates to be thoughtful leaders capable of addressing equity and justice challenges of today and tomorrow.

Course Highlights

• WGSS 541: Feminist and Queer Approaches to Research (3 credits) — Gain an understanding of interdisciplinary qualitative research approaches in the field of WGSS.
• WGSS 581: Feminist and Queer Theories and Frameworks (3 credits) — Study intersectional frameworks, theories, and analytical approaches to gender and sexuality in complex interconnection with race, social class, dis/ability, ethnicity, and religion.
• Topics Elective Coursework (3 credits) — Choose from a range of courses in areas such as Cultural Politics of the Body, Gender & Sexuality in Buddhist Culture, Gender and Justice, Bioethics, and more.

The program is offered through WSU’s various graduate programs on the Pullman, Vancouver, Spokane, and Tri-Cities campuses.

Program Requirements

The WGSS graduate certificate requires the completion of 9 credits of interdisciplinary coursework (6 credits of required courses, 3 credits of elective). Attending at least one WGSS seminar series is required.

Admission Requirements

The certificate program is open to current WSU graduate students of any discipline who have goals and interests that align with the certificate program. Non-degree seeking students who meet the requirements for graduate study at WSU may also be admitted to the WGSS certificate program. Students are required to have/maintain a graduate GPA of 3.0 or better to participate. The certificate can be pursued during any phase of training as long as there is sufficient time to complete the requirements, which typically takes two-three semesters.

Career Opportunities

The Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies Graduate Certificate provides several opportunities for students to grow academically and professionally:

Academic Careers: Enhance qualifications for academic positions in higher education, especially in combination with a PhD in a traditional discipline.

Professional Careers: Strengthen expertise for careers in public policy, health equity, social justice, and other fields, particularly when paired with professional degrees like public administration, public health, law, etc.

Intellectual Growth: Develop a critical understanding of gender equity and justice issues, intersectional analytical frameworks, and qualitative research approaches to address complex real-world problems.