Human Sexuality Studies Graduate Certificate
Campus: Virginia Tech Blacksburg Campus
Instructions: Residential/On Campus
The Graduate Certificate draws on diverse and interdisciplinary perspectives to produce unique insights into how sexual expression, behavior, and representation are shaped by multiple intersecting individual and cultural contexts, and how they, in turn, shape the health and well-being of individuals, communities, and populations.
Intensive Research Opportunities
10 Affliate Faculty Members
100% Research Project Completion
9 Credit Hours for Certificate
Graduate Certificate in Human Sexuality Studies
The Graduate Certificate draws on diverse and interdisciplinary perspectives to produce unique insights into how sexual expression, behavior, and representation are shaped by multiple intersecting individual and cultural contexts, and how they, in turn, shape the health and well-being of individuals, communities, and populations. While both broadening and deepening student knowledge about the health, psychological, familial, social, cultural, and political aspects of human sexual behavior from a global perspective, this program will encourage intercultural understanding, problem-solving, and social responsibility.
Curriculum
The graduate student’s research agenda must relate to human sexuality, as approved by the program director. Students will be required to take three core courses:
- PHS/HD/WGS 5244 Sexual Health and Human Rights (3 cr): Sexual and reproductive health from human development, public health, and critical feminist perspectives, with special attention to human rights issues. Sexually transmitted infections; HIV/AIDS; unintended pregnancy; population policies; eugenics; sexual and reproductive rights; positive sexuality, sex education; and health promotion.
- HD 5344 Perspectives on Human Sexuality (3 cr): Interdisciplinary historical consideration of writings, research, theory, and application of knowledge related to human sexuality.
- WGS 5934 Sexualities and Queer Theory (3 cr): Theoretical perspectives of queer studies and its influence on sexuality studies. Historical and cultural constructs of sexuality and gender. Queer epistemologies that implicate traditional notions of technology, identity, desire, normativity, and social control. Intersections of gender, race, sexuality, ethnicity, class, age, transnational borders, and (dis) ability.
Through completion of these requirements, students will be able to:
- Articulate sexuality issues affecting different populations and stages in the life course considering diversity and the intersections of age, gender, identity, sexual orientation, nationality, ethnicity, race, dis/ability, and religion.
- Apply fundamental bio-psycho-social theories to model specific social, cultural, and political influences on sexual development and behavior through the life course across diverse global contexts, fostering cross-cultural understandings of human sexuality and development.
- Identify their own set of values and preconceptions on sexuality issues and reflectively assess the effects on their research and practice.
- Analyze and critique primary literature and empirical evidence published in multiple fields that study human sexuality.
- Evaluate the strengths and limitations of multiple research methods used in sexuality research.
- Inform evidence-based programs and policies to promote sexual health and well-being in a range of settings.
Our Faculty
- Dr. Clair Apodaca
- Dr. Katherine Allen
- Dr. Laura Boyd Farmer
- Dr. April Few-Demo
- Dr. Erika Grafsky
- Dr. Sharon Johnson
- Dr. Christine Kaestle
- Dr. Christine Labuski
- Dr. Brett Shadle
- Dr. Raji Singh Soni
- Child hunger
- Economics
- Gender
- Human rights
- International development
- Refugee issues

- LGBTQ studies
- Diversity
- Family relationships
- Sexuality

- LGBTQ counseling
- Counselor Identity Development
- Gender Diversity
- Mindfulness
- Family Diversity (racial, ethnic, and sexual minority development)
- Black Feminist Theory, Intersectionality, Queer Theory, and Family Studies
- Sexuality and sexual health (particularly, hip hop influences on adolescent sexuality)
- Intimate violence
- Feminist Qualitative Research Methods

- Psychosocial health and Well-Being of Sexual and Gender Minority Youth and their Families
- Affirmative Family Therapy Practices
- Qualitative Research Methods
- Mixed-methodology and Community-Based Participatory Intervention Development

- 19th-century working class women
- Business French
- Interculturality
- Legal and scientific discourses
- Rape in journalism
- Women's and gender studies
- Adolescence
- Emerging adulthood
- Health
- Sexuality
- Critical body studies
- Feminism
- Feminist science studies
- Feminist theory
- Gender
- Transgender
- East African history
- Kenyan history
- Refugees
- Kantian aesthetics
- LGBTQ studies
- South Asian diaspora
- Labor and value
- Postcolonial state violence
Related Programs
Students interested in applying to the Human Sexuality Studies Graduate certificate Program should contact the Human Sexuality Studies Program Director, Dr. Kaestle, by email at kaestle@vt.edu
Visit our office at 366 Wallace Hall, 295 West Campus Dr, Blacksburg, VA 24061
CONTACT US
Dr. Kaestle, Director Human Sexuality Studies Program
315 Wallace Hall
295 West Campus Dr.
Blacksburg, VA 24061
540-231-3194
kaestle@vt.edu