Certificate in Working-Class Studies

Timothy Francisco, Certificate Director

DeBartolo Hall 216

(330) 941-3425

tfrancisco@ysu.edu

This four-course certificate (12 semester hours) is designed to provide students with an in­terdisciplinary overview of the history and political and cultural meanings of working-class life. Program emphasis is on concepts of class, work, and identity, as well as strategies from multiple disciplines for gaining insight into working-class culture. For graduate students and working professionals, this program will provide an in-depth look at local history, local working-class culture, and the lives and experiences of local working people. For educators at middle and high school levels, this program will enhance their teaching careers by increasing their knowledge about working-class culture, issues, and pedagogy while satisfying certain professional develop­ment requirements of local school districts. Frequency of course offerings allows most students to finish the certificate within one year.

Admission Requirements

Applicants for this graduate certificate must meet the requirements for admission to the College of Graduate Studies at YSU.

Certificate Requirements

Choose 4 courses (12 hours) from the options below:

COURSE TITLE S.H.
ENGL 6923Working Class Literature3
ECON 5822Urban and Regional Economics3
ECON 5831Labor Markets and the Economics of Unions3
ENGL 6923XWorking Class Literature XR3
ENGL 6963Perspectives in Multicultural Studies3
ENGL 6990Special Topics3
HIST 6940Oral History3
HIST 6941American Material Culture3
HIST 6957Special Topics in Applied History1-6
HIST 6959Museum Curation and Interpretation4

Students may also petition to have one relevant topics course in English, history, or manage­ment count toward the certificate. Students may complete the certificate as a stand-alone pro­gram or in conjunction with a master’s degree in American studies, business, English, historic preservation, or history. Students taking the certificate as part of a master’s program may count two of the four certificate courses toward the master’s degree. To complete the certificate, the remaining two courses must be taken as additional credits.

Learning Outcomes

Students will develop an understanding of and an appreciation for working-class cultures across multiple disciplinary perspectives and recognize how the working class both shapes and reflects social, political, and economic realities.

Students will acquire an understanding of intersections of class with race, gender, place, ethnicity, and other forms of identity, and demonstrate the ability to think critically about the complexities and the opportunities of intersectional approaches for study and/or advocacy of working-class interests.

Students will understand the importance of place-based, community-centered, and public-facing research and scholarship to Working-Class Studies, and will learn how to incorporate these elements into research projects.