The Hmong Diaspora Studies undergraduate certificate program provides students with a multidisciplinary perspective on Hmong history, culture, and contemporary life.

Wisconsin and the upper Midwest are home to large concentrations of Hmong Americans, making this area of study particularly relevant to UWM students. Political unrest and international wars forced many Hmong from Laos to leave their native land during the last quarter of the twentieth century and seek refuge in foreign nations. Hmong populations can now be found throughout the Americas, Asia, Europe, and Oceania. Each area has its own distinct social, cultural, economic, and political conditions.

The certificate program includes courses about Hmong history, language, and culture, as well as classes that discuss the societal differences encountered by Hmong people. The certificate complements many different types of majors and is valuable for individuals who intend to work with the Hmong population in careers such as social work, education, public administration, law, journalism, international affairs, travel and hospitality, and global business.

UWM students have in recent years traveled to Laos, Thailand, and Vietnam to complement their classroom experience with a study abroad trip.

Certificates are similar to minors in terms of credit requirements but draw on coursework from multiple fields of study rather than from a single department. 

Eligibility

The Hmong Diaspora Studies Undergraduate Certificate is open to all students seeking a bachelor’s degree from UWM, to students who previously received a bachelor’s degree from UWM or any other accredited college or university, and to those who do not plan to pursue a college or university degree (non-degree students) but who have a strong interest in this subject. To be admitted as a non-degree student, the individual must meet regular UWM admission requirements. Students currently involved in baccalaureate studies who successfully complete the requirements of the program will be awarded the certificate at the time of graduation. Students who already have a bachelor’s degree and non-degree students will receive the certificate upon completion of the program requirements.

Requirements

To obtain the certificate, the student must complete, with a minimum grade point average of 2.500, at least 18 credits in approved Hmong diaspora studies courses as indicated below. Of the 18 required credits, 12 must be taken in the College of Letters and Science, and at least six of them should be at the 300 level or above. No more than nine credits from any one curricular area may count toward the certificate. Twelve of the 18 required credits must be earned in residence at UWM. Of these 12 credits, nine must be taken at the 300 level or above. A maximum of six credits in independent study may count toward program requirements. Courses for the certificate may not be taken on a credit/no credit basis.

Independent study courses focusing on Hmong cultural groups may be accepted with the approval of the certificate program committee. Other courses that are not on the lists below but relevant to the study of Hmong people in the US and other parts of the world may be accepted with the approval of the certificate program committee.

Credits earned at other institutions equivalent to courses in the certificate program may be accepted in partial fulfillment of the program requirements with the approval of the certificate program committee. Students currently enrolled at UWM who have fulfilled some of the program’s requirements prior to the creation of the program may have their credits applied retroactively to the certificate program.

Approved Elective Courses

Primary Focus on Hmong Cultural Groups

Secondary Focus on Hmong Cultural Groups