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Women’s Studies Program
Director: Claire L. Sahlin
Location: Human Development Building, 307
Phone: 940-898-2119
Fax: 940-898-2101
E-mail: womenstudies@twu.edu
Website: www.twu.edu/as/ws
Faculty: Associate Professor AnaLouise Keating; courses taught
by over 30 faculty across campus.
Graduate Degrees Offered
The Women’s Studies Program offers a Master of Arts degree in Women’s Studies that
emphasizes an understanding and appreciation of Women’s Studies as an interdisciplinary,
cross-cultural field of study. Undergraduate and graduate courses are regularly taught
by over thirty faculty from across the University. Women’s Studies uses multiple
critical lenses to expand and question existing modes of knowledge and power. It
provides a curriculum grounded in diverse feminist theories, methodologies, and ethics;
promotes interdisciplinary scholarly endeavors; and seeks to prepare leaders,
particularly women, who will have the skills to negotiate change in academic and
community settings.
The M.A. in Women’s Studies is a two year program which prepares students for
careers in agencies and organizations that serve women, for Ph.D. work in Women’s
Studies or a traditional discipline with a focus in Women’s Studies, or for advanced
professional training in such fields as law and public policy. Students in Women’s
Studies examine issues pertinent to the understanding of difference, identity, and
power across a variety of contexts. In addition to course work students may assist in
teaching Women’s Studies courses, work in community agencies, participate in the
professional development and mentoring program, and take part in feminist activities
on campus and in the community.
Admission Requirements
Please see the admissions section in the front of this catalog. In addition to
these general requirements, the Women’s Studies Program requires the following for
admission to the master’s degree program:
- A 3.0 GPA with supporting course work in the liberal arts and sciences or
interdisciplinary studies.
- A written statement including career goals and professional
development as these relate to women’s studies (approximately 5-7 pages
in length).
- Two letters of recommendation from individuals familiar with the
prospective student’s academic and/or professional work.
General Requirements for Master’s Degree in Women’s Studies
Total Hours Required: 39 hours, including 6 hours of thesis OR 36 hours of
course work plus 3 hours of professional paper.
Core: 15 hours from five core courses (WS 5353, WS 5363, WS 5463, WS 5663, WS
5843)
Oral Examination: Defense of thesis or professional paper.
Minor: Optional, 6 hours.
Certification Program
The Women’s Studies Program also offers a Graduate Certificate, which provides
opportunities to develop understanding of Women’s Studies scholarship, including
diverse theories of knowledge, power, and social transformation. The Graduate
Certificate Program is open to students enrolled in any graduate degree program at
Texas Woman’s University as well as to qualified individuals seeking only the
Certificate. For students in graduate degree programs, the Certificate provides
grounding in feminist research methods and approaches to traditional academic
disciplines, while strengthening credentials for college-level teaching in Women’s
Studies. For Certification-only students, the Certificate complements professional
work in community agencies and institutions that seek to enhance women’s lives and
promote social justice.
Course Requirements: A minimum of 18 hours at the 5000-level or above,
completed with an average grade of B or better, and selected in consultation with the
Women’s Studies Graduate Certificate Adviser. At least 12 hours must be selected from
WS 5353, WS 5363, WS 5463, WS 5663, or WS 5843.
Admission Requirements for Certificate Program: Students already admitted to
another graduate program at TWU should submit a letter requesting admission and a
statement of purpose (500-700 words) describing the relationship of the Certificate to
their intellectual and professional goals. They should consult the Chair or Graduate
Advisor of their graduate program to determine whether the coursework taken for Women’s
Studies Certification will apply toward their degree. Students seeking admission to a
master’s or doctoral program, in addition to Women’s Studies certification, must meet
the entrance requirements of the degree program.
Students entering TWU only for the Certificate in Women’s Studies must apply for
admission to the Graduate School. In addition to the general requirements for
admission, the Women’s Studies Program also requires a statement of purpose (500-700
words) describing the relationship of the Certificate to the student’s intellectual and
professional goals.
Minors Offered to Students from Other Departments
Students may minor in Women’s Studies at both the master’s and doctoral levels.
Courses designed to complement the student’s major field will be selected in
consultation between the student and her/his advisory committee. Normally a minor
requires 6 hours at the master’s level and 12 hours at the doctoral level.
Courses of Instruction in Women’s Studies
WS 5013. Emerging Issues and Perspectives. Inquiry into
current and emerging issues within Women’s Studies. Lecture and/or seminar format.
Prerequisite: graduate standing. May be repeated for credit when topic changes. Three
lecture hours a week. Credit: Three hours. May be repeated for credit when topic
varies.
WS 5353. Feminist Pedagogy. Explores the theoretical writings on feminist
pedagogy and addresses issues related to teaching from feminist perspectives, including
decentering authority and encountering resistance in the classroom. Orients students to
distance learning and on-line technologies. Three lecture hours a week. Credit: Three
hours.
WS 5363. Feminist Epistemology. Examines the politics of knowledge
production and cognitive authority to illustrate how “ways of knowing” are marked by
gender, race, sexuality, and class. Epistemology has significant relevance to questions
across the disciplines concerning canon formation, methodological practices, and
understandings of human subjectivity. Three lecture hours a week. Credit: Three hours.
WS 5393. Women’s Leadership: Skills, Style, and Strategies. Same as
BUS/SOCI 5393. Examines gender, cultural and other variations in management and
leadership styles within social, economic, and cultural contexts. Identifies and
develops skills in leadership and management including creating and communicating a
vision; negotiating agreements; finding and becoming mentors; and managing resources.
Three lecture hours a week. Credit: Three hours.
WS 5463. Women of Color. Same as SOCI 5463. Focuses on theoretical,
historical, political, and cultural contributions by women of color. Examines the
intersections of race-ethnicity, gender, sexuality, and social class to illuminate the
interactive nature of oppression and resistance. May be repeated for credit when topics
vary. Three lecture hours a week. Credit: Three hours.
WS 5663. Women’s Studies Seminar. A topical course designed to focus
student knowledge and scholarship in an integrated, interdisciplinary body of feminist
thought. May be repeated for credit as topics vary. Three lecture hours a week. Credit:
Three hours.
WS 5773. Qualitative Research Methods. Same as SOCI 5773. Qualitative
research philosophies including phenomenological, critical and feminist perspectives.
Research design, data collection, analysis, and writing. Strategies for studying
women’s lives and developing culturally sensitive models. Responsible research and
professional ethics including IRB process. Hands-on research. May be repeated for
credit with permission of instructor. Three lecture hours a week. Credit: Three hours.
WS 5843. Feminist Theories. Same as SOCI 5843. Thoroughly explores
feminist critical inquiry, focusing on particular theoretical issues, historical
writings, and/or disciplinary contexts within the diverse body of scholarship of
feminist theory. May be repeated for credit when topics vary. Three lecture hours a
week. Credit: Three hours.
WS 5913. Individual Study. Individual study of topics in feminist theory,
scholarship, or student’s interests and needs. Prerequisite: Graduate standing. One
hour of seminar, two hours of field/internship. Credit: Three hours. May be repeated
for credit when topic varies.
WS 5973. Professional Paper.
WS 5983. Thesis.
WS 5993. Thesis.
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