Division of Multicultural Women's and Gender Studies
Website: http://www.twu.edu/ws/
Chair: Dr. Ashley Bender, Ph.D.
Location: CFO 904
Telephone: 940-898-2324
Fax: 940-898-2101
E-mail: womenstudies@twu.edu
Division Head, Multicultural Women’s and Gender Studies, M.A. Program Director, Graduate
Certificate Director: Dr. Agatha Beins, Ph.D.
Phone: 940-898-2117
Email: abeins@twu.edu
Ph.D. Program Director: Dr. AnaLouise Keating, Ph.D.
Phone: 940-898-2129
Email: akeating@twu.edu
B.A. Program Coordinator: Dr. Stina Soderling, Ph.D.
Phone: 940-898-2324
Email: ssoderling@twu.edu
Graduate Degrees Offered
The Division of Multicultural Women’s and Gender Studies offers an exciting curriculum that integrates diverse perspectives and critically applies feminist/womanist scholarship to explore social issues and prepare students for civic engagement. The Master of Arts and Doctor of Philosophy degrees in Multicultural Women’s and Gender Studies (MWGS) emphasize an understanding and appreciation of Women’s and Gender Studies (WGS) as a transdisciplinary field of study. Undergraduate and graduate courses are regularly taught by over thirty faculty from across the University. MWGS uses multiple critical lenses to understand, question, and analyze existing modes of knowledge and power in the service of social equity. It provides a curriculum grounded in diverse feminist and womanist theories, methodologies, and ethics; promotes interdisciplinary scholarly endeavors; and prepares students, particularly women, who will have the skills to negotiate change and be leaders in academic, professional, and community settings.
M.A. in Multicultural Women's and Gender Studies
The M.A. degree focuses on issues related to understanding difference, identity, and power across a variety of contexts. Through a theoretically rigorous transdisciplinary curriculum, we offer students a unique opportunity to explore social issues through transformational, multicultural scholarship. In addition to coursework and a culminating project (either a thesis or a comprehensive exam), students may work with community organizations and participate in professional development and mentoring programs. Graduates of our program work in a range of careers, academic areas, and community groups, including Ph.D. programs in Multicultural Women’s and Gender Studies, traditional disciplines, and fields such as law and public policy; agencies and organizations that serve communities; creative and arts-based projects; and businesses and corporations. Students may apply to begin the program in the fall or spring semester, and the MWGS Program will review applications throughout the year.
Ph.D. in Multicultural Women's and Gender Studies
The Ph.D. degree prepares students to revitalize academic life by producing new forms of knowledge through transdisciplinary, transformative dialogues among faculty and students in diverse disciplines. Doctoral degree recipients will be grounded in rigorous graduate education and equipped with effective communication and research skills, holistic-critical thinking skills, and transformative teaching techniques. As part of the program’s unique transdisciplinary focus, students obtain a deep understanding of scholarly production, research methodologies, and pedagogies in various disciplines in the humanities and social sciences. They use this knowledge to create new dialogues among knowledge fields inside and outside the academy. Graduates are prepared to serve as professors of Women's and Gender Studies and related disciplines and as leaders in nongovernmental, social service, and research agencies that address social issues. Students are admitted to the program in the fall semester of even years.
Minors
The department offers master’s and doctoral-level minors in Multicultural Women's and Gender Studies.
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Nine SCH of 5000-6000 level WS courses, excluding: | 9 | |
| Thesis | ||
| Thesis | ||
| Dissertation | ||
| Dissertation | ||
| Total SCHs | 9 | |
Faculty
Courses
Contact hours identified in the course descriptions are based on a 15-week term. Students who enroll in Summer or mini-terms are expected to meet the same total number of contact hours as a 15-week term.
WS 5023. Foundations for Scholarly Inquiry in Women's and Gender Studies. Historical origins and development of Women's and Gender Studies within higher education, including relationships between theories and practice; topics based on current issues and research. Emphasis on professional development and research, writing, and communication skills. Three lecture hours a week. Credit: Three hours.
WS 5043. Art, Activism, and Social Engagement. Investigation of historical and contemporary artistic works that engage issues in society. Exploration of theoretical frameworks to analyze art, aesthetics, performance, and visual culture. May be repeated for credit when topics vary. Please Three seminar hours a week. Credit: Three hours.
WS 5093. Law, Gender, and Sexuality. Evolution of legal rights for women and sexual minorities and theoretical issues raised in concrete legal cases. Examination of debates over equality approaches in law; ways in which law constructs gender and sexuality; and the intersecting roles of gender, sexuality, and race in legal doctrine and theory. Three lecture hours a week. Credit: Three hours.
WS 5163. Women in Politics. Perspectives on the impact of gender on power and influence in society; political socialization, participation, and leadership of women; advanced overview of women's political issues and movements. Three lecture hours a week. Credit: Three hours.
WS 5183. Women of Color in Politics. Women of color or racial/ethnic minority women in U.S. politics, political participation as political activists, voters, and political leaders and elites. Three seminar hours a week. Credit: Three hours.
WS 5253. Queer Theories. Feminist and womanist analyses of queer theories and critical race theories; the effects of racial, sexual, and gender impersonation, passing, and masquerade on identity categories. Three lecture hours a week. Credit: Three hours.
WS 5283. Studies in Environmental Feminisms. Critical examinations of feminist theorizing and ethics related to environmental concerns. Topics vary by semester. Contact the department for more information. Can be repeated for credit when topic varies concerning. Three lecture hours a week. Credit: Three hours.
WS 5293. Gloria Anzaldua Seminar: Theories, Frameworks, and Applications. Examines the theoretical work and literature of Gloria E. Anzaldúa. Analyzes her relationship to feminist, womanist, and queer theories, philosophy, and interdisciplinary academic fields. Three lecture hours a week. Credit: Three hours.
WS 5353. Feminist Pedagogies. Feminist philosophies of education and their significance to Women's and Gender Studies; pedagogical strategies for developing critical consciousness about social inequalities; preparation for teaching undergraduate courses in Women's and Gender Studies. Prerequisite: Three graduate credit hours in Multiclutural Women's and Gender Studies. Three lecture hours a week. Credit: Three hours.
WS 5363. Introduction to Feminist/Womanist Epistemologies. A survey of feminist, womanist, and Indigenous critiques of Cartesian knowledge systems in historical and contemporary contexts with an emphasis on real world applications. May be repeated for credit when topic varies. Three seminar hours a week. Credit: Three hours.
WS 5373. Black Feminist Thought. Examines diverse strands of Black feminist thought from its inception to the present. Analyzes Black feminist methodologies and evaluates how these theories are applied within personal, social, and political contexts. Three seminar hours a week. Credit: Three hours.
WS 5463. U.S. Women of Colors. Examines the histories, theories, and lives of U.S. women of colors from various scholarly perspectives. Analyzes themes of conflict, agency, and survival, and evaluates theoretical frameworks related to social change and institutional structures. May be repeated for credit when topics vary. Three seminar hours a week. Credit: Three hours.
WS 5773. Qualitative Research Methods. Introduction to strategies, philosophies, and methods for conducting feminist research in the field of women's and gender studies, including phenomenological, critical, and feminist perspectives. Explores interdisciplinary research design, data collection, analysis, and writing. Responsible research and professional ethics, including the IRB process. Hands-on research. Three lecture hours a week. Credit: Three hours.
WS 5843. Feminist/Womanist Theories. Exploration of feminist/womanist critical inquiry, focusing on theoretical issues, historical writings, and scholarly contexts of knowledge production within the diverse body of scholarship of feminist/womanist theories. Topics and texts vary by semester. Contact the department for more information. May be repeated for credit when topics vary. Three seminar hours a week. Credit: Three hours.
WS 5853. Seminar in Spiritual Activism. Explores the development of spiritual activism in women's and gender studies and feminist/womanist theories. Analyzes multicultural approaches to social change, including the roles of the imagination, creativity, and the arts in civic engagement. Examines Indigenous and esoteric philosophical frameworks and their relationship to holistic models of social organization contributions to holistic forms of activism. Three lecture hours a week. Credit: Three hours.
WS 5863. The Politics of Writing. Enhancement of writing and critical thinking skills in women's studies and other feminist scholarship; contributions of feminist/womanist theorists to academic discourse with emphasis on language, imagination, and social change. Writing assignments include paper abstracts, annotated bibliographies, conference papers, and journal articles in women's studies. Prerequisites: WS 5463 and nine hours of graduate coursework in women's studies or instructor's approval. May be repeated for credit when topics vary. Three lecture hours a week. Credit: Three hours.
WS 5903. Special Topics. Seminars on topics related to womanist/feminist theories or current areas of inquiry in Multicultural Women's and Gender Studies. Three lecture hours a week. Credit: Three hours.
WS 5911. Independent Study. Individual study of topics in Multicultural Women's and Gender Studies. May be repeated for credit. Prerequisite: Permission of instructor. Credit: One hour.
WS 5913. Independent Study. Individual study of topics in Multicultural Women's and Gender Studies. May be repeated for credit. Credit: Three hours.
WS 5933. Internship in Women's and Gender Studies. Supervised practical experience in an agency or organization related to the intellectual and career interests of students. Ten practicum hours a week. Credit: Three hours.
WS 5983. Thesis. Faculty-supervised development of an original women's and gender studies research project. Culminates in a formal written proposal approved by the thesis committee. Credit: Three hours.
WS 5993. Thesis. Supervised completion of an approved research project in women's and gender studies. Culminates in a written thesis and oral defense approved by the thesis committee. Prerequisite: WS 5983. Credit: Three hours.
WS 6103. Contemporary Topics in Feminist & Womanist Theories. Examines recent controversies, significant research questions, and emerging directions in feminist and womanist theorizing. Investigates contemporary developments in Women's and Gender Studies, as well as feminist and womanist theories and frameworks. May be repeated for additional credit when content varies. Three seminar hours a week. Credit: Three hours.
WS 6303. Transdisciplinary Women's and Gender Studies Research Methods. Explores women's and gender studies approach to research methods, including methods from a variety of disciplinary and interdisciplinary fields. Three seminar hours a week. Credit: Three hours.
WS 6403. The Politics of Publication and Writing. Examines the standards and processes of academic writing and publishing within Women's, Gender, and Multicultural Studies. Analyzes the professional landscape of dissertations, peer-review, conference proceedings, public scholarship, and popular writing. Three seminar hours a week. Credit: Three hours.
WS 6911. Independent Study. Individual study of topics in womanist/feminist theory, scholarship, or student's interests and needs. Prerequisite: Permission of instructor. Credit: One hour.
WS 6912. Independent Study. Individual study of topics in womanist/feminist theory, scholarship, or student's interests and needs. Prerequisite: Permission of instructor. Credit: Two hours.
WS 6913. Independent Study. Individual study of topics in womanist/feminist theory, scholarship, or student's interests and needs. Prerequisite: Permission of instructor. Credit: Three hours.
WS 6983. Dissertation. May be repeated for additional credit. Prerequisite: Successful completion of the qualifying examinations. Credit: Three hours.
WS 6993. Dissertation. Supervised completion of an approved doctoral dissertation in women's and gender studies. Culminates in a formal dissertation and oral defense approved by the dissertation committee. Prerequisite: WS 6983. Credit: Three hours.
