Graduate Program Admission Requirements

• Admission to the TWU Graduate School
• Admission to Women's Studies
  • In addition to the Graduate School's admissions criteria, applicants must meet admission criteria of the Department of Women's Studies.
• Financial Aid is available.
• Scholarships may be available.
• Teaching and research assistantships may be available.
• Information for international students is available at the TWU Office of International Education.

The Department of Women's Studies Admission Requirements

• An approved application
• An undergraduate GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale
• Supporting coursework in the liberal arts and sciences or in interdisciplinary studies
• A 3 to 5 page written statement about your career goals and professional development as they relate to Women's Studies
• Two letters of recommendation (preferably from professors, if possible)
• Other supporting information that you deem relevant (optional)
• Please note: GRE scores are not required.  International students also should consult with the TWU Office of International Education for additional requirements. 

Degree Plan

Students pursuing the Master of Arts Degree will work with a faculty advisor and mentor in developing a personalized degree plan. The degree consists of a total of 36 graduate credit hours.  A minimum of 18 of these credit hours must be taken in the Department of Women's Studies, including the following four core courses: 

• Four Core Courses (12 credit hours) are required:

WS 5023 Foundations for Scholarly Inquiry in Women's Studies 

Historical origins and development of women's studies within higher education, including critiques and contributions by women of color; relationships between theorizing and activism; the challenges of multi-, inter-, and transdisciplinarity; and emerging issues.  Emphasis on development of research, writing, and communication skills.  Three lecture hours a week.  Credit:  Three hours.

WS 5463 U. S. Women of Colors

Histories, theories, cultures, consciousness, and lives of U.S. women of colors from a variety of perspectives; issues related to conflict, agency, survival, resistance, intervention, and transformation. May be repeated for credit as topics vary. Three lecture hours a week. Credit: Three hours.

WS 5843 Feminist Theories 

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 5363 Feminist Epistemologies 

Politics of knowledge production and cognitive authority to illustrate how knowledge systems are marked by gender, race, sexuality, and class; relevance to questions across the disciplines concerning canon formation, methodological practices, and understandings of human subjectivity. Prerequisite: WS 5463 and three additional graduate credit hours in women's studies or instructor's approval. Three lecture hours a week. Credit: Three hours.

• Thesis (6 hours) OR Comprehensive Examination

Students may undertake original research and write a thesis on a topic that contributes to scholarship in the field of women's studies, or they may elect to take a comprehensive examination that tests their knowledge and writing skills in women's studies.