BA in MWGS
Learn the tools to make change
What is MWGS?
Multicultural Women’s and Gender Studies (MWGS) is an interdisciplinary field of study that emerged in the 1970s from over a century of women’s leadership in education and social movements across the world.
The discipline examines women’s theories and activism in challenging racial, class and gender inequities to create equal access to resources and rights for all people. The women’s suffrage, reproductive rights, Civil Rights, Black Lives Matter, LGBTQ+ and global labor movements are foundational to MWGS scholarship, teaching, and service. Through its production of new knowledge, the discipline of MWGS has transformed not only the political and cultural spheres but also the institution of higher education itself. Theories that are foundational to the field such as intersectionality have influenced research and teaching across academic disciplines including Philosophy, History, Biology, Sociology, and Political Science.
Why earn your BA in MWGS at TWU?
The name of the Women's and Gender Studies program at TWU is Multicultural Women's and Gender Studies.
The B.A. program in MWGS builds on the diversity mission of TWU’s emphasis on cultivating women leaders. Our interdisciplinary curriculum provides students with a unique set of skills to effect change in a variety of workplace settings concerning systemic inequalities rooted in gender, race, class, sexuality, age and dis/abilities.
People with a bachelor’s degree in the field are employable in a wide range of careers because they gain strong transferable skills in reading, comprehension, speaking, writing and active listening. There is also a high demand for college graduates who have deep knowledge about gender-related and other diversity issues. The U.S. Department of Labor indicates that the top-employing occupations for graduates with a MWGS degree include educators, human resource specialists, health education specialists and directors of non-profit organizations.
Three track options
The B.A. program in MWGS is the only program in Texas and the United States with three concentrations: General Study, Community Leadership and Health.
The concentrations give you the flexibility to customize your degree to your interests and career aspirations.
General Study
The general study track prepares you to work in business, human resources and non-profits. Corporations are increasingly looking for employees with deep knowledge of gender and other diversity-related issues, as well as managing new, complex employment laws and health care coverage options. In addition to completing foundational MWGS courses, students take courses in other disciplines including the Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences. Click here for more information.
Health
In the health track, you’ll be ready for a career in public health and hospital networks, where women, people of color and LGBTQ+ face greater barriers to health care. This track allows you to pair foundational MWGS courses with health-related courses in other programs including Health Studies. Click here for more information.
Community Leadership
Interested in working in social service? Sign up for the community leadership track, which will set you up for careers in community service and nonprofits with social justice initiatives focused on reproductive rights, voter suppression and women’s health care. This track allows you to pair foundational MWGS courses with community issues courses in other programs including Social Work. Click here for more information.
Legacy for women's leadership and diversity
As the largest University System in the nation focused on women and one of the most diverse in the nation, Texas Woman's is committed to transformational learning, discovery and service in an inclusive environment that embraces diversity and fosters a culture of cultivating women leaders.
MWGS is a field with a strong focus on women's and diversity issues. Texas Woman's has built a national reputation as a leader in the field of Women’s and Gender Studies.
Our MA program is the first free-standing master’s MWGS program in the Dallas Fort-Worth area and our PhD program is the first doctoral program in the state of Texas and south-central region of the US.
Career opportunities
Skills from a TWU BA in MWGS allow you to enter a wide range of careers. Demand is growing for graduates with deep knowledge on gender and diversity issues. According to the US Department of Labor*, the top-employing occupations for graduates with an MWGS degree include:
- Health specialties educators (earning $79,540/year)
- Social and community service managers (earning $72,010/year)
- Human resource specialists ($67,650/year)
*Occupational Outlook Handbook, Field of Degree: Culture and Gender Studies, US Department of Labor
TWU MWGS courses and curriculum
TWU's BA in MWGS provides you with a solid foundation in the field while allowing you the flexibility to take courses in a range of departments. Our interdisciplinary curriculum provides you with a unique set of skills to effect change in a variety of workplace settings concerning systemic inequalities rooted in gender, race, class, sexuality, age and dis/abilities.
Scholarships and financial aid for MWGS students
In addition to university-wide types of financial aid, there is a new scholarship specifically for students in the bachelor’s degree program in MWGS.
Dr. Claire Sahlin Endowed Scholarship in Multicultural Women’s and Gender Studies was created in honor of Dr. Claire L. Sahlin, who serves as Associate Dean for Academic Affairs of the College of Arts & Sciences at TWU. Click here for more information.
Related programs at TWU
We are now accepting applications to the doctoral program in MWGS from the B.A. level.
Page last updated 2:31 PM, February 8, 2023