Mar 28, 2024  
2014-2015 Undergraduate Bulletin 
    
2014-2015 Undergraduate Bulletin [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

College of Arts and Sciences


Brian Anderson, Dean

Purpose Statement

The purpose of the College of Arts and Sciences is to provide quality classroom instruction, practical learning experiences, and academic and cultural enrichment opportunities that will lead to successful student learning. Through the programs in its seven departments, the College provides students with a focused course of study that will prepare them for graduate or professional schools or employment. The College also provides students with a solid educational foundation in the liberal arts that will prepare them for continued personal and intellectual growth after graduation.

Programs

The College of Arts and Sciences offers academic programs through the departments of Art and Design; Communication; History, Political Science, and Geography; Languages, Literature, and Philosophy; Music; Sciences and Mathematics; and Theatre. Additionally, the College offers minors or courses in American Studies, Film Studies, French, International Studies, Philosophy, Geography, Religious Studies, and Women’s Studies, as well as certificate programs in Teaching English as a Second Language, Public Administration, and Applied and Professional Ethics. For students interested in going to professional schools after MUW, academic advisors help students select the appropriate courses to meet application requirements for medical or dental schools, pharmacy or veterinary medicine programs, law or other professional schools.

Department of Art and Design

Department Chair: Shawn Dickey

Faculty

Professors: Shawn Dickey, Robert Gibson, Beverly Joyce
Associate Professor: Alex Stelioes-Wills
Assistant Professors: Ian Childers, Jonathan Cumberland, Gillian Furniss

Accreditation

Mississippi University for Women is an accredited institutional member of the National Association of Schools of Art and Design (NASAD). The B.F.A. in Art Education program is also approved by the Mississippi State Department of Education and accredited by the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE), thereby enabling graduates to satisfy the certification requirements for the State of Mississippi in Art Education.  Art Education graduates are licensed to teach grades K-12.

General Program Information

The Department of Art and Design offers the following baccalaureate degrees: Bachelor of Arts in Fine Art (BA), Bachelor of Fine Arts in Studio Art (BFA), and Bachelor of Fine Arts in Art Education (BFA). Students in the BFA program in Studio Art complete course requirements in one of the following emphases: Drawing and Painting; Graphic Design; Printmaking; Ceramics; or Photography. The BA degree is a liberal arts degree, focusing on art and design in a broad context. The BFA degree is a more intensive degree in art and design and is intended for professional practice. 

The Department of Art and Design also offers minors in Art History and Studio Art, open only to non-art majors.

Exhibition Requirements:

All freshman, sophomore, and junior art students in any art major are required to enter artwork in the Annual MUW Juried Student Exhibition. In their senior year, all art majors must participate in a final Senior Exhibition. 

Art Core Requirements:

All art students (in the BA and BFA programs) must complete the Art Core  . Note: Some courses taken for the major may also fulfill requirements for the University core curriculum.

Programs

Department of Communication

Department Chair: Barry P. Smith

Communication Faculty

Associate Professors: Van T. Roberts, Barry P. Smith
Assistant Professor:  Melissa M. Smith
Instructor: Eric E. Harlan

Programs

Department of History, Political Science, and Geography

Interim Department Chair: Bridget Smith Pieschel

Geography Faculty

Visiting Assistant Professor: Ann Fletchall

History Faculty

Professor: Thomas Velek
Associate Professor: Erin Kempker
Assistant Professors: Amber Handy, Jonathon Hooks

Political Science Faculty

Professors: Brian Anderson, James D. Ward
Instructors: Chanse Travis, Parker Wiseman
 

Programs

Department of Languages, Literature, and Philosophy

Department Chair: Bridget Smith Pieschel

English Faculty

Professors: Gloria Lee Bunnell, Kendall Dunkelberg, Bridget Smith Pieschel, Thomas C. Richardson, Leslie Stratyner
Associate Professors: Nora Corrigan, Amy J. Pardo, Michael Smith
Assistant Professor: Kim Whitehead
Instructors: Todd Bunnell, Janet Woodcock

Foreign Languages Faculty

Associate Professor: Thomas M. Longton
Instructor: Erinn Holloway, Robert Raymond

Philosophy Faculty

Professors: Bryan Hilliard, Rita Hinton
Assistant Professor: Jeffrey Courtright

Programs

Department of Music

Department Chair:  Julia Mortyakova

Music Faculty

Professor: Richard Montalto
Associate Professors: Carmen Osburn
Assistant Professors: Julia Mortyakova, Valentin Bogdan, Cherry Dunn, Phillip Stockton
Visiting Assistant Professor: Elizabeth Jones

Music Programs

Accreditation

Mississippi University for Women is an accredited institutional member of the National Association of Schools of Music (NASM) for the Bachelor of Arts in Music, the Bachelor of Music in Music Education, and the Bachelor of Music in Music Therapy. The B.M. in Music Education program is approved by the Mississippi State Department of Education and accredited by the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education, thereby enabling graduates to satisfy the certification requirements for the State of Mississippi in Music Education. The Music Therapy program is approved by the American Music Therapy Association.

Programs

Department of Sciences and Mathematics

Department Chair: Dionne Fortenberry

Associate Chair:  Bonnie Oppenheimer

Biological Sciences Faculty

Professors: Lauren Brandon, George V. Pinchuk, Nicole Welch, Ross Whitwam
Associate Professors: Paul Mack, Ghanshyam Heda
Instructors: Thomas Dodson, Bianca Simmons-Diez

Mathematics Faculty

Professors: Dorothy A. Kerzel, Bonnie Oppenheimer
Associate Professor: Joshua Hanes
Assistant Professors: Agnes Carino, Susan Ficken

Physical Sciences Faculty

Professor: Dionne Fortenberry, Jiben Roy
Associate Professor: Xiaoxia Li
Instructor: Edward Bruster

The Department of Sciences and Mathematics offers majors in the areas of Biology, Mathematics, Chemistry, and Physical Science.

Before a student is allowed to register for upper-level courses (those numbered 300 or above) within the department, the student must:

  • Have a 2.0 average for all courses taken within the department (including transfer credit)
  • Have completed all prerequisites for upper-level courses with grades of C or better

Exceptions to any of the above requirements require approval of the Chair of the Department of Sciences and Mathematics.

Prerequisite Courses for Professional Programs

For students interested in health-related professional schools, a B.S. degree (typically a biology or chemistry major) at the W allows the students to tailor their course selection to ensure all requirements are met for the professional school of their choice. Such professional schools include: Medical, Pharmacy, Veterinary, Dental, and Optometry.

Engineering Dual-Degree Program

The Department of Sciences and Mathematics has joined with the School of Engineering at Auburn University and the College of Engineering at Mississippi State University in offering a Dual-Degree program in Liberal Arts and Engineering. In this program, a student attends MUW for three years and one of the other institutions for at least two additional years. After completing the academic requirements of both cooperating universities, the student will be awarded a baccalaureate degree from MUW and one of several designated engineering baccalaureate degrees from the second institution.

Programs

Department of Theatre

Department Chair: David Carter

Theatre Faculty

Professor: William Biddy
Associate Professor: David Carter
Assistant Professor: Lee Crouse

Programs