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.
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.
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
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
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American Studies Minor
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History Major, BA
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History Major, Concentration in Public History, BA
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History Major, Secondary Education Certification in History and Social Studies, BA
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History Minor
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Interdisciplinary Studies Major, BA
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Interdisciplinary Studies Major, BS
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International Studies Minor
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Medieval and Renaissance Studies Minor
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Political Science Major, BA
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Political Science Minor
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Public Administration Certificate Program
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Social Sciences Major, BA
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Social Sciences Major, BS
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Social Sciences Major, Secondary Education Certification in History and Social Studies, BA
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Social Sciences Major, Secondary Education Certification in History and Social Studies, BS
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
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.
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.
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Biology Major, BS
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Biology Major, Secondary Education Certification, BS
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Biology Minor
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Chemistry Major, BS
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Chemistry Minor
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Mathematics Major, BA
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Mathematics Major, BS
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Mathematics Major, Secondary Education Certification, BS
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Mathematics Minor
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Mathematics, Pre-Engineering Option
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Physical Sciences Major, Secondary Education Certification, BS
Department of Theatre
Department Chair: David Carter
Theatre Faculty
Professor: William Biddy
Associate Professor: David Carter
Assistant Professor: Lee Crouse
