The purpose of the College of Arts, Sciences, and Education 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 nine 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, Sciences, and Education offers academic programs through the departments of Art and Design; Communication; Education; History, Political Science, and Geography; Languages, Literature, and Philosophy; Music; Psychology and Family Studies; Sciences and Mathematics; and Theatre. Additionally, the College offers minors or courses in American Studies, Film Studies, French, International Studies, Medieval and Renaissance 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 Professors: Ian Childers, Alex Stelioes-Wills
Assistant Professors: 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).
General Program Information
The Department of Art and Design offers the Bachelor of Fine Arts in Fine Art (BFA) degree. Students complete course requirements in one of the following studio art emphases: Drawing and Painting; Graphic Design; Printmaking; Ceramics; or Photography. 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 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
Professors: Van T. Roberts, Barry P. Smith
Associate Professor: Melissa M. Smith
Instructor: Eric E. Harlan
Department of Education
Department Chair:
Education Faculty
Professor: Twila Alpe
Associate Professors: Shelley Bock, Brenda Dickey, Royal Toy
Assistant Professor: Chrystal Hodges
Visiting Assistant Professor: Leigh Todd
Instructors: Ashley Matthews, Zelda Wilmoth
The “Educator as Reflective Decision Maker” is the model for the conceptual framework for the educator preparation programs at Mississippi University for Women. The programs have adopted the Core Standards of the Interstate New Teacher Assessment and Support Consortium (INTASC) and the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards as goals for teacher candidates, and the Professional Standards for Educational Leaders for school administrator candidates. Further explanations of requirements and expectations for undergraduate teacher candidates are in the Teacher Education Handbook published by the Office of Field Experiences, and available through the MUW website.
NCATE (CAEP) Accreditation
The MUW Educator Preparation Unit and all programs in education are accredited by the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE).The MUW teacher certification programs are also approved by the Mississippi Department of Education, which makes graduates of these programs eligible for Mississippi Educator Licensure in the approved areas. The NCATE accrediting body has merged with another accrediting organization (TEAC) to form the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP). The accreditation covers both initial and advanced educator preparation programs. Since many states have reciprocity agreements based on graduation from NCATE/CAEP accredited schools, graduates of NCATE/CAEP accredited institutions will generally find it easier to apply for educator licensure when they move out of state.
Quality Assurance Policy
All teacher education programs are covered by the Mississippi Institution of Higher Learning Quality Assurance Policy. The university warrants the quality of our graduates for a period of two years immediately following graduation. Certain guidelines do apply. Contact the College of Education and Human Sciences for more information.
Admission to Teacher Education
Students seeking admission to Teacher Education must submit documentation of the following to the Education Department through a Mississippi University for Women TaskStream Account:
- Application for admission to Teacher Education.
- Tentative Program of Study
- Minimum grade of C in ED 300 .
- Minimum grade of B in ED 302
- Overall 2.75 GPA on a minimum of 44 semester hours completed.
- Satisfactory score on the Core Academic Skills for Educators (CORE) Subtests (Reading, Writing, and Math) OR minimum ACT scores, composite of 21. Official score reports must be on file with the MUW Education Department.
- Verification of completed criminal background check through the university approved vendor
- Elementary Education Majors only: Satisfactory score on the Mississippi Foundations of Reading Exam. Official score reports must be on file with the MUW Education Department.
Guidelines for this submission are reviewed in the course ED 302 Art and Science of Teaching.
Note to Transfer Students:
Before registering, students transferring to MUW during the junior or senior year who intend to apply for a teaching license should contact the Department of Education for guidance.
Admission To Teacher Internship
Following admission to Teacher Education, a student must complete a minimum of one semester of coursework before being admitted to Teacher Internship. The Teacher Internship application is made available in Taskstream during the advising periods of the fall and spring semesters. :
- Admission to Teacher Education at least one semester prior to applying for the Teacher Internship.
- Submit all parts of the Teacher Internship application in Taskstream by the published deadline. Secondary and K-12 majors must submit verification of experience with school age children and/or youth (75 hours).
- Passing scores on Praxis II: Principles of Learning & Teaching (PLT), and Praxis II: Subject Area Assessment. Official score reports from ETS must be on file with the MUW Education Department.
- Completion of 84 semester hours of credit (to include all required professional education courses).
- Minimum grade of C in each of the following: EN 101 and EN 300 (EN 102 if transferred prior to first semester of attendance at MUW); COM 101 ; MA 113 or higher (excluding MA 123 ); MA 111 and MA 112 all professional education courses and all endorsement area courses.
- Overall GPA of 2.75 and overall MUW GPA of 2.75.
- Obtain the Intern 101 Mississippi Educator License.
- Obtain liability insurance.
Professional Field Experiences
As part of the program of study, students in teacher education are required to complete field-based experinces aligned with education courses. Students in teacher education curricula should plan their schedules to allow addtional field experience-hours per week in related field-based activities as outlined by the requirements of their program of study. Elementary education majors will complete their hours of field experience within the residency courses. These field experiences are assigned and coordinated through the Office of Field Experiences in the Department of Education. Students in field experiences will be required to complete a criminal background check through the MUW Office of Field Experiences. The Professional Semester is the final semester of the senior year when students complest the Teacher Internship. During this final semester, students are enrolled in either ED 401 Classroom Management or ED 351 Educational Measurement. The program of the Professional Semester is followed without deviation. No regular college course, no other coursework may be taken during the Professional Semester, except with the approval of the Admissions/Exceptions Committee for Teacher Education.
Recommendation For Licensure
The student will be eligible for the recommendation by the institution for a Mississippi Educator’s license on completion of all degree requirements and approved teacher education program requirements, to include a minimum grade of C in Teacher Internship. Students must have an official score report for the Praxis Series and MS Reading Foundations Exam (elementary education only) forwarded to the Mississippi Department of Education, Office of Educator Licensure.
Notice Regarding Licensure
Requirements governing licensure in the State of Mississippi are continually revised. As a result, requirements for degrees leading to licensure are subject to change from those published in this Bulletin. The student is advised to refer to the current online version of the Teacher Education Handbook and the Mississippi Department of Education Office of Educator Licensure to insure that both degree requirements and license requirements are met.
Teacher Education Curricula
All students preparing to teach should follow the appropriate program in the next section. This includes Elementary Education; Special Subject Area-Grades K-12 (Music, Spanish and Theatre) and the various subject areas of Secondary Education-Grades 7-12 (Chemistry/Physical Science; English; Biology; Mathematics). A minimum grade of C is required in each Education course, in EN 101 - English Composition I and EN 102 - English Composition II , MA 111 - Modern Elementary Mathematics I and MA 112 - Modern Elementary Mathematics II (for elementary education majors), MA 113 - College Algebra , COM 101 - Oral Communication , and in each endorsement area course. See academic advisor for program planning.
Department of History, Political Science, and Geography
Department Chair: Erin Kempker
Geography Faculty
Visiting Assistant Professor: Ann Fletchall Frazier
History Faculty
Professor: Thomas Velek
Associate Professors: Amber Handy, Jonathon Hooks, Erin Kempker
Visiting Assistant Professor: Kristi DiClemente
University Archivist: Derek Webb
Political Science Faculty
Professors: Brian Anderson, James Borsig
Assistant Professor: Chanley Rainey
Department of Languages, Literature, and Philosophy
Department Chair: Bridget Smith Pieschel
English Faculty
Professors: Kendall Dunkelberg, Amy Pardo, Bridget Smith Pieschel, Thomas C. Richardson, Leslie Stratyner
Associate Professors: Nora Corrigan, Michael Farris Smith, Kim Whitehead
Visiting Assistant Professors: Thomas Kris Lee
Instructors: Todd Bunnell, Janet Woodcock
Foreign Languages Faculty
Assistant Professor: Lynn Healy
Instructor: Erinn Holloway, Robert Raymond
Philosophy Faculty
Professor: Bryan Hilliard
Department of Music
Department Chair: Julia Mortyakova
Music Faculty
Associate Professors: Julia Mortyakova, Carmen Osburn
Assistant Professors: Joe Alexander, Valentin Bogdan, Elizabeth Haley, Susan Hurley, Phillip Stockton
Visiting Assistant Professor: Cherry Dunn
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 Psychology and Family Studies
Department Chair: Holleen Krogh
Psychology Faculty
Professor: Holleen R. Krogh
Assistant Professor: Meagan Wood
Visiting Assistant Professor: John Adams
Family Studies Faculty
Associate Professors: Dorothy Berglund, Youn Mi Lee
Accreditation
Mississippi University for Women’s Family Studies major is approved by the National Council on Family Relations (NCFR) as a Certified Family Life Educator (CFLE) program. Students graduating from this program can apply for provisional certification through an abbreviated process.
Department of Sciences and Mathematics
Department Chair: Dionne Fortenberry
Associate Chair: Bonnie Oppenheimer
Biological Sciences Faculty
Professors: Lauren Brandon, Ghanshyam Heda, George V. Pinchuk, Nicole Welch, Ross Whitwam
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
Professors: 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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Physical Sciences Major, Secondary Education Certification, BS
Department of Theatre
Department Chair: David Carter
Theatre Faculty
Professors: William Biddy, David Carter
Associate Professor: Lee Crouse
Instructor: Sarah Shotts
