Loyola University Chicago- Women's Studies

Women's Studies

Application Deadlines
Application Requirements
Contact Information
Curriculum
Degree Programs (M.A., M.A./M.S.W., Certificate)
Faculty
Graduate Placements
Overview

Overview

The Women's Studies program focuses on women and gender in society, culture and history. Its mission is to introduce students to feminist scholarship across the disciplines and to promote social justice. Full-time faculty members teach the majority of courses in the program. The graduate program in Women's Studies is designed to appeal to a variety of constituencies. These include:

Professionals who wish to integrate the insights of feminist scholarship into the workplace
Public and private school teachers seeking to respond to nationally and state-mandated calls for inclusive curricula and pedagogy
Individuals interested in feminist scholarship, as well as graduate students from other disciplines looking to integrate Women's Studies into their work

Degree Programs (M.A., M.A./M.S.W., Certificate)

The Women's Studies program offers the M.A. degree program, a joint M.A./M.S.W. degree program and a certificate program. Programs are individually tailored to a student's background, goals and needs. For example, a student may want to put together a program of study in Case Management in Health Care for Women, which might include courses in social work, sociology, philosophy and business.

M.A. Degree Program

The M.A. degree program consists of 24 hours (or eight courses), plus a research tool requirement. The program requires the completion of the two Women's Studies graduate core courses. Students can choose the other six courses from any discipline which offers courses cross-listed with the Women's Studies program. One of the elective courses must be multicultural or have a global emphasis. The research tool requirement entails a course in data analysis or in research methods (qualitative or quantitative) or demonstrated reading knowledge of a foreign language. The master's degree program has a thesis and a practicum option as well. Students work closely with the graduate program director in planning their course sequence.

M.A./M.S.W. Dual-Degree Program

Loyola University Chicago is one of very few institutions offering a dual degree in Social Work and Women's Studies. The dual degree program enables students to earn both degrees simultaneously and in a shorter time than pursuing each independently. It enables Women's Studies students to use their course work in an applied setting and allows social work students to enhance their capacity to work with women in social work settings.

Certificate Program

The certificate in Women's Studies is designed for students currently enrolled in another graduate program at Loyola University Chicago. Students must take three courses (nine hours), one of which must be selected from the two core courses in the Women's Studies graduate program. Students choose the other two courses from any discipline.

Curriculum

The Women's Studies program offers two core courses on the graduate level. One is required for the certificate; both are required for the M.A. degree. In addition to graduate-level electives in other Loyola departments, students may choose from a specialized elective course on the graduate level, a practicum course and an independent study option.

History of Feminist Thought: 1790-1970

In this course, students study feminism as a social movement aimed at women's emancipation. he course spans the history of modern feminism from its beginnings in the 18th century to the end of "second wave" feminism in 1970. Possible texts include Mary Wollstonecraft's A Vindication of the Rights of Woman (1792), Matilda Gage's Women, Church and State (1873), Anna Julia Cooper's A Voice from the South by a Black Woman of the South (1892), Virginia Woolf's Three Guineas (1938), Simone de Beauvoir's The Second Sex (1949) and Kate Millet's Sexual Politics (1970).

Intellectual and Institutional Foundations of Women’s Studies

This seminar examines the intellectual and political history of women’s studies as an interdisciplinary force within the academy and looks at the establishment of women's publishing firms, journals and bookstores that have been crucial to the success of women's studies programs. Students look at the development of women's studies in other countries as well. Students also do research in the Women and Leadership Archives on campus and discuss the importance of archival research to women's studies.

Elective Course: Global Feminisms

This course takes a comparative approach to feminism in a global context, covering at least two and ideally three or more cultures, ethnicities or geographical regions. Some topics that may be covered include literature and the arts; ecology and the environment; the economy and development; education and health; religion and culture; and post-colonial and feminist theory, including Third World feminism.

For more information about courses, visit www.luc.edu/depts/women_stu.

Faculty

Women’s Studies faculty members come from disciplines all across the university, including sociology, English, criminal justice, biology, philosophy, theology, history, Spanish, and many more. Because faculty members come to the Women's Studies department from such varied and numerous disciplines, students participate in a truly interdisciplinary program. Professors are well-respected for their research and teaching abilities, and students can expect to receive the personal attention they, as graduate students, deserve. Professors teaching in the Women's Studies program include:

Pamela L. Caughie, Ph.D. (University of Virginia) Professor, English
Areas of interest: Modern British and American literature, African-American literature and theory, postmodernism, feminist theory, women's studies and pedagogy

Susan Cavallo, Ph.D. (University of Chicago), Professor, Modern Languages and Literatures
Areas of interest: 20th-century peninsular poetry, 20th-century Hispanic prose, Latin American poetry, Hispanic women's writing, feminist theory and criticism, translation

Marilyn Dunn, Ph.D. (University of Chicago), Associate Professor, Fine Arts
Areas of interest: Renaissance and Baroque art, art patronage, women and art

Susan Grossman, Ph.D. (University of Chicago), Associate Professor, School of Social Work
Areas of interest: Violence against women, women and social welfare policy and service utilization

Susan E. Hirsch, Ph.D. (University of Michigan), Professor, History
Areas of interest: Labor, urban and gender history

Patricia Huntington, Ph.D. (Fordham University), Associate Professor, Philosophy
Areas of research: Feminism, social and political philosophy

Patricia Beattie Jung, Ph.D. (Vanderbilt University), Professor, Theology
Areas of interest: Family and sexual ethics and fundamental moral theology

Suzanne Kaufman, Ph.D. (Rutgers University), Associate Professor, History
Areas of interest: Modern European social and cultural history, modern France, history of religion and popular culture, and gender and women's history

Marta Lundy, M.S.W., Ph.D. (University of Chicago, School of Social Service Administration), Associate Professor, School of Social Work
Areas of interest: Victims of domestic violence, family violence, non-offending mothers in child sexual abuse, clinical practice with women and families, multisystemic and multitheoretical model of clinical practice

Susan Mezey, Ph.D., J.D. (Syracuse University, DePaul University), Professor
Areas of interest: Constitutional law, judicial process, administrative law, women and law

Prudence A. Moylan, Ph.D. (University of Illinois-Urbana), Associate Professor, History
Areas of interest: Modern Britain, gender and women's history, and peace studies

Bren A. O. Murphy, Ph.D. (Northwestern University), Associate Professor, Communication
Areas of interest: Mass mediated gender images, ethics and communication, hegemony and feminism

Jennifer Parks, Ph.D. (McMaster University), Associate Professor, Philosophy
Areas of interest: Feminist bioethics, health-care ethics, feminist moral theory, women's caregiving work

Tracy Pintchman, Ph.D. (University of California at Santa Barbara), Professor, Theology
Areas of interest: Religious studies, Hinduism, women and religion in India

Hannah Rockwell, Ph.D. (University of Utah), Associate Professor, Department of Communication
Areas of interest: Critical theory, cultural studies, philosophy of language and discourse analysis, particularly related to gender and communication

Susan Ross, Ph.D. (University of Chicago), Professor, Theology
Areas of interest: Systematic, feminist and sacramental theology and ethics, and theological anthropology

Loretta Stalans, Ph.D. (University of Illinois at Chicago), Professor, Criminal Justice
Areas of interest: Domestic and sexual violence, public opinion about justice, program evaluation of sex offender treatment programs and jury nullification

Jasmine Tata, Ph.D. (Syracuse University), Associate Professor, School of Business
Areas of interest: Organizational justice, group dynamics and international organizations

Julie Ward, Ph.D. (University of California, San Diego), Associate Professor, Philosophy
Areas of research: Ancient philosophy, especially Plato, Aristotle, Hellenistic philosophy and feminism

Paula Wisotzki, Ph.D. (Northwestern University), Associate Professor, Art History
Areas of interest: Modern and contemporary art, theory and methodology and feminist issues

Judith Wittner, Ph.D. (Northwestern University), Professor, Sociology
Areas of interest: Families, gender, qualitative methods, popular culture and social theory

J. Talmadge Wright, Ph.D. (University of California, Irvine), Associate Professor, Sociology
Areas of interest: Homelessness, housing, social inequality, social-cultural theory, social-physical space, city redevelopment and social exclusion

For more information about Women's Studies faculty, visit www.luc.edu/depts/women_stu.

Graduate Placements

Graduates of the Women's Studies program hold professional positions at a number of respected organizations, both corporate and non-profit. For example, recent graduates have found positions at:

Domestic violence counseling centers and shelters
Shelters for homeless women
Service centers serving sexually assaulted women, survivors of childhood sexual abuse and women involved in prostitution
Hospices for women, aiding with death and dying

Application Requirements

Applicants to M.A. degree programs generally have an undergraduate GPA of at least 3.0.

A $50 application fee
A completed application form. To apply, go to www.luc.edu/gpem
Official transcripts of all undergraduate and any graduate work
Three letters of recommendation (usually from referees familiar with the applicant’s academic work)
A writing sample, such as an undergraduate research paper
A statement of purpose

Women's Studies applicants: Include a description of your prior intellectual work in Women's Studies, including particular courses or readings that were influential. In addition, explain relevant research activities, volunteering experiences or employment to demonstrate activism on women's issues. Finally, discuss the topics that you want to pursue in graduate study and what you plan to do with a M.A. degree in Women's Studies

M.A./M.S.W. dual degree applicants: Write one personal statement incorporating the directions for Women's Studies applicants above, as well as the specific suggestions from the School of Social Work, at www.luc.edu/socialwork. Social Work also requires a Human Biology statement: If you have not taken biology or a biology-related course in college, indicate how you have come to acquire an awareness of human biology. As with all dual degree programs, applicants interested in the dual degree in Social Work and Women's Studies will be admitted based on the criteria for admission to each school
Either a TOEFL or IELTS score report is required for international applicants whose native language is not English. For the TOEFL, a score of at least 213 on the computer-based test or 550 on the written test is required. The minimum score for the new TOEFL iBT (Internet-based test) is 79. For the IELTS, a minimum score of 6.5 is required.
International applicants, or U.S. applicants who completed school abroad, are required to submit non-U.S. transcripts to Educational Credential Evaluators, Inc. (ECE). For more information, contact ECE at 414-289-3400 or visit www.ece.org

Please request a general evaluation report and have the official report sent to Loyola University Chicago, Graduate Enrollment Management, 820 N. Michigan Avenue, Chicago, IL 60611.

Application Deadlines

Fall admission: February 1 (to be eligible for the Mary Griffin Scholarship — open to those applying for the M.A. program full-time) or July 1

Spring admission: December 1

Deadlines and application requirements are subject to change. Visit www.luc.edu/depts/women_stu for the most up-to-date information.

Contact Information

The application and all supporting documents must be sent to Graduate Enrollment Management at the following address:

Graduate Enrollment Management
Loyola University Chicago
820 N. Michigan Avenue
Chicago, Illinois 60611
Phone: 312.915.8950
E-mail: GradApp@luc.edu

For more information about the academic program, or to arrange a visit, contact:

Graduate Program Director
Women’s Studies Program
Loyola University Chicago
6525 N. Sheridan Road
Chicago, Illinois 60626
Phone: 773.508.2934
www.luc.edu/depts/women_stu

Loyola University Chicago