Texas Woman’s University is a comprehensive public university, primarily for women. As a teaching and research institution, the University emphasizes the liberal arts and specialized or professional students. Established in 1901 by an act of the 27th Legislature as the Girls Industrial College, the institution began classes in 1903.
In 1905 the Legislature changed the name to the College of Industrial Arts. The college grew in academic excellence, in size and scope, and in reputation. The rising academic qualifications of the faculty, the building of a substantial library and research and instructional facilities, and the increasing demand for graduate education for women led to the establishment of graduate students as the college in 1930.
In 1934 the name of the institution was changed to the Texas State College for Women to describe more accurately the scope of the school. Doctoral degrees were first awarded in 1953. Since 1957 the name has been Texas Woman’s University to reflect its status as a major institution of higher learning. TWU is accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (1866 Southern Lane, Decatur, GA, 30033-4097; telephone number: (404-679-4501) who award baccalaureate, master’s and doctoral degrees.
TWU offers more than 100 majors leading to bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degrees. The University is organized into five major academic divisions: the College of Arts and Sciences, the College of Professional Education, the College of Health Sciences, the College of Nursing, and the Graduate School. TWU is among the leading providers of health care professionals in the nation. The Graduate School offers advanced degree programs through the colleges and schools of the University.
The University is noted for its services and programs for students, including family housing for single parents, and for its many outreach programs for women, veterans, non-traditional, and minority students. Among these are many mission specific programs offered by TWU to advance women in the STEM fields as well as business, teaching, and other professional endeavors. The Blagg-Huey Library Woman’s Collection at TWU’s Denton campus is the largest depository for research material about women in the south and southwest, and it is a major collection of its kind in the United States.