Gender Studies
(MA) Gender Studies
Entry for 2026
FHEQ level
This course is set at Level 7 (Masters) in the national Framework for Higher Education Qualifications.
Course Aims
The MA in Gender Studies provides students with advanced grounding in feminist theories and methodologies and the opportunity to specialise through a range of options and individually chosen dissertation topics. The programme is intrinsically interdisciplinary: contributing colleagues come from departments such as Sociology, Media & Film, Anthropology, Law, English Literature and International Relations. The student cohort is diverse, including women and men seconded from international NGOs, recent home and international graduates, and mature students keen to return to academic study. A large number of Sussex faculty are engaged in research on a variety of gender-related topics, including sexualities and sexual violence, nationalism and citizenship, women's history and literature, education and work, and reproductive politics. This gives the programme broad optionality and expert supervision for student dissertations.
Course learning outcomes
Critically explore gender structures, discourses, practices and identities in different social, political and cultural contexts
Understand and evaluate key gender theories and the latest research at the forefront of the discipline
Display a practical understanding of how conceptual frameworks can be applied to policy problems and lived experience
Think creatively in developing and executing their own original research project
Think across intellectual boundaries, relating ideas from different disciplines through common themes
Achieve independence in their learning, exercising initiative in planning and implementing intellectual tasks
Present complex ideas clearly to specialist and non-specialist audiences
For information on the composition of this course please see either the on-line Undergraduate prospectus for undergraduate related courses or the on-line Postgraduate prospectus for postgraduate related courses.
More detailed information on the course structure and modules within this degree will be available on this page shortly.
Please note that the University will use all reasonable endeavours to deliver courses and modules in accordance with the descriptions set out here. However, the University keeps its courses and modules under review with the aim of enhancing quality. Some changes may therefore be made to the form or content of courses or modules shown as part of the normal process of curriculum management.
The University reserves the right to make changes to the contents or methods of delivery of, or to discontinue, merge or combine modules, if such action is reasonably considered necessary by the University. If there are not sufficient student numbers to make a module viable, the University reserves the right to cancel such a module. If the University withdraws or discontinues a module, it will use its reasonable endeavours to provide a suitable alternative module.